Chapter 2:
Kiara sat frozen at her desk, staring at the blank screen of her hacked laptop. Panic clawed at her chest. All her client presentations, files, and notes-gone.
Not even a backup.
How could this happen to her, someone who worked in cybersecurity?
Her mind raced. The clients... what will they think? Will they cancel the contracts? Will they lose trust in me? The thought of losing everything she had worked for made her stomach twist.
Desperate, she called Mahati. Her colleague picked up on the first ring.
"Mahati... it's bad," Kiara said, her voice tight. "The laptop... it's hacked. I have nothing. What do I do?"
At first, Mahati was silent, and Kiara felt her panic spike. Then she spoke, calm and reassuring. "Kiara, take a deep breath. The clients have postponed the meeting. We have time. We'll handle this together."
Kiara exhaled shakily, relief mixing with lingering anxiety. "But... the files, the presentation... everything!"
"Focus on what you can do now," Mahati said firmly. "We'll reconstruct what's lost. Don't let this shake you. You're stronger than you think."
Kiara hung up, but her mind wouldn't stop racing. As she tried to compose herself, one thought dominated every corner of her brain: Vishwa. Who was he? How did he know her? Why did he matter so much that her mind kept drifting to him even in crisis?
She searched online, scanning every forum, social media page, and professional site she could think of. Nothing. No trace of Vishwa anywhere. It was as if he didn't exist, yet Kiara felt his presence lingering like a shadow behind every worry, every unanswered question.
Her stomach churned with a mix of fear and curiosity. Someone had hacked her company laptop, delayed her meeting, and left her grasping at the unknown. And Vishwa-whatever his connection-remained a mystery.
Kiara pushed herself back from the desk. There was nothing more she could do now. For the moment, she had to wait... and prepare.
A chill ran down her spine as her phone sat quietly on the desk. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching. And maybe, she thought, that someone would make themselves known sooner than she expected...