Chapter 17: Is That Her Boyfriend

Chapter 17: Is That Her Boyfriend
Elira valued peace and quiet.

Anyone who knew her—even just a little—understood one thing: waking her up was almost as dangerous as betraying her trust. It wasn’t just a preference. It was a warning.

Even Lucian, who shared a close bond with her, wouldn’t dare disturb her sleep. Not unless he wanted to pay dearly for it.

But the person knocking at her door clearly didn’t get the memo.

“Elira? Elira? Are you in there?” Delilah’s voice rang out through the hallway, sharp and persistent.

She knocked again, harder this time, her ear pressed to the door, straining for any hint of sound.

The silence inside the room stretched long and tight.

Delilah frowned. She was sure Elira was awake. Was she ignoring her? Or was she busy doing something behind that door? Something valuable?

Delilah couldn’t shake the thought of what Frank had said earlier—that Elira was good at coding, that she could earn real money from it. She didn’t want to believe it. She hated the idea that Elira could be more useful or smarter than her. But the new phone, the expensive computer… they spoke for themselves.

That was the only reason she was still standing here, swallowing her pride, forcing herself to try again.

Her hand hesitated, fingers curling into a fist.

Then she forced the words out.

“Sis…”

But before she could finish, the door flung open—violently.

A hand shot out like a snake and locked around her throat.

Delilah froze in sheer horror.

She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream. Her entire body trembled as Elira’s icy, murderous gaze pierced through her.

There was no mercy in her expression.

Delilah’s face flushed red as she clawed at Elira’s wrist, dropping the breakfast she'd brought in a feeble attempt to earn goodwill. Bags and boxes hit the floor with soft thuds.

Her arms flailed, slapping against Elira’s shoulder, desperate.

“Sis!” Frank’s voice cracked the air as he darted out of his room.

He lunged toward the girls, panic all over his face.

Elira’s hand finally loosened, and Delilah collapsed with a heavy thump, gasping for air, her legs folding underneath her.

She coughed and wheezed, her chest heaving, tears running down her cheeks.

Elira’s eyes flicked to the mess of breakfast on the floor, then back to Delilah. “Don’t come near me again… unless you’re looking to die.”

With that, she turned and slammed the door behind her.

Delilah sat frozen for a beat, and then the fear caught up to her.

She broke down in sobs—loud, broken sobs that made her entire body shake.

She wasn’t just crying because she was scared.

She was crying because, for the first time, she realized Elira wasn’t someone she could bully anymore.

Suddenly, glass shattered inside the room.

A cup slammed against the back of the door, the crash sharp and violent.

Delilah’s sobs caught in her throat.

Then, without another sound, she scrambled to her feet and ran back to her room.

Frank said nothing. He simply fetched a broom, crouched down, and silently began cleaning the spilled breakfast at Elira’s door.

The quiet between them was heavy.

After he mopped the floor, the door creaked open again.

Elira stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

A few minutes later, Frank was seated in front of her computer, eyes wide as he watched data flood across the screen like a waterfall.

Elira leaned against the desk, arms folded.

“You said you wanted to learn hacking, right? I’ll teach you.”

Frank blinked. “You… you mean it?”

He couldn’t believe it.

His own sister was a real hacker. A legendary one.

Frank’s face lit up like a child opening a gift.

He was handsome, with bright eyes that shone like stars—clean, soft features that still carried the innocence of a boy but with a quiet strength that made him magnetic.

In that moment, Elira watched him with faint amusement.

She reached out and flicked his chin with one finger, the gesture teasing, like a mischievous young noble ruffling a servant girl’s hair in an old story.

Frank’s face flushed crimson.

He stared at her, eyes wide, lips parted.

She grinned, then pulled back.

There was no sign of the fierce monster who had nearly strangled Delilah minutes ago. Right now, she was calm—peaceful, even.

Then she got serious.

“Hacking,” she explained, “isn’t about typing random codes or wearing hoodies in basements. It’s about finding flaws. Software bugs. Weak links. You look for vulnerabilities in a system—then you learn how to exploit them.”

Frank listened with full focus.

And surprisingly, he understood.

Fast.

She only needed to say something once. He absorbed it like a sponge, his mind working faster than she expected.

Smart people were rare—and always likable.

Her mood lifted.

Delilah’s tears were long forgotten.

“I’m impressed,” Elira said, finally. “You’ve got potential.”

She stood, grabbed her bag, and said casually, “Let’s go. We’re getting you a computer.”

“Huh?” Frank blinked again. “Now?”

“Now.”

A short trip later, they bought a sleek, high-performance laptop from the tech store. On their way back, Elira made a stop at the bank to collect a new card.

Before they knew it, it was already noon.

Back in the taxi, Frank clutched the new laptop on his lap, still in shock.

This was more than he ever dreamed of.

When they neared their neighborhood, Elira tapped the window.

“Drop us here,” she said.

Frank looked out, confused.

“We’re still far from home.”

“I’m walking the rest,” she said, pushing the door open.

“You go ahead,” she added, gesturing for him to continue riding.

But Frank slid out beside her, holding the laptop carefully. “I’ll walk with you.”

Elira glanced sideways at him.

She said nothing—but a faint warmth shimmered in her eyes.

Meanwhile, just down the street, a luxury car sat parked along the curb.

Sleek. Expensive. Understated power radiated from every inch of it.

But it wasn’t the car that had the neighbors whispering.

It was the license plate: Sundrift Z0091.

Inside, the backseat was warm, comfortable.

Draven sat with one leg crossed over the other, staring through the tinted window.

“Sir,” said the assistant in the front. “That’s her.”

Draven didn’t move. He simply stared at the girl in the distance.

Elira.

Before Draven left for Sundrift City, Luke had already sent him everything—her name, school, phone number, address.

All because Luke wanted to know the girl who had saved his life.

Draven hadn’t expected much.

When he first saw her, he thought she was average. A little overweight. Unremarkable.

He didn’t understand what made her so important.

But just as he was thinking that—Elira stopped.

She turned.

And her eyes met his—directly through the tinted glass.

Draven stiffened.

She couldn’t possibly see him… could she?

But the way she held his gaze—it was like she knew.

Interesting, he thought.

She’s got sharp instincts.

He leaned forward slightly, studying her.

She had an edge. A quiet confidence that made her stand out, even without flashy clothes or dramatic looks.

She would look even better, he noted, once she lost a bit of weight.

From the front seat, the assistant murmured, “She’s really sharp. No wonder Mr. Luke…”

He trailed off.

Most people would’ve been too scared to stop and help a man bleeding from a gunshot wound. Especially a girl.

But Elira had done it.

She’d risked her life to save his boss.

As Elira and Frank passed by, a motorbike zoomed past them, startling her. Frank instinctively pulled her aside.

“Sis, are you okay?” he asked, following her gaze.

She was staring at the car now.

“That’s… odd.”

“What is?”

“That car. It doesn’t belong here.”

Frank tilted his head. “You know the model?”

“No. But no one around here owns anything like that.”

Inside the car, Draven was still watching.

He raised his phone, quietly snapped a photo of the two walking side by side.

He sent it to Luke with one question typed beneath it:

“Is this her boyfriend?”