Amelia Grant sat in her dimly lit office, the quiet hum of the air conditioner the only sound accompanying her frustration.
Her fingers pressed against her temples as she whispered under her breath, "Who exactly is this man?"
CipherWorks was not like any hacker she had ever encountered. He did not act like one. He negotiated like a strategist, like someone who understood power and how to wield it.
When Alex entered the room, the exhaustion on Amelia's face told him everything before she even spoke.
"Well?" he asked, closing the door behind him.
Amelia stood, crossed her arms, and replied in a tone both resigned and sharp. "He wants five point six million for the remaining vulnerabilities."
Alex blinked. "You're joking."
"I wish I were," she said with a faint laugh that carried no humor. "And through the entire conversation, I never once felt in control."
For a moment, Alex said nothing. Then, with a sigh, he asked, "So what now?"
"Now," Amelia replied, "we convince the board that paying him is the cheaper option compared to what happens if we don't."
"You think they'll agree?"
"They will," she said flatly. "They care about profits, not pride. If CipherWorks has what he claims, the losses from a breach would dwarf his asking price."
She grabbed the laptop, handed it to Alex, and added, "Let's get ready. We have a meeting to attend."
12:30 PM — Atlas Corporation Headquarters, Executive Boardroom
The room was silent except for the faint tapping of fingers on polished wood. The city skyline shimmered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but no one in the room was admiring the view.
The most powerful figures in the company sat around the long oval table—founders, directors, and investors—each of them already aware that this was no ordinary meeting.
At the head of the table sat the current CEO, Victor Haines, his expression unreadable.
When Amelia entered, the low murmur died instantly. Her team had already connected the slides to the large digital screen behind her.
She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and began.
"Good afternoon. As most of you already know, we're here to discuss an urgent security matter."
The first slide appeared—five listed vulnerabilities, each with short notes detailing their potential consequences.
"These are the confirmed breaches identified by an external party using the alias CipherWorks. Each of these would have allowed catastrophic system access if exploited."
The next slide displayed a single number in bold.
5,600,000
"This," she said simply, "is what he's asking for in exchange for the remaining fifteen vulnerabilities."
The reaction was immediate.
"Five point six million?" barked one of the older directors, Mr. Denham. "That's absurd! We can build an entire security division with that money."
Amelia met his glare calmly. "With all due respect, sir, no security division could have found what he did. My team verified the first five, and each one was real, critical, and completely undetected."
She switched slides again. A projection chart appeared, comparing the cost of CipherWorks' offer against potential losses from a full-scale breach.
"If even one of these vulnerabilities is exploited," she said, "we could lose hundreds of millions. The damage to our reputation and investor confidence would be far worse."
Mr. Denham's tone softened slightly, though disbelief still lingered.
Victor leaned forward, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "And what assurances do we have that he won't betray us after being paid?"
Amelia had prepared for that.
"There are no guarantees," she admitted. "But his actions so far suggest he's not acting like a criminal. He disclosed five vulnerabilities freely, provided evidence, and caused no damage. Everything he's done indicates that he wants recognition and fair compensation, not chaos."
Another slide appeared. Four short bullet points summarized CipherWorks' behavior:
No exploitation for profit.Initial disclosures made voluntarily.Technical data delivered without tampering.Conducted communication through secure channels only.
"This is not typical black hat behavior," she continued. "He's methodical. Calculated. He's running a business, not a ransom scheme."
The board members exchanged uneasy glances.
"Then what is he?" asked Mrs. Lang, one of the senior investors.
"A businessman with dangerous talent," Amelia replied. "If he wanted to destroy us, he already could have. Instead, he's offering to sell the cure before the illness spreads."
Victor turned toward the founders, Marcus and Kael, both of whom had been quiet until now.
Marcus spoke first. "We can't risk a breach. If the public loses faith in our platform, our cloud division collapses. Our investors pull out. It's over."
Kael nodded. "If he's as capable as Amelia describes, burning us after payment would destroy his credibility. He knows that. He's thinking long term."
Victor exhaled slowly, considering every angle. Finally, he looked back at Amelia.
"Prepare a counter offer," he said. "Start at four million. But if he refuses, pay the full amount. Just make sure he knows that crossing us would be a mistake."
Amelia inclined her head. "Understood."
As she began packing up her laptop, Marcus spoke again, his tone thoughtful.
"One more thing, Ms. Grant. If this CipherWorks really exists at the level you describe—find a way to bring him in. Someone like that could change everything."
For the first time all day, a flicker of something close to intrigue crossed Amelia's face.
"Yes, sir," she replied quietly.
And as she left the boardroom, she couldn't help but wonder—what kind of man builds a weapon that could shatter giants, only to sell it with a calm smile?