The cursor blinked on the dark screen.
Dr. Amelia Rhodes sat still, her reflection faintly visible against the glossy laptop lid as she muttered under her breath, "Who is this man?"
NovaSec wasn't some opportunistic hacker. He was deliberate, strategic, and disturbingly composed. The way he negotiated earlier—it wasn't an attack. It was a business proposal.
She rubbed her temples, closed the laptop, and exhaled slowly just as the door opened behind her.
Alex stepped in, his face expectant. "Well?"
Amelia turned to face him, her tone clipped but calm. "He's asking for five point seven million."
Alex blinked. "He's serious?"
"He was precise," she replied. "Every word calculated. I don't think I was the one negotiating."
A moment passed before Alex spoke again. "So what's the plan?"
Amelia gave a small, humorless smile. "We take it to the board. Convince them that paying is cheaper than pretending we're invincible."
"You think they'll listen?"
"They will," she said as she picked up the laptop. "Because fear is the one thing those people respect more than money."
She walked out, leaving Alex to stare at the empty chair she had just occupied.
12:30 PM — The Sky Chamber, Aurora Systems Headquarters
The boardroom stretched like an amphitheater of power. Glass walls framed the skyline, and the conference table gleamed beneath the filtered sunlight.
Every seat was filled. Executives, investors, and founders all sat in a tight semicircle around the main display. The air was heavy with tension.
Amelia entered quietly, followed by her assistant carrying a projector case. She plugged it in, opened her folder, and faced them.
"Good afternoon," she began. "This meeting concerns a critical security event that occurred less than a day ago."
The first slide illuminated the room—five confirmed system flaws listed in clinical detail.
"These vulnerabilities were discovered and disclosed by an independent entity calling himself NovaSec. Each flaw had the potential to bypass internal encryption layers and access user-level data."
She clicked to the next slide. A single number filled the screen: $5,700,000.
"That," she said evenly, "is the asking price for the remaining fifteen vulnerabilities."
The room murmured instantly.
"Five point seven million?" snapped Mr. Reynolds, one of the oldest board members. "That's absurd. We don't negotiate with criminals."
Amelia stood still. "With respect, sir, NovaSec hasn't behaved like a criminal. He's acted more like a consultant—just one without a contract."
Her words drew uneasy glances across the table. She clicked again. This time, a bar graph appeared showing projected losses from a full-scale breach.
"If even one of these weaknesses were exploited, our damages could exceed half a billion dollars in loss of data, trust, and litigation."
The murmuring died.
Eric Vale, the CEO, leaned forward. "You're asking us to pay this person without any guarantee. What makes you think he won't come back for more?"
Amelia met his gaze. "Because he doesn't need to. He already had full access and never used it. He sent proof, not threats. If he wanted chaos, it would've already happened."
She clicked to the next slide. The heading read: Observed Behavioral Pattern — NovaSec
• Delivered verified vulnerabilities without compensation.• Provided detailed documentation and proof of access.• Avoided public disclosure.• Initiated structured negotiation instead of coercion.
"This pattern doesn't match a black-hat actor," she continued. "It matches someone testing boundaries—someone who wants recognition, not destruction."
Across the room, Dr. Haru Lin, one of the founders, adjusted his tie. "So not a white hat, not a criminal. Something in between."
"Something new," Amelia said. "Someone who understands value."
Silence followed, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Finally, Eric Vale spoke again. "Assuming we agree, how do we proceed? Blind transfer?"
"We make a controlled offer," Amelia replied. "Start lower. Gauge his response. He's confident, not greedy."
Reynolds frowned. "What happens if he refuses?"
"Then we pay the full amount," interjected Dr. Lin calmly. "Because reputation loss costs more than pride."
He turned toward his co-founder, Maya Desai. "Our future projects rely on credibility. Investors trust us because users trust us. If that falls, everything collapses."
Maya nodded in agreement. "And from what we've seen, NovaSec's reputation is also at stake. If he leaks after payment, no corporation will ever engage him again. It's mutually assured silence."
Eric leaned back, his decision forming. "Prepare an official counterproposal. Offer four million. If he refuses, authorize the total amount."
Amelia gave a small nod. "Understood."
As she gathered her papers, Maya spoke again, her tone thoughtful. "Dr. Rhodes."
Amelia looked up.
"If this NovaSec is as capable as you say, I want you to explore another possibility."
"What possibility?"
"Recruitment," Maya said simply. "Anyone who can find what our best minds missed deserves to be inside, not outside."
For the first time in hours, Amelia's expression softened. "I'll see what I can do."
The meeting adjourned. The board members filed out, their murmurs fading into the hallway's distant echo.
Amelia remained standing near the window, the cityscape reflecting across her glasses.
"Recruit him," she whispered to herself, half in disbelief. "As if that's going to be easy."
But deep down, she knew she'd try.