Lahat ng Kabanata ng DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH : Kabanata 101 - Kabanata 110

Chapter 100: The Sovereign LedgerThe night sky over the Hudson Valley was really beautiful. It was like a blanket of deep blue color with a million stars shining brightly. The stars were throwing a light across the river below. A cool breeze was blowing through the cedar trees. It was carrying the smell of pine and damp earth.Down at the house the warm lights from the windows were shining softly through the trees.. Up on the rocky outcrop Julian and Elena were standing all alone surrounded by the quiet of the wilderness.Elena looked at her hand, where the silver ring was catching the starlight. The ring was a little rough. It was matching the weight of the quartz pendant that was hanging from her neck. The ring felt heavy and strong like a reminder that nothing could ever come between them again.Julian came up behind her. His big frame was blocking the cold wind. His arms were wrapping around her waist pulling her close to his chest. He was burying his face in her hair. He was bre

Chapter 102: The Ghost SignatureThe light of the Hudson Valley was covered by the bright glow of the villa's lower study. Elena sat at the central computer, her fingers moving fast across the main console. Beside her Julian stood like a figure, his big hands gripping the back of her chair, his grey eyes fixed on the streams of data.* The three Vane ships were still outside the Miraflores Locks, their systems not responding to Marcus's signals from Manhattan."I've found the problem, " Elena said, her voice cool and calm. She typed a command and a part of the Zurich server trail showed code. "The freeze didn't just come from a hacked Panama Maritime Authority terminal. The attack used an entrance that was built into our main steering system."Julian's jaw got tight, his face hard. "That system was built with our protocol. No one outside this room and Marcus's team has the blueprint.""That's what we thought, " Elena said quietly. She highlighted a string of characters in the decrypti

Chapter 104: The Floridian ThermalThe air at Miami International Terminal 3 was really hot and sticky when the Gulfstreams cabin door opened. The sun was beating down on the tarmac making it shine like new. This was a contrast to the cool and dark inside of the plane they just got off of.Julian was the first to get out. He is a guy and he looked pretty tough in his black shirt and dark pants. His gray eyes were scanning the area looking for anything out of the ordinary. Elena got out behind him. She had her dark hair tied up because of the humidity. The quartz pendant she was wearing caught the sunlight. Sparkled. On her hand she was wearing a simple silver ring that felt warm and comforting.There was a silver Escalade waiting for them at the private terminal. The engine was. Making a low humming noise. Marcus's team was standing by the doors. Marcus himself came to meet them. He was already looking at his tablet."The Sovereign Horizon people are sending out a signal from a pentho

Chapter 106: The Sealed PerimeterThe elevator shaft in the Brickell tower made a groaning sound as the emergency back-up generators started working. They hum-clicked to life with a mechanical shudder. The main digital display panels inside the elevator were not working. Instead there was an eerie red glow from auxiliary strip lighting. This light washed over Julian's shoulders. He stood still a tall wall of dark clothing and complete focus. His gray eyes were fixed on the changing mechanical floor indicator.Beside him Elena held a security mobile command unit on her forearm. The raw quartz pendant around her neck shone in the light. It was a symbol of the storm they had just caused for the Sovereign Horizon Initiative."The building's internal security grid has completely failed " Elena reported. Her voice was still clinical and sharp in the darkness. She checked the telemetry with her silver band catching the red glow. "The voltage surge did not just destroy their penthouse server

Chapter 108: The Crimson HorizonThe night got really dark over Biscayne Bay and the private terrace of the Mandarin suite was covered in a thick darkness. The neon lights of the Miami skyline were flashing across the water making broken lines of pink and blue light on the surface of the bay. The wind had. It was bringing the smell of the ocean. A reminder of the big trade networks that were changing.Inside the suite it was really quiet. The security mobile command unit was sitting on a low table and its screen was casting a green glow across the room. The local server in Coral Gables was working perfectly. It was going through its encryption cycles without any problems.Elena was standing at the railing of the veranda. The wind was blowing across her dress. Her feet were cool on the stone tiles and the silver band on her finger felt heavy and comforting. She was thinking about the promises they had made a day before. Her fingers moved up to touch the quartz pendant on her neck. It f