Chapter 11 - The Breach
I realized I couldn't leave through the front door.
I needed to find a breach in the Net.
I spent weeks observing the data center’s rotation.
There was a five-minute window every Tuesday when the system reset.
It was an archaic vulnerability, something Daniel hadn't bothered to fix because he assumed no one would ever look.
I studied his password habits, the way he tapped his fingers on the desk, the sequence of his alarms.
I became a student of his arrogance.
One rainy Tuesday, I slipped into his office while he was on a conference call.
I mirrored his hard drive onto a secure thumb drive.
My hands didn't shake.
I wasn't afraid of being caught anymore.
I was already gone.
I walked back to the kitchen, making a cup of tea as if the world hadn't just shifted.
Daniel walked in moments later, his eyes scanning the room.
"You seem calm today," he noted, his voice suspicious.
"I'm finally seeing things clearly," I said, looking him in the eye.
He stared at me for a long moment, then smiled—a cold, hollow gesture.
"Good. Clarity is a dangerous thing."
He knew.
He had to know.
May you like
But he didn't stop me.
He wanted to see how far I would go.
