The morning broke cold and sharp, skyline a blur outside my window.

I was sitting in my office, jacket tossed over the back of the chair, sleeves rolled up, skimming over shipping reports — when my phone buzzed.

Domenico.

Right on time.

I answered with a sharp flick of my thumb. 

No words.

"Found the hacker," Domenico said, voice low and satisfied. "Confirmed it."

"Name," I ordered.

A beat of silence — heavy — before he said it.

"Ashley  Petrov."

I leaned back in my chair slowly, the leather creaking under the movement.

Ashley Petrov .

The girl from the party.

The one who had fire in her eyes and no leash on her temper.

The same girl who hacked the Silicans like it was nothing — 

who cost me time, alliances, and the delicate balance of a city always five seconds from exploding.

I drummed my fingers once against the desk.

"You're sure?"

"Triple-checked it," Domenico said. "She covered her tracks good. Real good. But not good enough."

I could hear the smirk in his voice. 

I didn’t return it.

This wasn’t a game.

This was business. 

This was blood.

And now it was personal.

"Anything else?" I asked, voice smooth as silk.

"Not yet. Still pulling her digital footprint," Domenico said. "Girl’s a ghost online. Almost like someone taught her to stay hidden."

Interesting.

I hung up without another word.

Leaning forward, I picked up my whiskey glass — swirling the amber liquid slowly, watching it catch the light.

Ashley Petrov .

Viktor’s hidden daughter. 

The hacker. 

The spark that could set everything on fire.

And she didn’t even know the match was already in my hand.

I set the glass down with a soft clink, my mind already moving three steps ahead.

If I wanted answers —

if I wanted leverage —

I needed to move carefully.

Which meant starting where it all began.

At the source.At her father.Viktor Petrov.

I reached for my phone again, punching in a number.

"Arrange a meeting with Petrov ," I said, voice low, final. "At his estate. Tell him it's urgent."

"Business?", Matteo asked carefully.

I smiled thinly.

"Call it that."

The truth was simpler:I wanted to see the family fortress up close.

I wanted to watch how Viktor moved, how his people reacted —

how she reacted.

If she even showed up.

Because now that I knew who she was —

what she was capable of —

I wasn’t letting her out of my sight again.

Not until I decided whether she was a threat to be eliminated...

...or something far more dangerous.

Something I might want to keep.

For now.