Oasis Club was one of Crustin's top clubs, and it had hundreds of employees.

When Ayden strode into the server room, clusters of anxious technicians circled computers that seemed to freeze.

Without waiting, Ayden took charge at the main terminal, fingers flying as he forced the system to limp back online.

The club owner did not waste a second. "Her file says she goes by Nicky."

Nicole always used that name for her work here.

Ayden frowned, finding the name odd.

Still, he typed it in.

Right away, a file flashed onto the screen. But before he could click it open, the entry glitched, blinked, and the file began to delete itself.

Someone was fighting him for the control of the system.

Refusing to back down, Ayden quickly started to retrieve the lost data. Yet the information disappeared before his eyes despite his efforts.

This was bizarre.

Whoever was behind this kept changing tactics, erasing pieces in unpredictable bursts. Each time Ayden tried to lock in a detail, it disappeared before he could process it.

Now, the only thing he knew about that woman was the name Nicky.

But he knew even that was a fake name.

Frustration got the better of him, and he slammed his palm against the keys.

At that moment, the screen turned black.

Then, out of nowhere, a cartoon bunny popped up on the main display, shaking its little tail at Ayden and spinning in a circle.

A comic speech bubble appeared above the bunny's head.

"Try harder next time."

Ayden blinked, stunned.

Seeing that, not a single person in the room dared to make a sound.

***

On the rooftop across the street.

Nicole lounged on the stair railing, her legs swinging lazily, her eyes full of confidence.

Balanced on her knees, a "borrowed" laptop displayed that same cheeky pink bunny.

"You can't beat me in a million years," Nicole murmured, lips curled in a mocking smile as she snapped the laptop closed.

Nearby, a teenage boy hugged his backpack, his panicked eyes on Nicole.

He had been on his way home when this woman swooped in, dragged him here, and took his laptop from him.

Was he getting mugged like this?

While he tried to process it, Nicole hopped down and tossed the laptop back to him.

"Here, kid. I cleared out those inappropriate videos for you. Take my advice and focus on your studies from now on," Nicole said.

The boy gave a tiny nod, saying, "Okay..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

Nicole found his demeanor cute and tousled his hair as if he were a small, bewildered pet.

"Good boy."

Left speechless, the boy just stared.

Nicole straightened, zipped up her suit, and started down the stairs.

Dealing with Ayden had left her tired and drenched in sweat; she was desperate for a proper shower.

Ayden proved far from ordinary. He was not only powerful; his hacking and fighting skills were also incredible.

Nicole refused to lower her guard until she completely escaped.

When she reached the eleventh-floor landing, she pushed open a window and eyed the rooftop across, perfectly positioned for a quick escape.

A smirk broke across her face.

With one smooth motion, she shoved the window open and sprang across the gap.

Behind her, the stunned boy stood frozen, trying to convince himself he had not just witnessed something out of a movie.

The sun was setting by the time Nicole slipped away from the building.

The fading sunlight warmed her skin, bringing a brief sense of relief.

Every trace of her existence at the club had been deleted.

Even with all his resources, Ayden would still need time to track her down.

Nicole's mind drifted toward home, but the thought came to a halt when she suddenly realized something. Her custom-built motorcycle—her pride and joy—was still in the boxing club's garage.

A quiet curse slipped past her lips.

She had poured months into modifying that bike.

Frustration sent her pacing in circles, fingers tangling in her hair as she tried to make a decision.

There was no way she could return to the club.

But starting over with a new bike?

Nicole retrieved her phone to check her balance.

Three thousand fifty-eight dollars glared back at her.

She could not even buy a single high-end tire with that.

After several moments of silent fuming, Nicole gave in and called a ride home. A shower and some rest would have to come first; she would come up with a plan about her bike later.

One way or another, she would get it back.

By the time the taxi bumped to a stop in Nicole's worn-down neighborhood, the sky had turned completely dark.

She had picked this corner of town for a reason: the rent was cheap, and nobody cared enough to install cameras, perfect for her to stay off her mother's radar after their split.

As she stepped onto the cracked sidewalk and made her way toward the farthest building in the area, the broken streetlights left everything drowned in shadow.

Yet, the deeper she walked, the more she felt that something was amiss.

At the end of the road, a line of sleek luxury sedans waited, headlights slicing through the dark and bouncing off battered brick.

Nicole recognized a familiar license plate, and her expression tightened.

Before she could take another step, the driver's door swung open, and a pair of gleaming dress shoes appeared.

Nicole paused, and she furrowed her brows when she saw the man emerging from the car.

It had been ten years.

Her father still wore that air of quiet sophistication, unchanged by time.

A decade ago, after a DNA test had exposed Nicole as not Gloria Hewitt's child, Gloria had thrown her out without mercy. Liam Hewitt, Nicole's father, away on a business trip, had come home too late. By then, Nina Dixon, Nicole's biological mother, had already took Nicole away, disappearing for years.

Nicole was not Gloria's child, but she was indeed Liam's daughter.

She was the illegitimate daughter of Liam and Nina.

Discovering she had raised her husband's illegitimate daughter for a decade had pushed Gloria into a violent rage. She nearly beat Nicole to death before kicking her out.

As a child, Nicole could not make sense of why the woman who had treasured her so much suddenly became like that.

She had only thought that it was because of the fact that she was Liam's illegitimate daughter.

Only with time did she realize that Gloria hated her not only because she was Liam's illegitimate daughter but also because she was the child of the woman whom Gloria despised the most.

No wonder Gloria told her that she never wanted to see her again.

"Nicole..."

Liam's voice carried down the street, thick with hope and regret. "I've finally found you."

The words floated over the space between them, heavy with sorrow.

"If your agent hadn't told me where you live, I don't know how much longer it would take for me to find you," Liam continued, letting out a sigh as he approached Nicole.

Nicole did not move. Her face was expressionless when she heard Liam's words.

When Liam tried to ruffle her hair, she moved just out of reach.

His hand dropped to his side, his gaze filling with resignation.

"Nicole, you still won't forgive me?"

His gaze was full of pity.

Nicole clenched her jaw and scoffed, meeting his look with cold defiance.