Chapter Two
1200 Words
SIENNA
Revenge was a dish best served cold, and I planned on shoving it in Damon’s pathetic face.
Cold wind whipped harshly across my face as I sped through the darkness of the night. The pack’s towering buildings had long disappeared behind me.
With one hand still on the wheel, I took my wedding ring out of the compartment. There was a way it seemed to glint in the moonlight.
Almost mocking in a way.
“Good riddance,” I muttered, tossing it out the window.
Damon’s betrayal wasn’t something I’d ever expected. But to think he’d also decide to humiliate me like that, and in front of another woman no less.
Still, it didn’t hurt like watching Akira—my son throw himself into another woman’s arms. I’d long since been replaced in his heart without even realizing it.
Furiously, I wiped some more tears off my cheeks. None of that mattered anymore. It was time to bury that Sienna once and for all.
A small shaky breath left my lips as I crossed the pack’s border. I took in a deep breath, feeling the acid-like burn in my lungs. It hurt, but at least for the first time in years, I was free.
“Big mistake cowards,” A small scoff left my breath. “A couple honeypots should do the trick here, here, and…here.”
I clicked on one last button before leaning back to examine my work. Subconsciously, my hands ran through cropped dark hair. The ghost of my long, blown out curls still lingered but I preferred it this way.
It had been six months since I decided to leave SilverMoon. The apartment I’d bought for work was dim, filled with different servers that hummed like they were alive.
“S. Croix.”
I mumbled out the name that littered site after site. Selene Croix. That was the name I’d been living under.
I’d taken it upon myself to learn advanced hacking, encryption and all there was to learn about corporate sabotage.
***
“Get to f*****g work, Selene!”
I blinked awake instantly, mumbling out quick apologies. “I—I’m sorry. I’ll get to that right away, sir.”
“You better,” he growled, turning to yell at someone else.
***
Back then, I’d worked multiple odd jobs to earn a living. That, and also studying coding from old manuals while occasionally sleeping in internet cafes. I was bleeding, but quitting meant letting all the people who stepped on me win.
And I refused to accept that.
After lots of trial and error, I’d gotten my big break when I managed to hack a corporate account, exposing a corrupt CEO and funneling the bounty to fund my startup.
“S. Croix.”
“Renowned Hacker, S. Croix, becomes household name.”
“Ghost genius garners huge fanbase after repeatedly rescuing bankrupt companies and exposing greedy ones.”
I smiled, clicking on one article after the other. After a while, I opened the secret digital wall of articles I had been saving. All of them happened to revolve around the slow decline of SilverMoon’s finances.
SilverMoon’s decline in asset value creates growing alarm with shareholders.
A slow grin spread across my face. They took everything away from me. I’ll take everything they stand on.
“Right this way, ma’am.”
I sent the usher a nod and let him lead me to my designated table. The hall glistened with banners and neon lights that gave it an illuminating glow. The business summit in question happened to hold some of the most successful people in the city.
And I was attending anonymously as S. Croix’s ‘representative’.
For the first few minutes, I remained content with just sipping the margarita that had been handed to me and watching everything unfold.
“Mind if I sit here?”
I turned to find a man standing close to my table. His green eyes were magnetic, smile sharp enough to immediately draw me in.
Carden DarkMoon. Alpha of DarkMoon Pack, and renowned billionaire CEO. His name alone could shake a room when mentioned. And he wanted to sit with me.
“Of course,” I gestured to the empty chair.
“Carden.” He held out a hand to me.
After gauging him for some seconds, I accepted his handshake. “Selene.”
“So,” He started after getting comfortable. “A representative of S. Croix themself. That’s a position not many are lucky enough to attain.”
A small hum left me. “What can I say? Luck doesn’t choose favorites.”
He hummed out a reply, eyes never leaving mine. There was something incredibly observant about them. Like he could read through all my lies.
“I like you,” he said again after a moment of silence. “It’s no wonder you work with S. Croix.”
“As a ghost employee.” I corrected, putting my drink aside.
He nodded. “Right, right. And I must confess, their methods are spot on. Although, I feel some less crass means can be used to easily pinpoint Black-Hat Hackers.”
“Sometimes crass is best.” I chided. “Not everyone can resist a good honeypot.”
“Oh.” He nodded, a smile slowly spreading over his face.
Shit.
He’d gotten me on that one. A ghost employee wouldn’t know about S. Croix’s use of honeypots to expose their last bust.
“I have a proposition.”
“Oh?” I was interested now.
“You’re an incredibly smart woman,” he went on. “One that I know can be a really important asset. I want to partner with you in a new venture, one that can benefit both my pack as well as S. Croix.”
I eyed him cautiously. “And what’s the catch?”
“I want to meet the real S. Croix.”
His words instantly send a chill down my spine. Every single one of my senses seemed to be on alert. And yet there was something intriguing about the Alpha sitting across me. I hadn’t felt so seen in years and it…unsettled me.
I let his proposition linger in the air for a while. It had been quite long since I truly let myself enter the game.
And Carden just might be the key to it.
“I’ll consider it.” I finally said, slowly getting up as my name was being called on stage.
“People like us don’t disappear, Miss Croix.” Carden chuckled, eyes glinting with something dangerous. “We reinvent.”
Back at the penthouse, Carden’s words continued to ring in my head. I knew for a fact I could use his help. DarkMoon was a powerhouse and the connections alone was a gateway to getting the revenge I wanted.
I opened a secure file, watching the glowing red that was now Damon’s pack finances. They were almost bankrupt.
“Perfect.”
For the first time in years, a grin spread across my face.
“You made me invisible for long enough, Damon.” I traced a hand over the monitor screen. “Now, I’ll make sure you see me everywhere.”
- Writer
