If it was, he would not hesitate to press down on it until she broke.
For now, though, he needed to play along. Hence, the talk of compensation.
Aurora, on the other hand, saw through him instantly.
'He's not done,' she thought, unease tightening her chest.
This man was playing a long game, and he might strike again at the Waters family from an angle she could not immediately see. Worse, there was a chance he could even succeed.
'No,' her thoughts hardened. 'This cannot continue.'
She knew she could not protect her family alone forever. The realization sent a ripple of anxiety through her.
There was no other hacker in the family, no one else who could stand guard in the digital shadows beside her. Then, like a spark catching fire, an idea formed.
'If I build my own hacking company,' she reasoned, 'one that exists solely to safeguard my family and monitor every individual who approaches them, then the chances of anyone hurting them would drop to nearly zero.'
