#novel #urban
That rainy night had melted much of the ice in Ariyan and Tuli's relationship. However, Ariyan could understand that winning this battle was not possible with emotion alone. The trap Mr. Arman had laid was highly well-planned. If Ariyan could not prove now that Tuli was innocent and the server had been hacked, his company's license might get canceled.
The next morning, Ariyan and Tuli entered the office together. The whispering among the office staff intensified, but Ariyan was not looking at anyone today. In his eyes now was the fire of revenge. He went straight to the IT department and called his most trusted engineer.
"Where is the physical drive that had our server backup?" Ariyan asked in a stern voice.
The engineer lowered his head and said, "Sir, that has been corrupted too."
Ariyan smiled faintly. "Mr. Arman probably didn't think that I always keep a third-layer backup. Tuli, can you decrypt the files from my personal cloud? I know you took a course on cyber security at a university abroad."
Tuli nodded her head with confidence. "Of course, Ariyan Bhaiya. Just give me access, and I will show you how to actually stop hacking."
Tuli began running her fingers over the keyboard. In the silence of the room, only the clacking sound of the keyboard could be heard. Standing beside her, Ariyan was watching how professional the restless Tuli of his childhood had become today. Suddenly, Tuli paused.
"Ariyan Bhaiya, look over here! The IP address through which our server was accessed shows its origin location as the IT branch of 'Arman Group'. Even by using a VPN, they couldn't save themselves in the end."
Ariyan's jaw tightened. "That means the proof is in my hands. And from the reflection of the bracelet on the hand of the girl who was in the CCTV footage, I have detected a logo. It's the logo of a local theater group. Which means, to please his father, Ayan staged this drama using a hired artist."
Right then, a message arrived on Ariyan's phone. Mr. Arman had asked to meet him at a restaurant. Ariyan looked at Tuli and said, "You keep working. Today, I am going to grind all of Mr. Arman's arrogance into the dust."
Mr. Arman was sitting in an expensive club in the city. As soon as Ariyan reached there, Mr. Arman said mockingly, "Well, well, the farmer's son? The company is on the verge of bankruptcy, isn't it? Have you come now to hold my feet and beg for forgiveness? Return Tuli, and I will pay for your damages."
Ariyan calmly took out his tab from his pocket and placed it in front of Mr. Arman. On the screen, all the digital footprints of the hacking and the real identity of that fake Tuli from the CCTV footage were visible.
Ariyan said in a calm voice, "Mr. Arman, it is proven today that intelligence does not just fill the stomach, rather, an empire can be protected with it. These files are now with my lawyer. If you do not remove all obstacles from my project within the next 24 hours and publicly apologize for your mistake, I will unmask your aristocracy in front of the public. And remember, this time your daughter Tuli herself will testify against you."
The cigar in Mr. Arman's hand dropped flat onto the floor. His face turned pale. He could not even imagine that Ariyan would make such a swift counter-move.
Ariyan stood up and said, "Ten years ago, you drove away an innocent boy. Today, that very boy has shaken the foundation of your palace. The fight will be on equal terms this time."
Ariyan walked out. But he did not know that a defeated lion becomes even more dangerous. On the other end of the phone, Mr. Arman said to Ayan, "Before everything ends, we have to choose the extreme path. Eliminate Ariyan."