Chapter 66 *
Scarlett’s POV
I could see his code working in real-time.
We fell into a rhythm. I'd pull their attention. He'd hit from behind.
Then we'd switch.
No words needed. Just pure tactical coordination.
It was like dancing. Except with malware and exploit chains.
The attacker was good. Really good.
But we were better.
Forty minutes in, I spotted their weakness. A backdoor they'd left open. Probably didn't think anyone would notice.
[Third server cluster. Northeast quadrant,] I typed.
[On it.]
Helix hit it like a battering ram.
The whole system shuddered.
I followed up immediately. Overloaded their defenses. Crashed their primary infrastructure.
One hour and twelve minutes after the attack started, it was over.
Their system was down. Their data scattered. Their operation completely destroyed.
I leaned back in my chair.
Holy shit.
We actually did it.
[Not bad,] Helix's message appeared.
[You're welcome,] I typed back.
[I carried that entire operation.]
[Keep telling yourself that.]
[I'm serious. You were barely helpful.]
[Sure. That's why you needed me to point out the backdoor.]
[I was getting to it.]
[You were nowhere near it.]
[Fuck off.]
I was grinning like an idiot.
This was fun. Way more fun than it should've been.
My phone buzzed on the desk. I ignored it.
Opened a new browser window instead. The most exclusive darknet forum in existence. Elite hackers. Intelligence operatives. People who could start wars with a laptop.
I rarely posted there. Mostly just lurked.
But tonight deserved documentation.
I scrolled through the recent threads.
Then stopped.
What the fuck.
[BREAKING] Helix and Nyx just tag-teamed my entire operation
Posted by: GhostProtocol
I clicked on the thread.
GhostProtocol: No, this isn't a drill. Yes, I'm still processing. These two just hit my operation with surgical precision. Their coordination was flawless. Like they've been running ops together for years. Haven't seen Helix this motivated since... ever?
The comments section was already exploding.
CipherQueen: Wait. HELIX and NYX? Working TOGETHER? The same two who've been at each other's throats for years?
RedFlag_Actual: Called it. They've been hate-flirting since 2019. Classic enemies-to-lovers arc.
I choked on air.
What?
PhantomZero: So THAT'S why they both went dark for a year. Bet they eloped to some private island.
ShadowBroker: Honestly? About damn time. Two of the most dangerous people on the planet finally settling down? That's a net positive for global security. Hope they're busy with domestic life and leave the rest of us alone.
My eye twitched.
VoidWalker: I ship it. Helix needs someone who can keep up with him. Nyx is literally the only person on the planet who qualifies.
DarkMatter_88: Plot twist: their kid is gonna be the most terrifying hacker in existence. We're all screwed.
I was going to murder everyone in this thread.
My fingers slammed into the keyboard.
Reply from Nyx:
Alright, let's clear some things up because this thread is spiraling into fanfiction territory.
I AM married. To someone who is:
1.Actually kind
2.Actually supportive
3.Actually capable of human emotion
4.NOT a manipulative sociopath
Helix is NOT my husband. He is:
1.A backstabbing snake
2.An arrogant asshole
3.Someone I'd rather die alone than spend five minutes with
The ONLY reason we worked together was tactical necessity. Trust me, it was just as painful for me as it sounds.
So to everyone shipping this nightmare scenario: STOP. IT. NOW.
I'd rather marry a cactus than that heartless bastard.
We clear?
— Nyx
I hit post.
Sat back. Crossed my arms.
That should shut them up.
The replies came immediately.
RedFlag_Actual: "I'd rather marry a cactus" Yep. She's definitely in love with him. Classic denial phase.
CipherQueen: The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
PhantomZero: Nyx: writes essay explaining why she hates Helix Also Nyx: knows exactly what Helix's personality traits are Sure, Jan.
I wanted to throw my laptop across the room.
Reply from Nyx:
I hate every single one of you. This thread is getting locked. Don't make me prove why I earned my reputation.
The thread immediately showed: [LOCKED BY MODERATOR]
Moderator Note: "Let's not poke the bear. Or the Nyx. You get the idea."
Good.
I closed the browser.
My hands were shaking. From the absolute insanity of this entire night.
I opened a private message window. Found GhostProtocol's username.
Typed quickly.
To: GhostProtocol
I'm taking the job. The one about clearing Scarlett Romano's name.
— Nyx
His response came fast.
GhostProtocol: About that. I need to explain something. I wasn't the one who smeared Scarlett Romano in the first place.
I frowned.
Nyx: What?
GhostProtocol: Someone hacked my backend about three weeks ago. Took me half a month to clean it out. Thought I got everything. Then tonight, another attack. Different signature. Different methods.
GhostProtocol: I thought you and Helix were the ones running the smear campaign. That you'd both taken jobs as paid trolls or something.
I stared at the screen.
Are you fucking kidding me.
Nyx: So all three of us spent the entire night fighting each other over a complete misunderstanding?
GhostProtocol: Looks that way.
Nyx: And the person who actually started this?
GhostProtocol: Still out there. Hold on. Sending you files.
A download prompt appeared. I accepted.
The files loaded. Chat logs. Transaction records. Screenshots.
I opened the main conversation thread.
Unknown User: Need a job done. Smear campaign. Target: Scarlett Romano. Make it look like she cheated on her SAT.
The head of a troll farm: Price?
Unknown User: $30,000 USD upfront. Another $20K on completion.
The head of a troll farm: That's low for this kind of operation.
Unknown User: Fine. $50K total. But I want evidence. Screenshots. Documentation. Make it stick.
I kept scrolling.
Unknown User: The target has information shields up. Need to bypass them first.
The head of a troll farm: That'll cost extra.
Unknown User: How much?
The head of a troll farm: Another $30K.
Unknown User: Done.
My jaw clenched.
Eighty thousand dollars. Someone had paid eighty thousand dollars to destroy me.
I checked the user profile.
Anonymous. No photo. No identifying information.
My fingers moved across the keyboard. Time to dig deeper.
I started tracing the payment routes. Following the digital breadcrumbs.
The transactions went through three different cryptocurrency wallets. Standard laundering technique.
But there were patterns. Time stamps. Transaction amounts.
I cross-referenced with known wallet addresses. Ran the data through my tracking algorithms.
Five minutes later, I had an IP address.
Traced it back. Through two VPN layers. Past a proxy server.
A residential address in Manhattan. Upper East Side.
I pulled up property records. Matched them against social media accounts.
Found a linked Instagram profile.
The photos loaded.
Blonde hair. Bright smile. Designer clothes.
Madison. Zelda's best friend.
Of course it was her.
This had Zelda written all over it. Using Madison as a proxy. Keeping her own hands clean.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
I could destroy Madison right now. Expose everything. Ruin her life in minutes.
But that would be too easy.
Too quick.
No.
I wanted them to feel safe first. Let them think they'd won.
Then I'd strike.