Semua Bab The Spy Who Left: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Three Years AgoThe sound of Elena's laughter drifts down the marble hallway like poison in my veins.I stand frozen outside Leon's home office, my hand hovering over the brass doorknob that I've turned a thousand times before. But this time is different. This time, I know what I'll find on the other side.Don't do it, Aria. Just walk away.But I can't. My feet are rooted to the Persian rug, the same one Leon and I picked out during our second month of marriage when I still believed in fairy tales and happy endings.Elena's voice carries through the thick oak door. "You should just tell her, Leon. This charade is getting ridiculous."My breath catches in my throat."It's complicated," Leon's deep voice responds, and I can picture him running his hands through his dark hair the way he does when he's frustrated. "Aria isn't like other women. She's... sensitive."Sensitive. The word hits me like a slap."She's naive, you mean." Elena's tone is sharp, cutting. "A pretty little socialite w

Present DayI can't breathe.The woman on stage, commanding, brilliant, absolutely magnetic, can't be my ex-wife.Can't be.But those eyes. Even from row fifteen, I'd know those green eyes anywhere."Leon?" My assistant Jake whispers beside me. "You look like you've seen a ghost."Ghost doesn't begin to cover it.The woman speaking about quantum encryption and predictive algorithms with the confidence of someone who invented the concepts herself is Aria. My Aria. The woman who used to ask me to help her set up her email account.No.The woman whom I thought needed help with her email account."Dr. Vale has revolutionized the field of cybersecurity," the CEO of Microsoft is saying from the seat behind me. "Her patents alone are worth more than most companies' entire portfolios."Dr. Vale.Aria Vale.My legs feel weak, and I'm grateful I'm sitting down."The theoretical framework is elegant in its simplicity," she's saying on stage, clicking to a slide that shows code I don't even recog

Present DayThe newsroom of TechCrunch buzzes with the kind of frantic energy that only comes with a breaking story that could define careers.Sarah Chen stares at her computer screen, watching the view count on the Tech Summit video climb past two million in just six hours."This is insane," she mutters, scrolling through the comments section that's moving too fast to read.Her editor, Mike Rodriguez, appears behind her chair like a vulture sensing fresh meat."Please tell me you have something on Dr. Aria Vale that isn't just recycled conference footage."Sarah's fingers pause over the keyboard. "I'm trying, but it's like she materialized out of thin air three years ago. No previous employment records, no academic publications under that name, no social media presence before Vale Tech launched.""Everyone has a digital footprint, Sarah. You just haven't looked hard enough."She wants to argue, but Mike's already moved on to terrorize another reporter.Sarah pulls up her not

Present DayThe restaurant's soft lighting catches the rim of Marcus Webb's wine glass as he leans forward, completely absorbed in what Aria is saying."So the quantum entanglement creates what's essentially an unbreakable communication channel," she explains, her green eyes bright with excitement. "But the real breakthrough isn't the encryption itself, it's the way the system anticipates attacks before they happen."Marcus sets down his glass, his expression one of genuine fascination."That's brilliant. You're not just defending against known threats, you're predicting unknown ones."Aria nods, her smile radiant in a way that transforms her entire face."Exactly. Most security systems are reactive. Ours is intuitive."Across the dimly lit restaurant, hidden in a corner booth, Leon Hart watches this exchange with growing horror.Not horror at what he's seeing.Horror at what he's recognizing.Three years ago"How was your day, sweetheart?" Aria had asked, setting down his dinner plat

Present DayThe wind whips through Aria's hair as Alex Rivera's sailboat cuts through the Hudson River, Manhattan's skyline glittering like scattered diamonds behind them."Lean into it!" Alex shouts over the sound of rushing water and snapping sail. "Trust the boat!"Aria grips the rail tighter, her knuckles white against the polished wood, but she's laughing. Actually laughing as spray from the waves hits her face and the boat tilts at an angle that would have terrified her three years ago."This is insane!" she calls back, but her voice carries pure exhilaration instead of fear.Alex grins at her from behind the wheel, his dark eyes bright with the kind of joy that comes from sharing something you love with someone who appreciates it."You're a natural! Ready to take the helm?""What? No, I can't""You absolutely can. Come here."There's no hesitation in his voice, no doubt about her abilities.Just complete confidence that she's capable of anything.From the marina's restaurant, L