Dangerous clues
640 Words
Chapter 16
A Dangerous Clue
Friday afternoon arrived with a welcome sense of relief.
After a long week of lectures, most students were already making plans for the weekend. The campus was filled with laughter as final-year students talked excitedly about Convocation Week.
Nadia and Ethan left their last lecture together.
"Don't forget," Ethan said. "Tomorrow, ten o'clock."
"The study center," Nadia replied.
"I'll be there."
"I know you will."
Ethan smiled.
"I've noticed something about you."
"What?"
"You're never late."
"My father taught me that arriving on time is a sign of respect."
He nodded.
"I like that."
Before either of them could say another word, Ethan's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen and sighed.
"My father again?"
"You guessed right."
"Go ahead."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
They went their separate ways.
Back at the Carter mansion...
Ethan walked into his bedroom and immediately switched on his laptop.
He hadn't forgotten the mysterious folder that had appeared the previous night.
"This time," he murmured, "let's see what you're hiding."
He connected an external drive containing several security tools he had developed over the years.
Lines of code scrolled rapidly across the screen.
The deeper he searched, the more unusual things became.
Someone had tried to copy files from his laptop.
The attempt had failed.
But one detail caught his attention.
A tiny digital signature had been left behind.
Most people would never have noticed it.
Ethan smiled.
"That was your mistake."
He began tracing the signature.
The process was slow.
Whoever had attempted the intrusion had covered their tracks well.
But not perfectly.
"This is going to take time," he said, saving the progress before closing the laptop.
He wasn't ready to tell anyone—not even Nadia.
Not until he understood what he was dealing with.
Across the city...
Vanessa sat in a quiet café, her laptop open in front of her.
She refreshed the screen several times before frowning.
"No response."
The small program she had secretly planted hadn't worked.
Instead...
It had gone completely silent.
She leaned back in frustration.
"So, you found it."
Her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
Be careful. He's better than you think.
Vanessa quickly looked around the café.
No one seemed to be paying attention to her.
She typed a reply.
Who are you?
A few seconds passed.
No answer came.
The message sender had already gone offline.
For the first time since starting her plan...
Vanessa felt uneasy.
Saturday morning arrived.
Nadia reached the study center five minutes early.
As expected...
Ethan was already there.
"You beat me again," she said.
He laughed.
"Only by two minutes."
They settled into a quiet corner and spread their books across the table.
For the next three hours, they worked without distraction.
Business strategies.
Market analysis.
Financial planning.
Every section of their presentation became stronger.
Around noon, Nadia closed her notebook.
"I think we're almost finished."
"I was thinking the same thing."
Ethan looked at her.
"I've never had a project partner this easy to work with."
"That's because you actually do your share of the work."
He smiled.
"Fair enough."
As they packed up, an elderly librarian approached their table.
"You two make an excellent team."
They both smiled politely.
"Thank you," Nadia replied.
"I've been watching you these past few weeks," the librarian continued.
"You never waste time."
"You respect each other's ideas."
He nodded approvingly.
"That kind of partnership is rare."
After he walked away, Ethan looked at Nadia.
"Maybe we're doing something right."
"Maybe we are."
Neither of them noticed the woman standing across the street, watching them through the window.
She quietly raised her phone...
...and took a photograph.
Then another.
Without a word, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
The game against Nadia had entered a new stage.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD