For a few days, a strange tension had settled over the Tech Department.
Glitches. Random server hiccups. Login failures.
Nothing large enough to trigger alarms—
but enough for Meher to sense that someone was watching the system.
She had been quiet, alert, patient. Waiting for the moment the shadow finally moved.
Then—Zoya rushed in, breathless, eyes wide.
"Mam—" she whispered urgently, "they're making a move now!"
Meher lifted her head from her chair, calm but focused.
"Then… has the professional team arrived?" she asked, eyes scanning the monitors.
Zoya shook her head.
"No, Mam… they said they still need a little more time."
Meher pressed her lips together, exhaling softly.
"Not surprising. Alright… listen carefully. Don't panic. Keep the team on their stations. I'll handle this myself."
Zoya's eyes widened.
"You… you'll do it?"
Meher didn't answer immediately. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard. Then, with deliberate precision, she began typing—lines of commands flowing like a river, isolating suspicious processes, scanning logs, and tracking intrusions in real time.
The wall monitors erupted in alerts:
Unauthorized Access
System Breach Detected
Firewall Override Attempt
Red warnings blinked incessantly. Employees exchanged anxious glances, unsure whether to intervene, unsure if this was real danger or another glitch.
Meher's voice cut through the tension:
"Step back. Stay calm. Follow instructions only if I give them. No one touches the system unless I say so."
Her eyes never left the screens. Her mind raced through every possible path the intruder could take. Every false move could cost them—but she was faster, smarter, more precise.
Minutes stretched into an eternity. The hacker pushed harder, but Meher anticipated and countered each move.
Commands flowed like water from her fingertips, blocking backdoors, rerouting data, tracing the intruder's digital footprints.Zayn's Secret Room
The room was dim, lit only by the glow of multiple monitors.
"I hired a newbie hacker," Zayn muttered, voice low but sharp, "because I thought the other side would be weak. I didn't expect this…" His eyes narrowed at the screen, frustration simmering.
Faqair leaned against the wall casually.
"Sir, I know who's on the other side."
Zayn's gaze snapped to him. "Who told you that?"
Faqair smirked, unfazed.
"I have my own sources. It's… Ms. Meher."
Zayn's jaw tightened, a sharp smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Interesting… so the CEO herself is handling this. Fine. I'll take over."
He slammed a hand on the desk. The newbie hacker flinched.
"Your skills aren't enough. Step aside. I'll handle it myself."Her frustration finally boiled over. She slammed a fist lightly against the edge of her desk.
Damn it! I was about to crack this—why did the system shift again? Who the hell is this bastard?
Her teeth ground together, but her hands didn't stop moving. If anything, she typed faster, lines of code flowing from her like fire. Her focus was absolute, consuming. She had fought through worse, and she knew surrender wasn't an option.
Then, suddenly, a red warning blinked onto her screen:
"Warning. I'm sending you a link. Click it, and your entire company will be mine. Forever. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Across town, in the dimly lit confines of a hidden room, Zayn leaned back in his chair, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.
"Let's see if she takes the bait," he murmured, almost to himself. "Like dangling scraps before a starving dog. Just when the dog thinks it's about to eat…" He mimed pulling something away with his fingers. "…you snatch it back. That's how I'll make you suffer, Ms. Meher. Remember this well."
Faqair, leaning lazily against the wall, let out a soft laugh.
"Come on, don't push her so much. We were just messing around. Don't take it personally. You two will be competing forever… I need to go see someone," he said with a giggle.
Zayn's gaze flicked toward him, smirking.
"Relax. I'm not doing anything. So… you're going to meet Inaya?"
Faqair raised a brow. "Yes… if that's okay?"
"Okay. I'm wrapping this up and going to my office. Make sure you show up on time."
Faqair smirked lightly, sarcasm in his tone.
"Yes, sir."
Back in the Tech Department, Zoya's phone buzzed violently. She glanced down and her eyes widened at the pop-up notification:
"Luxury Dress at 90% Off – Limited Time Offer!"
"Oh my god…" she whispered, unable to resist. Her thumb hovered for only a second before tapping the link.
Immediately, the phone froze. Then, as if the device itself were laughing at her, a chilling message appeared:
"Congratulations. We've successfully hacked your company. Thanks for clicking."
Zoya's jaw dropped. Her heart thumped violently in her chest.
In Zayn's hidden room, he leaned back with a low, dark chuckle.
"Perfect. Ah, Ms. Meher… I'd pay to see your face right now."
The alarms in the Tech Department rang, echoing across the room as employees turned toward the wall screens, startled by the flashing red warnings.
"Listen to me carefully!" Meher barked, her voice slicing through the panic like steel. "Nobody clicks on any suspicious link—"
Her warning was cut short by Zoya's horrified shout.
"What the f—"
"Shut up!" Meher snapped, her eyes blazing, commanding absolute control.
Zoya fumbled to hide her phone, but Meher's hand was faster. She snatched it up, reading the mocking message. Her blood boiled, but her expression remained controlled. Beneath the fury, a sharp mind was already working, analyzing, countering, reversing the breach.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, a blur of motion. Lines of code scrolled faster than the eye could follow. Sweat clung to her forehead, but she didn't pause. Every second mattered. Every keystroke counted.
Then—she hit the final command.
The system blinked. The alerts vanished. Every monitor returned to normal. The threat had been neutralized.
Zoya exhaled shakily. "You did it. If not… we would've lost the company."
Meher turned sharply, her glare piercing, but tempered with exhaustion. She wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief.
"You nearly cost us everything. The only reason we're still standing is that the other side didn't actually want the company. But if we had lost… our dignity would've gone with it."
Zoya looked down, silent, chastened.
Across the city, in his hidden lair, Zayn turned to his bodyguard.
"Oh, she's smart. Let's go—back to our company. The play's over for today."
"Yes, sir," the bodyguard replied.
Back in her office, Meher sank slowly into her chair, alone now. Her hands rested lightly on the desk as her mind raced.
Someone's playing games. I managed to handle it this time… but if it happens again, I'll need backup. This isn't something I can fight alone.
Her eyes returned to the monitors. The quiet hum of the systems was almost comforting, but she knew it was only temporary. The game was far from over.
To be continued...