Chapter 105: Can Ghosts Be Traced?
One Day ago
Hazard King was hanging out by the big window of his penthouse, a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips. Outside, the city was buzzing with life, but his mind was stuck on the ghost that had come back into his world. Smoke floated around him as he watched the streets below, like a predator waiting for the right moment.
His assistant, Kade, walked in quickly, tablet in hand. "Boss, that chip we used for Lunel two years ago..." he said, urgency in his voice. "It’s flashing red. Someone just tapped into the server."
Hazard King turned slowly, his eyes sharp. "Lunel? You’re talking about the hacker who disappeared two years back?" The name slipped off his tongue with a mix of curiosity and excitement. He couldn’t shake the memories of the night she’d messaged him and saved his whole operation from falling apart.
Hazard King smirked and said, "Drop him a message. We found him. But keep the ID hidden, like we did last time."
Kade brought the laptop over and started typing. "You disappeared. But you didn’t vanish." After he finished, he looked back at Hazard King, who gave a nod of approval. Kade hit send, making sure the ID and IP were masked so Lunel wouldn’t trace it, knowing she was a smart hacker.
He typed another note, "Ghosts don’t stay buried forever."
Finally, he sent a last message: "Welcome back, Lunel." He closed the laptop and nodded at Hazard King, who waved him out of the room.
A few hours later, Kade was back. "Lunel checked the message," he said.
Hazard King nodded. "What’s his response?"
Kade paused for a second before adding, "And he’s in Malaysia."
HK narrowed his eyes. "What’s Lunel doing in Malaysia? I want all the intel on that."
Kade agreed, and just as he was stepping out, Hazard King added, "In an hour, I need all those details right here!"
******
Aylin couldn’t get any sleep after reading that message. She was tossing and turning, but rest was nowhere to be found. She kept thinking, "Who is this person? The message came from the same ID as two years ago, but it’s hidden. This person knows how to stay off the grid, just like me. How did they find me after all this time? Ugh, I messed up; I shouldn’t have opened the server. They must have tracked me down through that."
She put her pillow over her face and groaned, "What am I supposed to do now?"
Sitting up, she ran her fingers through her hair, thinking, "I should just message them. They already know where I am." She looked at the clock—it was already 2 a.m. She had gone to bed at 1 a.m., and now it had been an hour with no sleep. She thought, "I need to sleep, or I’ll be a total zombie during my shift. I’ll just deal with this whole situation tomorrow when I’m not so tired."
With that, she lay back down, closed her eyes, and really hoped to fall asleep this time. Finally, after two hours of trying, she slipped into a deep sleep.
*****
Kade returned after seven hours and said, "Boss, we couldn’t find anything. All we know is that he’s in Malaysia."
Hazard King, frustrated, threw a vase at the window and shouted, "I told you to come back in one hour! And now you’re telling me that you couldn’t find anything after seven hours?"
Kade lowered his head, feeling the weight of his failure. "He must be with someone powerful or maybe with someone more skilled," he replied, his eyes fixed on his hands. "We could really use his skills, especially with Alpha Dark’s operations heating up. Maybe we should talk to him directly."
Hazard King’s mind raced. He had spent years building his empire and carefully navigating the treacherous waters of the underworld. But Alpha Dark and Maksim Karza were a different breed, ruthless and cunning. He needed every advantage he could get to protect what was his, and Lunel was a key player he couldn’t afford to ignore. Moreover, Lunel might help him find that mysterious girl who had dared to steal his heart.
"Get me Leo," Hazard King commanded as he reached for the phone on his desk. He needed to inform his right-hand man about this development.
Kade nodded and quickly made the call. A moment later, Hazard King heard Leo’s familiar voice crackle through the line. "Hey, Z."
"Leo, I have something important to share," Hazard King said, his tone clipped.
"Yeah? What’s up?"
"Lunel is in Malaysia. He’s back in the game," Hazard King replied, watching his own reflection in the glass and calculating his next move.
There was silence on the other end. "You’re serious?"
"Dead serious. We need him. Alpha is getting bolder, and we can’t risk him targeting what we’ve built. I want you to head to the U.S. and prepare everything. I’ll be there in two days."
"On it," Leo responded.
As Leo hung up, Hazard King’s heart raced with anticipation. Lunel had been a ghost, a whispered name in the shadows of his life, and now he was flesh and blood once again. He could feel the connection that had never really faded.
But first, he needed to send a message, a digital invitation wrapped in urgency. He settled back at his desk and instructed Kade to bring over the laptop. When the laptop arrived, he said to Kade, "Type everything I’m about to tell you."
*****
When Aylin opened her eyes, it was already morning. She freshened up and went to the kitchen, where breakfast was ready, and Nora and her boyfriend were eating.
Nora smiled and said, "Look who’s late today!"
Aylin returned the smile. "Uhh, I just couldn’t sleep last night."
Nora replied, "Is everything okay? Do you have a fever?"
Aylin shook her head. "No, no, I’m fine. It’s just a headache; I’ll be okay after I take a painkiller."
Nora nodded and added, "It’s fine if you can’t go today; I’ll talk to Madam Suri."
Aylin shook her head again. "No need. I’m fine."
Nora observed her closely. "You look a bit pale, and you seem tense. Are you sure you’re okay?"
Aylin nodded and sat down at the table. "Yes, Nora, I’m okay."
"Okay, if you say so," Nora replied.
She didn’t know it yet, but her quiet life had officially reached its expiration date.
