The data arrived at 8:12 p.m.
Encrypted.
Condensed.
And incomplete.
Kai noticed that first.
Incomplete data meant one of two things:
Either the system itself didn't understand what was happening…
Or someone didn't want it to.
He leaned forward, scanning through the logs Ward Systems had sent over.
Traffic irregularities.
Pattern interruptions.
No direct breach.
No malware signature.
Just movement.
Quiet.
Measured.
Patient.
Someone wasn't attacking.
Someone was learning.
Kai exhaled slowly.
That was worse.
Across the city, Alena stood by the glass wall of her office, watching the skyline settle into night.
The building was quiet now.
But her system wasn't.
And neither was her mind.
She had approved the consultation.
Not because she trusted him.
Because the situation required precision.
Kai Mercer was a tool.
Nothing more.
A temporary solution to an undefined risk.
And yet—
She found herself waiting.
Not for results.
But for his response.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She answered.
"Yes."
"Your logs are messy."
No greeting.
Of course.
Alena didn't react.
"Clarify."
"You've got layered patch interference and ghost traffic riding legacy access points."
Silence.
Her IT team hadn't mentioned that.
"Can you resolve it?"
"I can see it."
A pause.
"But this isn't a fix-from-a-distance situation."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're requesting access."
"I'm stating a fact."
Another pause.
"Someone's testing your structure," he added.
Not dramatic.
Not alarmist.
Just calm.
"Testing for what?"
"Failure points."
The word settled heavily.
Alena's gaze drifted toward the reflection in the glass.
"Intent?"
"Unknown."
Of course it was.
"That's why it's dangerous," Kai continued.
He wasn't lecturing.
He wasn't performing.
He was observing.
And she disliked how easily his tone slipped past her defenses.
"When can you come in?" she asked.
A beat.
Then—
"You're inviting chaos again, Boss Lady."
"I'm inviting efficiency."
A quiet huff of amusement came through the line.
"Tomorrow morning," he said.
And ended the call.
Kai arrived earlier than expected.
Not out of politeness.
Out of curiosity.
Security let him through after verification.
No resistance this time.
Interesting.
The office floor was quieter than before.
Less performance.
More tension.
Good.
It meant they were taking the threat seriously.
He stepped into the operations room.
And stopped.
Alena was already there.
Not behind glass.
Not above the situation.
Inside it.
Reviewing data directly with her IT team.
Focused.
Sharp.
Contained.
She didn't notice him immediately.
And for a moment—
Kai simply watched.
Not the CEO.
The person.
The way she listened without interruption.
The way the room adjusted to her presence without instruction.
Control wasn't forced.
It was structural.
Built.
Like a system.
Then she looked up.
Saw him.
And the moment ended.
"You're early," she said.
"You're thorough."
A quiet exchange.
No hostility.
No warmth.
Just recognition.
He moved toward the console.
"Show me the access layers."
Within minutes, he saw it.
There.
Buried beneath normal traffic.
A repeating probe.
Careful.
Non-invasive.
Learning.
He leaned back slightly.
"Yeah," he murmured.
"That's deliberate."
The Head of IT shifted.
"You're certain?"
Kai pointed.
"See this?"
A pattern loop.
Returning.
Adjusting.
Returning again.
Not random.
Intentional.
Alena stepped closer.
"External?"
"Yes."
"Target?"
He didn't answer immediately.
His eyes moved across the structure.
Mapping.
Predicting.
Understanding.
Then—
"You."
Silence fell.
Not the company.
Not the data.
Not the infrastructure.
Her.
"They're studying how your system responds," he clarified.
"How fast you react."
"What you protect first."
"What you ignore."
Alena's expression didn't change.
But something behind it sharpened.
"Conclusion?"
"They're not trying to break in," Kai said.
"They're trying to understand how to break you later."
The room stilled.
Not panic.
Not fear.
Just awareness.
Alena turned to her team.
"Containment priority."
They moved instantly.
Then she looked back at Kai.
"And prevention?"
A small pause.
This time—
He didn't answer right away.
Because prevention…
Would require proximity.
And proximity…
Was never neutral.
"We'll need to restructure access behavior," he said finally.
"Together."
Not authority.
Not submission.
Collaboration.
Temporary.
Necessary.
Dangerous.
Alena held his gaze for a moment.
Then nodded once.
"Then we begin now."