Chapter 8 - The Upload
Evelyn glided through the gala like she belonged there. She recognized the faces of Vanguard board members, politicians, and investors—people she had once worked alongside. But her eyes were fixed on one man: Arthur. He stood by the ice sculpture, sipping champagne, looking every bit the triumphant billionaire.
She felt a surge of pure, unadulterated rage, but she swallowed it down. She slipped away from the ballroom, bypassing the biometric security scanners on the stairwell using a cloned keycard Marcus had fabricated.
She reached the server room on the 40th floor. The room was freezing, humming with the power of a thousand processors. She found the master terminal, inserted the decryption drive, and began typing frantically.
Progress: 20%... 40%...
Suddenly, the heavy steel doors behind her hissed open.
"I always knew you couldn't stay dead, Evelyn," a slick, familiar voice echoed through the server room.
May you like
Evelyn turned. Arthur stood there, an arrogant smirk on his face, a suppressed pistol leveled directly at her chest. Two massive security guards flanked him.
"Step away from the console, darling," Arthur sneered. "It's time for a long overdue divorce."
