Five

Fortunately, Nate fell asleep a few minutes after they entered the hotel room. The long journey had drained him, leaving him sprawled across the bed with his mouth slightly open. Nita was relieved — not just because he needed the rest, but because his endless questions about a “daddy” she wished he’d forget had stopped for now.

She glanced at him with softened eyes. Her son, her joy, her constant reminder of the past she tried so hard to bury.

Still, she needed a moment of quiet. And she definitely needed to warn Mia about filling Nate’s head with hopes that had no business existing.

After ordering a meal for him, she scribbled a quick note on the bedside notepad:

“Mummy stepped out. Eat when the food comes. I’ll be back soon. Don’t open the door for anyone.”

Nate was smart, far smarter than most five-year-olds. He had learned early how to care for himself in small ways, because his mother’s work often demanded late nights and long hours.

Pulling on her jacket, Nita slipped out of the hotel room.

Her chest tightened the moment she stepped outside. Being in this state — his state — always unsettled her. Memories lay heavy in the air, refusing to let her breathe freely. Every street corner whispered his name, every thought threatened to drag her back to the one man she had sworn to erase.

She shook it off. Focus, Nita. You came here for work.

Nicro Industries.

The towering glass building loomed above her, sleek and polished, its logo shimmering in the sunlight. It was one of the largest conglomerates in the state, with branches spanning power, oil and gas, and communications. Yet, despite its dominance, it was bleeding.

Their newest products — highly classified, supposedly airtight — were being leaked before official launch. Competitors, mostly young start-ups, kept releasing versions of the same product months in advance. It wasn’t a single thief. No — it was a pattern, an invisible hand orchestrating a chain of betrayals.

Her job was simple: find the leak.

Her lips curved into a faint smile. Cyborg is back in town.

The lobby was bustling, yet familiar. The polished floors and crisp business suits reminded her of the Grimm Group headquarters. The atmosphere of power. The arrogance of employees who barely glanced at her.

She approached the front desk. “Good morning. I’m the new recruit for the I.T. department. Can you direct me there, please?”

The receptionist, a young woman with sharp eyeliner, looked her over with thinly veiled curiosity. For a moment, she said nothing, then leaned forward.

“New recruit, you said? For I.T.?”

“Yes,” Nita replied evenly.

The receptionist tilted her head, lips curling into something between a smile and pity. “A word of advice. If you can’t handle the heat here, don’t force yourself. This company’s problems are beyond what an average programmer can solve. The only person who might is Cyborg.”

Nita’s lips twitched. Oh, if only she knew.

“Thanks,” Nita said politely. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The I.T. department was buzzing with low conversations. She hadn’t even stepped fully inside before she caught snippets of gossip.

“I heard the boss hired a novice programmer to fix this mess,” one man muttered.

“Yeah,” another chimed in. “Some Nita… can’t even recall her last name. But rumor says she doesn’t have a degree. Imagine that — hiring someone so ordinary.”

A woman laughed, voice dripping with disdain. “Ordinary? Please. She probably slept her way in.”

Nita pushed the door open just then. Silence crashed down. Heads snapped back to screens. Keyboards clicked in awkward haste.

She smiled faintly, scanning the room. Not one of them dared meet her eyes. Cowards.

A man finally stepped forward, lips curved in a smirk. “So, you’re the new recruit?”

“Obviously,” she said coolly. “Unless there’s another one I missed on the way in.”

The smirk widened. His gaze slid over her slowly, insolently. “Now I get how you got the job.”

Nita kept her expression blank. No comment.

“I’m Sam Moore,” he said finally, extending his hand with mock politeness. “Head of the I.T. department. If you’ve got questions, you come to me.”

She shook his hand briefly. “Nita Green. Where should I sit?”

He waved toward a cluster of empty desks. “Anywhere you like. Plenty of space for… newcomers.”

Without another word, she walked to a seat and powered on her computer. If they wanted to underestimate her, let them. She had no interest in convincing anyone of her worth. Her work would speak for itself.

“Rumor says Cyborg is in the state,” a woman whispered nearby.

Nita’s fingers froze briefly on the keyboard. Her return was supposed to be confidential. How did word leak out?

“If only the boss had hired Cyborg instead of some unknown programmer…” the woman continued, glancing deliberately at Nita before turning back to her group.

Nita ignored them, resuming her typing. Her hands moved with mechanical precision, codes flowing across the screen like water. This was her battlefield, her sanctuary.

Still, she could feel eyes on her. Sam.

She looked up slowly to meet his gaze.

“You’re working hard,” he said, his voice low, almost amused.

“Of course,” Nita replied. “It’s my job.”

He leaned closer, a sly smile tugging at his lips. “You don’t have to suffer, you know. I can make things easier for you… if you want to keep this job.”

Before she could respond, his hand slid toward her lap, bold and deliberate.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “I like you.”