The Code Between Us

Chapter Five

Ava's POV

The silence in Ethan's penthouse was deafening, broken only by the faint hum of servers and the endless scroll of code across his monitors. The city glittered beyond the glass, mocking me with the freedom it represented the freedom I didn't have anymore.

I sat stiffly in the leather chair he'd shoved me toward, my laptop bag still clutched against me like armor. Ethan lounged across from me, too relaxed, too confident, like a predator who already knew the kill was his.

"Let's make one thing clear," I said, my voice sharper than I felt. "I'm not here because I want to be. I'm here because you cornered me."

Ethan tilted his head, the faintest curve of a smirk tugging at his mouth. "Semantics. You're here. That's all that matters."

My nails dug into the strap of my bag. "And when this is over? You'll let me walk?"

The smirk faded, and his eyes locked onto mine. "No, Ava. You would vanish the second my back was turned. You're too good at it."

My stomach tightened. I'd expected as much, but hearing it out loud made my chest feel heavier. So this was it. A cage, even if it was made of glass and steel.

"Then what?" I demanded. "You keep me here? On a leash? You think I'll just work for you like some trained dog?"

"Not a dog," he said smoothly. "A partner but if it makes you feel better, think of it as survival. You know the name Black Veil."

I stiffened at the mention. Of course, I knew them, every hacker did. An anonymous syndicate with no face, no leader anyone could pin down. They specialized in dismantling systems, stripping secrets, and selling them to the highest bidder and they never, ever left survivors who got in their way.

Ethan must have read the flicker in my expression because his voice softened. "They've been circling me for months and thanks to you, they know someone like you exists. They'll come for you, Ava, sooner rather than later."

I wanted to argue, to call his bluff, but the truth was I'd felt the pressure building long before tonight. My gut told me I was being hunted, but I'd ignored it.

Now I wasn't so sure.

Ethan leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "You can keep running until you burn out, or you can fight with me. I'm offering you the one thing you don't have, resources and protection. A chance to win."

The worst part was… he wasn't wrong.

I closed my eyes briefly, exhaling through my nose. "Fine. I'll help you but don't mistake this for loyalty, Ethan. I'm doing it because I don't feel like ending up in an unmarked grave."

His smirk returned, satisfied. "That's all I need."

The hours blurred as he gave me access to one of his secure terminals. My fingers flew across the keyboard, weaving layers of defensive code, firewalls laced with traps sharp enough to slice through any intruder dumb enough to test them. Ethan had an army of programmers, sure, but they built like architects, always orderly, predictable. My style was different. It was chaotic and unpredictable. The kind of code that looked like nonsense until you triggered it and realized it was a labyrinth of knives.

Beside me, Ethan watched in silence, only breaking it to comment when he saw something he didn't expect. At one point, when I nested three layers of encryption inside what looked like corrupted junk data, his brows actually rose in genuine admiration.

"You hide your brilliance well," he murmured.

"Don't flatter me," I shot back, though my chest tightened in ways I didn't want to acknowledge.

By the time the first wave of attempted breaches hit, the low-level probes from Black Veil, like sharks testing the water but we were ready. My code snapped into place, shredding the intrusions before they even grazed the surface. I couldn't help the thrill that sparked in me, the rush of the fight.

Ethan noticed, of course. "You love this," he said softly.

I didn't answer because he was right.

At some point, exhaustion pressed down on me, and I pushed away from the desk. "I need air."

Ethan gave a sharp nod but didn't protest. He had guards stationed near the elevator which was another reminder I wasn't going anywhere. I stalked down a hallway instead, away from the glow of screens and the suffocating weight of Ethan's gaze.

That's when I saw her.

A girl, maybe nineteen at most, with dark curls spilling over her shoulders, sitting cross-legged on the polished floor of a smaller side room. She had a tablet balanced on her lap, her fingers moving fast, almost frantic, over the screen.

She froze the second she noticed me. Her wide brown eyes darted toward the door, like she expected to be dragged out for sneaking around.

"Relax," I said cautiously. "I'm not here to rat you out."

She blinked, studying me like she wasn't sure if I was real. Then her lips curved into the faintest smile. "You're her."

"…Her?" I repeated.

"The ghost," she whispered. "Ava Morales. You're a legend on the underground boards. I used to trace your breadcrumbs just for practice."

Shock rippled through me. She couldn't have been more than a teenager, yet she spoke with the familiarity of someone who lived in the code. A hacker.

"Who are you?" I asked slowly.

"Leila," she said, lowering her voice like it were a secret. "Ethan calls me an intern, but that's not really what I am. He saved me from… well, from people I couldn't fight off. So now I'm here."

I frowned, stepping closer. There was something about her, she had bright, raw, unpolished talent. She reminded me of myself when I first started, hungry and reckless.

"You work for him willingly?" I asked.

Her smile faltered. "Willingly enough. He keeps me safe and in return, I build things for him but…" She hesitated, glancing around before leaning closer. "…you're different."

The words lodged in my chest, because wasn't that exactly how I felt? Trapped, caught in Ethan's gilded cage.

Leila's gaze flicked past me nervously. "Be careful. He doesn't let go of things once he has them and you, he's been waiting for you."

I swallowed, the weight of her warning settling deep.

Before I could answer, footsteps echoed down the hall. Ethan's voice cut through the air. "Ava?"

Leila's eyes widened, and in a flash, she bent back over her tablet, pretending to be buried in whatever task she had.

I turned as Ethan appeared, his gaze moving between us with sharp calculation. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Making friends?"

I forced my voice steady. "Just stretching my legs."

"Good." His tone was deceptively calm. "Because we're not finished."

He extended a hand like he expected me to follow without question and I did, because what else could I do?

But as I glanced back, Leila met my eyes and mouthed one word.

Run.