ANMELDEN_DAY 793. FRIDAY. 10:00 AM._COLE TOWER. WAR ROOM. No windows. 6 screens. Coffee. Tension. Damian: Shirt sleeves rolled up. Ava: Laptop on her lap. With them: IT Head Rohan + FBI Agent Kira. Screen 1: `GHOSTLEAKS.DARK - 14 MILLION VIEWS` Screen 2: `IP TRACE: FAILED` Screen 3: `VICTOR REED - LOCATION: UNKNOWN` Damian: "He's alive." Kira: "Proof?" Damian picked up his phone. New email. `Good morning, Mr. & Mrs. Cole. Loving the attention. Round 2 in 12 hours.` `-G` Ava closed the laptop. "He's playing games." Damian: "Then let's end the game." --- _DAY 793: 11:00 AM - THE TEAM_Damian called 3 more people. 1. `ZAIN` - Ethical hacker. 19 years old. Hoodie. 2. `MAYA` - Digital forensic. FBI. 3. `CLARA` - PR. Damage control. Damian: "Rule #1: Nothing about the house leaves this room." All: "Yes sir." Ava: "Rule #2: I'm on this team too." Damian tried to refuse. One look from Ava and he shut up. "Fine." --- _DAY 793: 12
*DAY 792. FRIDAY. 2:17 AM.*COLE TOWER. IT ROOM. Only the sound of servers.Code scrolling on the screen. 1 line: `UPLOADING... 12%` Then: `UPLOADING... 47%` Then: `UPLOADING... 100%` `COMPLETE`In the dark, 1 hand. Pressed Enter. Message sent: `TO: DAMIAN COLE` `SUBJECT: WE HAVE EVERYTHING`---*DAY 792: 6:00 AM - THE FIRST EMAIL*COLE MANSION. Damian’s eyes opened. Phone notification: 1 new mail. `unknown@darkmail.onion`He opened it.`Mr. Cole,` `Congratulations.` `Your company data: 2.3 TB` `Your wife's private paintings: 400 files` `Your family videos: 87 clips` `Your bank accounts: All` `Price: 20 Million USD` `Time: 24 hours` `If you call the police, everything goes public.` `- GHOST`Damian threw the phone. Ava: "What happened?" Damian: "Nothing. Spam."Lie. The first lie.---*DAY 792: 8:00 AM - IT TEAM*COLE TOWER. The IT Head was wiping sweat. "Sir, we’ve been breached. 3 days ago. Through a backdoor." Damian: "How
*COLE TOWER. 48TH FLOOR.* *BOARDROOM.*Long table. 20 board members. Glass walls. City below.*Damian*: Black suit. No tie. Pen in hand."Q3 report. 4.2 Billion profit." Applause.Security head's message came: `Sir, 3 people in lobby. Armed. Say they have a meeting.` Damian replied: `Stop them.`The door opened.3 people. Black clothes. Masks. Guns in hand.Everyone screamed.Leader: "Nobody moves or we shoot." He fired at the ceiling. _BOOM_The boardroom went silent. Only breathing.Damian raised his hands. Stayed seated. Face completely calm.---*DAY 783: THE DEMAND*Leader spoke from behind the mask: "Mr. Cole. 50 Million. In 1 hour. Or your body leaves from here."Damian: "Name?" Leader: "You don't need to know." Damian: "Then we're done talking."Gun to Damian's head. "Shut up." Damian looked him in the eyes. "I don't shut up. I make deals."Leader pushed board members toward the wall. "Tie everyone's hands."2 of them
DAY 765. THURSDAY. 8:00 AM.*COLE MANSION.*Luna: "Mom, are we going to school today?" Adam: "A new school?" Noah: "Will we get cake?"Ava took out 3 uniforms. Simple. White shirt. Blue pants/skirt.Damian was wearing a suiT "Need to account for 42 Million." Ava: "We need to show it, not account for it."Driver: "Sir, the van is ready."---*DAY 765: THE SCHOOL**10:00 AM.* `COLE FOUNDATION ARTS SCHOOL - BRANCH 1` *OUTSKIRTS OF KARACHI.*This used to be empty land. Today it’s a 3-story building. White. Big windows. Murals on the walls. 300 kids standing outside.Banner: `WELCOME MR. & MRS. COLE` `THANK YOU FOR OUR COLORS`As soon as the car stopped, Everyone clapped.Principal Ms. Farah: "Sir, Ma'am." Damian looked at all the kids. Ava’s eyes filled with tears.---*DAY 765: THE TOUR**10:20 AM.**ROOM 1: PAINTING* 50 kids. Brushes. Colors. A girl had copied Ava’s painting `THE DANCE IN SNOW`.Girl: "Aunty, is this you?" Ava ruffled her hai
_DAY 757. SATURDAY. 5:00 PM._COLE FOUNDATION GALA. GRAND BALLROOM. COLE HOTEL. Golden lights. Crystals. 200 guests. Ministers. CEOs. Artists. Press. Banner: `AN EVENING FOR CHILDREN'S FUTURE` `HOSTED BY DAMIAN & AVA COLE`Backstage. Ava's hands were shaking. In front of her, 12 paintings. `SERIES: AFTER THE STORM` All from Switzerland + the house. Damian held her hand. "Breathe." Ava: "I'm scared." Damian: "You danced in the snow. This is just a room." Ava laughed. "Cheesy." Clara was handling the 3 kids. Luna: "Mummy looks the prettiest." Adam: "Dad, is my bow tie okay?" Noah: "When do we get cake?" Announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Damian Cole and Mrs. Ava Cole." --- _DAY 757: THE ENTRY_The doors opened. Damian: Black tux. Ava: Navy blue gown. Simple. Elegant. Hair down. That ring around her neck. Applause. Camera flashes. Reporter: "Mrs. Cole, are these paintings yours?" Ava: "Yes." "What's the t
*DAY 747. SATURDAY. 4:00 AM.* *COLE MANSION.* Darkness.Luna: "Daddy wake up! Switzerland!" Adam: "Snow! Snow!" Noah: "Plane?"Ava was zipping the last suitcase. Damian checked the passports for the 4th time.Clara: "Bro, relax. 4 days off. No calls. No meetings."Damian took a long breath. "First time in 4 days without my phone." Ava held his hand. "That's why we need it."Driver: "Sir, the airport."---*DAY 747: THE FLIGHT* *8:00 AM.* *PRIVATE JET.* 10 hours. *ZURICH.*The kids were stuck to the window. "Clouds!" "Look at that!"Damian closed his laptop. For the first time, by himself. Ava laid his head in her lap. "Sleep, Mr. Cole." Damian: "Can't sleep. I feel... peace."And he slept. For the first time in 4 months, without tension.---*DAY 747: SWITZERLAND - 7:00 PM* *ALPS.* *WOODEN CHALET.*Big house. Made of wood. Snowy mountains in front. A lake behind.A fire was burning inside. The smell of hot chocolate.Luna ran.







