Semua Bab Vengeance Algorithm: Bab 1 - Bab 9

It had been three years since Reid Brecken's life's triumph turned into a freefall, and he’d been falling ever since, scraping rock bottom with every passing month. Outside, rain pounded against the grimy windows of his apartment, a relentless drumming, drowning out the feeble wail of the dying radiator. This wasn't the calming sound of a Seattle drizzle; but the clamor of a world trying to wash him away.Now, he sat huddled over an old battered table, the pale light of a salvaged tablet casting unforgiving shadows on the hollows of his cheeks. On the screen, a society page splashed:"Chloe Vaughn & Tech Titan Marcus Vaughn Light Up Met Gala!"Chloe, breathtaking in pea-green silk, clung to Marcus’s arm, his smug grin like a knife thrust in Reid’s gut.The apartment, sparsely furnished, reeked of damp rug, rotting pizza, and mocking defeat.An eviction notice, plain and official, was expertly taped to the door like a plaque -- three months behind on rent. He was also behind on the int

Silence pressed in inside West’s luxury car—an aftershock to the scream of Seattle rain and Reid’s raspy breaths. The partition enveloped him with Dante West; the posh leather seat beneath him feeling suddenly charged. The cabin smelled what it looked: expensive. A faint, fresh scent seeped from the new electronics, with a disinfected, metallic note suggestive of a surgical theater.West didn’t move. Thin, feral smile hovered on his lips, and his dark eyes mirrored the streaked city lights like polished glass.“Disappointment is a luxury for those without options, Mr. Brecken,” West intoned, his voice a low, resonant hum that vibrated in Reid’s bones. “As of three minutes ago, you had none.”He tapped a control on the armrest. The tinted window facing them flickered, transforming into a transparent display. News feeds scrolled: market fluctuations, political scandals, a fleeting image of Marcus Vaughn accepting an award.West’s finger traced a line on the screen, freezing the feed on

West acted fast. With one decisive tap on the console, he plunged the room into semi-darkness, lit only by the faint glow of status LEDs.The silence after the holographic feed ended was denser than the bunker’s concrete walls. Reid froze like a statue, Alessandra Sterling’s probing stare still rattling him. His synthesized Max voice had hardly masked the tremor beneath. Refresh our access now— right now? In real time? The AI’s deficiencies screamed in his mind.“Improvisation, Mr. Brecken,” West snarled, his words chipping at the air like shards of ice. “It was a dangerous gamble, but it succeeded this time.” He swiveled his chair, the dim light casting deep shadows across his impassive face. Behind Reid, Bricks emerged from the gloom—a silent, hulking reminder of the stakes. “Your cover story holds for now. But Charles isn’t easily fooled. That hesitation… may have registered.”Reid switched to Max’s modulated voice, the biomodulators buzzing softly beneath his skin, molding his exp

He was the spitting image of the man Reid was turning into. His hair, however, was unkempt, and the smart sportswear had been traded for a plain grey patient’s gown.His laser-focused eyes remained but were shrouded in a feral, desperate, and uninhibited rage.He slammed the door again; the noise resonated through the glass with a resounding THUD. He turned toward the observation window, his wild eyes sweeping the darkness behind the glass as if he sensed someone there.Reid kept watching him.His lips curled, forming silent, angry words. His face was so like the one Reid knew, and yet entirely different. The face Reid saw through the glass now held the pain and fury of a contained wild beast.Without warning, a cool, nearby voice spoke from behind him: “He has good days and bad days, Reid. Today is especially bad.”Reid spun around, his heart leaping into his throat.Alessandra stood holding two glasses of rich red wine. She hadn’t changed—still perfectly put together—but her face wa

Alessandra jerked slightly, just enough to kill the atmosphere. She swung sharply toward the monitors, shattering what remained of the spell. "They're withdrawing," she reported, her voice cool and controlled once more, though a subtle flush lingered high on her cheekbones. "Typical of West: create havoc, observe reactions, and then disappear." She indicated the screen depicting the final dark figures rappelling down the cliffs toward unseen vessels. "I bet the damage assessment will be minimal—largely theatrical."With the moment shattered, Reid felt foolish and exposed.His Max-mask felt heavier.“You said you knew things about CipherCore—about bringing Chloe and Marcus… down,” he said, forcing his voice to remain level and businesslike.Alessandra nodded, her eyes on the screens and her back still to him.“I do, but trust is something you have to earn first, Reid. You’ve seen Max. You know he hasn’t disappeared. You know what they’ve done.”She turned at last—her face wary but dete