Maisara's pov
It's surprising how making one decision makes it easier to make the other one. After emailing my response to Oliver, it suddenly becomes clear what my response to Lydia should be. For now, I want to focus on Oliver since he directly threatened me. Well, not directly to me but he did threaten to 'break me'. Maybe, Ryker is also a threat and can plot to do something against me in his own wedding. But he seems less dangerous now, compared to Oliver.
Also, I put my trust in Allah. By the grace of Allah, nothing has harmed me after my conversion. I believe it won't be different this time either. No one can harm me if Allah plans to save me. Not Oliver, not Ryker.
So, I send a text to Lydia letting her know my answer. The reason I said 'no' in text and not by call or face to face is that I'm a coward. I can already imagine her gloomy face when she receives my text. If I call her I will have to hear her down voice and meeting her would be worse, seeing her unhappy expression and all that. It's better to just send her a text.
"Nothing here either," The frustrated voice beside me brings me back to reality. I turn my head to look at the dark silhouette of a young woman leaning over the glowing keyboard, her eyes fixed on the computer screen. The light radiating from the screen is working as a highlighter on her chubby cheeks. Her eyebrows are knitted slightly in frustration, teeth sinking into her bottom lip.
"Told ya it's not that easy. There is a reason I asked for you," I reply nonchalantly, leaning my back on the chair beside hers and glancing up at the screen. We can actually say screens. Four screens are arranged on the wall, three smaller ones are below the large one. Numbers and figures are floating all over the smaller screens. Some tech stuff. The bigger screen shows a chatbox, Oliver's chatbox to be exact. That's what you get to see in a hacker's computer.
"There is a reason you asked for me," she repeats my words, with a different tone, determined as if my words would be enough for her to change the world. I watch her as she leans more over her keyboard and starts typing furiously. Figures and numbers start changing matching her pace, even the bigger screen is showing numbers now.
So this is how the famous hacker, Victoria Adams works. If she hears me saying this, she will be pissed for several reasons. First of all, she prefers 'Vicky' instead of Victoria as Victoria doesn't sound that cool with hacking and other tech stuff. Secondly, she is not simply a hacker, she has a daytime job as well. And lastly, you can't call her famous because according to her, hackers can't have fame. If a hacker is known, that ruins the whole purpose of the term. I didn't quite understand myself what she meant by that, but it was what she said.
How do I know her? Long story. Why is she helping me? Also a long story but in short, she owes me a favor and I'm using it. Why did I need her help? Another long story but again, in short, I didn't find anything more about Oliver. It has been two weeks since I started working for him and everything is going perfectly normal. I tried to find things about him myself but didn't get much success. Also, I can't sneak around that much when I will be a prime suspect if anything goes wrong. It's too much unnecessary risk for me.
"Seriously, man!" Vicky almost screams this time. I look up at the screens. Now one screen has the running numbers and others show different types of inboxes. She is checking several of his accounts, I can say that but what accounts are she exactly checking, I have no idea. None of the inboxes look familiar to me. Again, some tech stuff that only Vicky understands.
The sound of a new notification popping up on my phone draws my attention. I look away from the screens and focus on my phone. As always, my heart does a random flip seeing a new text from Felix.
Felix: Don't freak out but I think I'm stuck with Ryker in the storage room.
I jump up on the chair instantly. Don't freak out? Fuck it! How the hell am I not supposed to freak out when he is stuck with someone who is physically and mentally capable of hurting him? Felix is also capable of protecting himself, I'm not doubting that. But the last time they were together, well, that was something and I had to intervene.
My fingers hover over the keyboard a few times before I decide to settle for a call. The amount of questions I have won't be fulfilled by typing. The phone probably doesn't even ring once before he cuts the call. A text arrives right after that before I can ask why he cut off the call.
Felix: Don't call. I can't pick it up now. It's gonna be awkward.
So, I have no choice but to type.
Maisara: How the fuck did you get stuck with him?
Felix: Ian planned it. He just yelled from outside that he is not gonna let us out until we sort out whatever is going on between us.
I seriously have no idea whether to be angry with Ian or be grateful to him. I can't tell if this is a brilliant plan or some stupid shit that he pulled off.
Maisara: What will you do now?
It takes him a few minutes before he replies. Vicky is saying something in the background but my whole focus is on Felix now.
Felix: Don't know. I'm not saying anything. He is cursing every now and then but not at me. If he wants to sort it out I'm in. But I'm not making any first move.
I smirk. That's like my man.
Maisara: Be careful. Let me know if you sense any danger.
Felix: 😂 What are you gonna do?
Maisara: Beat the living shit out of him.
Felix: I certainly don't doubt that.
Maisara: What are you doing now?
Felix: Texting you.
Maisara: I meant about your situation.
Felix: Seems like Ryker is trying to start a conversation. Let's see where it goes.
Maisara: Let me know any updates.
Felix: Got it.
I put down my phone and turn my attention back to the screens. But my mind keeps reverting to him. What is he doing there? Is he ok? What is Ryker doing to him?
I guess I have to wait for his next text.
Suddenly I feel a gaze on me. My eyes automatically find Vicky. Yup, she is the one staring at me. A different kind of look she has in her eyes.
"What?" I ask, resisting the urge to turn to my phone and check for Felix's text. The sound of the new notification will confirm his text. I haven't got any new ones. Still, my mind tries to play tricks on me. It says that maybe something is wrong and the sound of the notification didn't ring.
Human mind is a pretty dangerous thing.
"You love him a lot." Vicky simply says that, with a serene tone and a pretty smile on her face. My immediate reaction is to deny it instantly. Then I hold myself back. I have read enough books to know that in a situation like this, immediate denial often leads to the fact being true.
So, instead, I act nonchalant and ask, "Whom are you referring to?"
Vicky rolls her eyes. "Dramatic much." Then she gestures to my phone. "The guy you were texting with a stupid smile on your face and stars in your eyes."
"I was doing no such things," I say, knowing full well that I'm lying to her face. I often caught myself smiling over his texts. Of course, she has seen that too.
Vicky shrugs, turning her attention back to the screens. "You can lie to me all you want, I don't mind. But, don't lie to yourself. That would be injustice."
I don't say anything in reply, just check once more if he has sent any texts. Injustice, huh? Do I really care about that after all this time? When did I ever do justice to myself?
"And the good news is," Vicky continues, pulling my attention back to her. "I found something."
I look back at the screens, trying to figure out what she found. The smaller screens still have those running numbers and characters while the bigger screen is showing what seems like a bank account, more exactly, the transaction history of a bank account. I look back at her in question.
She gives me a sly smile. "As you can see, I hacked his bank account. And here, I find a suspicious transaction. Not one actually, there are quite a few. The amount is different from his other usual transactions. And the other account is always the same."
She places the cursors on each suspicious transaction. She is right, indeed. The amount is noticeably huge compared to his regular transaction.
"That account owner must be the suspicious 'He'," I comment as she scrolls down to the bottom of the history.
"I'm hacking that one next. Finally found a lead." Her giggling is so innocent that anyone would misunderstand it as something simple and silly. But I know how twisted things are gonna be.
My phone tings with a new notification just then. I almost jump on it. Finally, it's a new text from Felix.
Felix: It’s sorted. I'm safe and out. Will call you as soon as I can.
The relief I feel at the moment knows no bounds. I feel Vicky giving me side-eye but I choose to ignore her.
Maisara: Alhamdulillah. Call me as soon as you can.
Suddenly, a random thought clicks in my head. Not really a random thought, it almost seems a possibility, a connection to all the missing pieces of the puzzle. I turn to Vicky instantly and the first thing that leaves my mouth is, "Stalk Ryker Reyes. Find out everything you can about him. I have a feeling that he is gonna be someone important in our case."
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