Moris Sinclair had spent years securing his empire. Every deal, every handshake, every move was meticulously planned to ensure control.
But now, control was slipping through his fingers.
Julian was inside.
Not just in his organization, not just among his men— but inside his mind.
And that was the most dangerous place of all.
The Hacker's Warning
Leo stormed into Moris's office, laptop in hand, face pale.
"We have a new problem."
Moris looked up, expression unreadable. "Bigger than traitors and assassination attempts?"
Leo turned the laptop around. "Yeah. Way bigger."
The screen showed Sinclair Enterprises' financial system. Billions of dollars, multiple investments, and high-level transactions.
Except now, something wasn't right.
"Look at these withdrawals," Leo said. "Small amounts. Just a few thousand here and there. But look how often it's happening."
Moris's eyes narrowed.
Dozens of small transactions. Repeating every few minutes.
Someone was siphoning money from Sinclair Enterprises.
Not in one big, obvious move.
But in tiny, unnoticed bites.
Like a parasite feeding off a host.
Sarah, standing behind Leo, folded her arms. "How long has this been going on?"
Leo clenched his jaw. "Months."
Moris's stomach turned. "Who?"
Leo exhaled. "That's the problem. Whoever is doing this? They don't exist."
Moris frowned. "What do you mean?"
Leo tapped the screen. "This isn't a normal hack. This is precision work. The kind of cyber warfare that only a handful of people in the world could pull off. Whoever this is, they've been inside our system for a long time."
Sarah leaned forward. "Julian?"
Leo hesitated. "Maybe. But I checked Julian's past records. He doesn't have this level of cyber skills."
Moris's mind was racing. "Then who?"
Leo looked up. "I don't know. But whoever they are… they're better than me."
A Name from the Past
Moris didn't believe in ghosts.
But this? This was something out of a nightmare.
Sinclair Enterprises had one of the tightest security networks in the world. Leo had built it himself, layer upon layer of encryption.
And yet, someone had gotten in.
Not just gotten in.
They had made themselves invisible.
Sarah sighed. "We need to find out what they've taken. If they have access to financials, what else have they been watching?"
Leo nodded grimly. "Already on it."
Moris tapped the desk. His instincts told him that this was bigger than Julian.
Because Julian was a man of power plays and intimidation.
But this?
This was patience.
This was someone waiting for the perfect moment.
Leo's laptop beeped. He froze.
Sarah leaned in. "What is it?"
Leo swallowed hard. "I just ran a deep trace on the hacker's activity."
Moris waited.
Leo turned, his face unreadable. "I found a name."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Leo's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Ronan Vale."
Silence.
Moris felt the air shift.
Sarah's face darkened.
Because they both knew that name.
Ronan Vale was dead.
The Impossible Threat
Ronan Vale had been one of the greatest hackers in the world.
A legend in the underground, the kind of ghost who could disappear into digital smoke.
Five years ago, he had vanished completely.
Rumors spread—he had been killed, captured, or retired in secrecy.
Moris had personally seen the autopsy report.
So how the hell was his name appearing now?
Sarah spoke first. "This has to be a copycat."
Leo shook his head. "No. The coding style, the encryption—this is his work."
Moris exhaled slowly. "Either someone learned from him… or Ronan Vale isn't as dead as we thought."
Leo looked up, face pale. "And if he's working for Julian… we're in serious trouble."
A Message from the Dead
Moris knew one thing.
If Ronan Vale was alive, Julian was no longer the biggest threat.
Because unlike Julian, Ronan didn't need guns, men, or money.
He could crumble an empire from behind a screen.
Leo's laptop beeped again. A new message flashed across the screen.
Unknown Sender:Stop looking. Or I take everything.
Moris's blood ran cold.
Leo swallowed. "Well. I guess he knows we found him."
Sarah's jaw clenched. "What do we do now?"
Moris leaned back in his chair, eyes dark and calculating.
"Now?"
He stood, grabbing his coat.
"Now we go hunting for a ghost."