Chapter One — The Girl They Underestimated
Chapter One — The Girl They Underestimated
The first guard never saw her coming.
Ivy hit the brick wall at a dead sprint, planted one boot against it, and pushed off.
Her body twisted through the air.
For one impossible second, she was completely upside down.
Then she folded herself backward into a clean, controlled flip, her long red hair whipping through the air as she rotated over the guard’s head.
She landed behind him.
The guard spun.
Too late.
Ivy dropped low, swept his legs out from beneath him, and used his momentum to send him crashing into the second guard.
The second man barely had time to raise his weapon.
Ivy caught his wrist, twisted away from the strike, and slipped underneath his arm with almost unnatural flexibility. She turned with the movement, kicked his balance out from under him, and sent him stumbling into the wall.
He collapsed.
Ivy straightened.
She brushed a speck of dust from her black jacket.
“That was disappointing.”
A third guard charged.
Ivy smiled.
Now this was more like it.
He swung.
She ducked.
His fist passed above her head.
Ivy planted both hands against the floor and kicked upward, her legs sweeping over his shoulders before she twisted her body sideways and landed behind him.
He turned.
She was already moving.
One quick strike to his balance point sent him down.
Silence returned to the hallway.
Ivy glanced at the unconscious guards scattered across the floor.
“Seriously?”
She looked at the expensive security cameras above her.
“That’s all?”
A faint buzz sounded in her earpiece.
A voice answered.
“You’re complaining?”
Ivy smiled.
“Yes.”
“You’re supposed to be retrieving the drive, not insulting the security team.”
“I can multitask.”
She stepped over the last guard and continued toward the office at the end of the hallway.
The building belonged to Zayden.
A businessman.
A respected businessman, according to the newspapers.
A traitor, according to Ivy.
He had stolen something from one of her father’s secure facilities and attempted to sell it.
Unfortunately for him, he’d made one mistake.
He’d stolen from Ivy.
And Ivy hated losing things.
She stopped in front of the office doors.
Two more guards stood outside.
They looked at her.
She looked at them.
One reached for his weapon.
Ivy sighed.
“Really?”
The doors opened several seconds later.
Ivy walked inside.
Julian sat behind a heavy mahogany desk, a glass of scotch in one hand.
His knuckles were white.
He was trying very hard not to look frightened.
Ivy noticed.
Of course she noticed.
She pulled a chair across the hardwood floor.
The screech echoed through the room.
Julian flinched.
Ivy sat.
She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hands.
Then she smiled.
It was a perfectly pleasant smile.
That was the problem.
“You know, Julian,” she said softly, “most people panic when their security suddenly goes quiet.”
She tilted her head.
“But you?”
She glanced .
“You just keep regretting.”
Julian swallowed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I respect the dedication to the persona.”
Her smile widened.
“Even if it’s completely hollow.”
“You’re trespassing.”
“Oh, definitely.”
“You need to leave.”
“Or?”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“he..”
Ivy waited.
He didn’t finish.
She nodded.
“Exactly.”
She leaned back.
“Let’s skip the theatrics.”
Her pleasant expression disappeared.
“You took something from my vault.”
Julian’s fingers tightened around empty glass.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, but you do.”
Her voice remained calm.
Almost gentle.
“I don’t care about the money.”
She tapped one finger against the arm of the chair.
“Money is boring.”
Julian stared at her.
“The prototype drive.”
His expression changed.
There.
Ivy smiled.
“The one containing the neural-mapping algorithms.”
Julian said nothing.
“I want to know where it is.”
“It’s encrypted.”
“I didn’t ask whether it was encrypted.”
“Ivy—”
“Where is it?”
Julian looked toward the door.
Ivy followed his gaze.
Then looked back at him.
“Your guards aren’t coming.”
His face went pale.
She smiled again.
“Relax. They’re sleeping.”
Julian slowly lowered his glass.
“It’s already prepared for transfer,” he admitted.
“Good.”
Ivy stood.
She walked around the desk.
Julian’s chair scraped backward.
“Don’t.”
Ivy stopped.
She looked at him.
“Don’t what?”
“You know what.”
“I really don’t.”
She placed both hands on the desk and leaned closer.
“What was the plan?”
Julian stared at her.
“What?”
“The drive. The money. The transfer.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“Why?”
Julian’s fear slowly turned into anger.
“It’s worth hundreds of millions!”
Ivy blinked.
Then laughed.
“A classic.”
She walked around the desk.
“A little predictable.”
Julian stood.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”
Ivy stopped.
She slowly turned toward him.
“No.”
Her smile returned.
“You don’t.”
She stepped closer.
Julian backed away.
“You forgot something very important.”
“What?”
Ivy tilted her head.
“Me.”
Julian’s confidence disappeared.
Ivy reached for the drive sitting inside a locked case on the desk.
She picked it up.
“Thank you.”
Julian stared at her.
“That’s it?”
Ivy shrugged.
“You answered my questions, you simply survived.”
She turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
“Oh.”
She looked over her shoulder.
“One more thing.”
Julian swallowed.
Ivy smiled.
“You should really hire better security.”
Her earpiece suddenly crackled.
“Ivy.”
The voice belonged to Elena.
Ivy sighed.
“Please tell me you’re calling because someone found a more interesting target.”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Then I don’t want to hear it.”
“Your grandfather is expecting you.”
Ivy froze.
“...What?”
“Emergency summit.”
Ivy looked toward the ceiling as though asking the universe for patience.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“How urgent?”
Elena paused.
“Very.”
Ivy frowned.
“What did he say?”
“He said your presence isn’t optional.”
Ivy stared at the drive in her hand.
Then at Julian.
Then back at the drive.
“Can I finish what I’m doing first?”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“Ivy.”
“You’re ruining my evening.”
“Your grandfather sounds furious.”
Ivy sighed dramatically.
“Fine.”
She slipped the drive into her jacket.
Julian watched her in silence.
Ivy walked toward the door.
Then she stopped.
She turned back with a bright smile.
“Don’t go anywhere.”
Julian looked terrified.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Good.”
She opened the door.
“I’d hate to have to come back.”
The door closed behind her.
Ivy walked down the hallway, already annoyed.
She had just finished dismantling a traitor’s operation.
Now she had to attend a family summit.
She pressed the button on her earpiece.
“Elena?”
“Yes?”
“What’s this actually about?”
Another pause.
Then Elena answered.
“I don’t know.”
Ivy frowned.
“That’s suspicious.”
“I thought you’d say that.”
Ivy smiled.
“Fine.”
She adjusted her jacket and started toward the exit.
“Let’s see what Grandpa wants.”
The end of chapter 1
