All Chapters of Crossed Lines: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Chapter 1Elara’s POVThe coffee was perfect.Not the kind of perfect that came from an overpriced espresso machine or a barista with a sleeve of ironic tattoos. No, this was the quiet, honest kind. Freshly ground beans, a steady pour, and just enough sugar to make the bitterness hum instead of bite.I cupped the mug between my palms and let the steam curl into my face. Outside the wide kitchen window, morning light spilled over the sleepy Washington suburb I’d chosen like a sanctuary. No paparazzi. No scheming relatives. No whispers about “the Duval’s fortune.”My laptop sat open on the countertop. Two tabs were visible: one for Byte & Beam, the small software consulting firm I co-owned with Hailey, and another that looked, to any casual observer, like an empty email inbox. But behind three layers of encryption, a different screen waited, one with incoming pings, each marked with a symbol only I can recognize.My phone buzzed on the counter. I ignored it. The only people who called m

Chapter 3Elara’s POVBy mid-morning, the rain had settled into a soft, steady drizzle that blurred the edges of the street outside my window. Washington had a way of making the world feel smaller, quieter, and I liked it that way.The soft glow from my laptop screen was the only light in the room besides the muted daylight slipping through the blinds. A dozen lines of code danced across the monitor, my fingers moving without hesitation. The client from Byte & Beam, a small e-commerce start-up, had been struggling with security vulnerabilities for weeks. By the time I was finished, their system would be airtight, their data cleaner than a politician’s campaign promise.“Still saving the world one keystroke at a time?”I glanced over my shoulder to see Hailey leaning against the doorway, holding two travel mugs. She was dressed in an oversized hoodie and leggings, hair pulled into a messy bun that somehow still looked good on her.“Technically, this one’s just saving a struggling onlin

Chapter 5Damon’s POV The glass walls of Damon’s office caught the early morning sunlight, refracting it across the sleek lines of CrossTech's’s top floor. It wasn’t warmth that filled the space, but a calculated brilliance ; clean surfaces, strategic artwork, the faint hum of the server core two floors below.He sat behind his desk, sharp in a black suit, reviewing quarterly numbers he already knew by heart. Nothing slipped past him. Not in business. Not in life.A discreet knock preceded Ethan Voss, CrossTech’s COO, stepping inside. Where Damon’s presence was all steel and edges, Ethan’s was precise, deliberate.A man who didn’t waste words, who could match Damon’s pace without stumbling.“Update on our elusive hacker,” Ethan said, placing a slim file on the desk.Damon didn’t reach for it immediately. “You sound almost impressed.”“I am,” Ethan admitted. “We traced one of ShadowByte’s digital footprints to a dormant U.S. bank account. Thought we had something… but it was wiped clea

Chapter 7POV: Elara DuvalBy the time Clarisse and Ava finally left, the apartment felt like it had been aired out after a storm. Elara stood at the balcony, coffee in hand, watching the traffic crawl below. She hated that a single mention of Damon Cross had unsettled her. She didn’t even know the man beyond the headlines about his arrogance, his impossible standards, his meteoric rise and that one encounter The kind of man who collected enemies as easily as other men collected cufflinks.Her phone buzzed. Hailey’s name lit up the screen.“Tell me you’re coming to the symposium.”Elara rolled her eyes and typed back: “Not a chance.”The reply came instantly. “Wrong answer. Do you know how many international tech giants will be there? Do you know what it could do for Byte & Beam?”Byte & Beam, their tiny but ambitious software consulting firm, was the one part of her life she truly owned. The fact that Hailey knew she was also ShadowByte was precisely why they worked so well together

Chapter 9POV: Elara DuvalIf Hailey’s enthusiasm were a tangible thing, Elara was certain it would have physically dragged her out of the apartment and into the sleek black car waiting at the curb.“You look incredible,” Hailey said, tugging at the hem of Elara’s shiny black dress. “Trust me, you’re going to thank me when you land three new contracts tonight.”Elara had no intention of thanking her. Or of landing anything.Her plan was simple: slip in, stay in the shadows, and leave before anyone could corner her into a conversation about “synergy” or “market disruption.”The venue, CrossTech's flagship tower loomed above them, its mirrored surface swallowing the city lights and spitting them back in fractured brilliance. Inside, it was worse.Crystal chandeliers cast golden light across a sea of tailored suits and glittering gowns. Waiters in sharp black uniforms glided between guests, their trays a dance of champagne flutes and miniature delicacies.And everywhere, everywhere there