Danger comes when Ruby lets her guard down. She isnât someone who can be easily taken advantage of, but the moment she lowers her defenses, everything changes. And her greatest weakness? Itâs Sanae.
Sanae, who also harbors a deep desire for revenge for her brother, Akio. But what will Ruby do once she discovers that Sanae, the very person she trusts the most, is plotting to take revenge on her as well?
For the longest time, I struggled to find a way to steal the 8G Technology they had been developing. It seemed almost impossible. But now, things have become much easier. Sanae truly believes that I am her friend, but little does she know, she is nothing more than a pawn in my game. She will be the one to take the fall for all the anomalies, and when everything comes crashing down, she will be the only one left to blame.
Gazing at my motherâs photograph, I gently traced my fingers over the glass, my voice barely above a whisper.
"This is for you, Mom. I will get you out of there. No matter what it takes."
_______________________
What happened a while ago is driving me insane. Every single movement she made, the way her tongue worked on my clit, the way she closed her eyes, completely lost in pleasure, itâs making me lose my mind.
"Soooooo, Ruby," Ashley began, her tone dripping with curiosity. "Did you two already do it?"
My fingers twitched against the wine glass I was holding, but before I could answer, Karla smirked and cut in.
"Oh, they did," she announced, her voice carrying a mischievous lilt. "Sanae ate her up in her development room. Wanna know how I found out?"
My eyes widened in shock. "Waitâwhat?"
Karla chuckled, leaning back against the couch. "She forgot to soundproof her damn development room. Lucky for her, that floor is just for the two of us."
"Oh my God!!" Darlene shrieked, nearly spilling her cocktail. "Ruby, I had no idea you had such a wild side! You didnât even surrender your damn virginity to Mands, and you always said youâd only do it when you got married! What the hell happened? Damn, Sanae must be something else."
I exhaled slowly, a small smile creeping onto my lips. "Well⦠she is," I admitted.
Ashley narrowed her eyes at me, swirling her drink. "Youâre seriously creeping me out."
"Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You look so fucking in love. How did she even manage to win you over that fast? Amanda waited three damn years just to get a yes from you."
I let out a soft chuckle, glancing at the skyline visible through Ashleyâs penthouse windows. "Itâs different with her," I murmured. "I feel safe with her. Comfortable. Valued. Respected."
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Oh God, youâre doomed."
Darlene gasped dramatically. "Sheâs gone. Thatâs it. Hook, line, and sinker. Our little Ruby is officially in love again."
Karla, however, didnât join in their teasing. Instead, she gave me a serious look. "Look, Iâm happy for you, really," she said, her voice softer. "But Ruby, you cannot afford to let your guard down. Ever again. You need to be prepared for anything. Donât forget what industry weâre in."
Her words struck deep, a reminder of the reality I couldnât escape.
We were in the technopreneurship industryâa world of cutthroat deals, betrayals, and people who would do anything to see me fall. The worst part? My own father was one of them.
"I'm well aware of that," I said, forcing a smile. "Okay, let's cut the teasing on me. Let's focus on the main reason why the four of us need to be here." We all went serious.
"We need your skills here," Darlene said.
"Yes, because I found a chat on my boyfriend's phone saying, 'Make sure that you get a lot of information about Sedes.' I assume they are planning something against your company," Ashley said, her expression shifting to one of determination.
"What do you want me to do to him then?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Scare him. Teach him a lesson. I cannot be with a man who is an enemy of my friend or a damn dog to enemies trying to bite my friend. If it means killing him, so be it. I don't love him anyway; he is nothing but an asshole," she said, her voice steady.
"Thank you," I smiled, feeling grateful for her loyalty.
"Well, the four of us should help each other; we are all besties. We cannot be enemies. In a world full of men who think too highly of themselves, we are all weâve got."
There was a moment of silence, a quiet agreement passing between us. It wasnât just words, it was a truth we all carried. No matter what happened, no matter how many people tried to bring us down, we had each other.
I took a deep breath, my mind already shifting gears, formulating a plan. Ashley needed to know the full truth, and I was the only one who could get it for her.
"Let me handle this," I said, my fingers are already itching to get to work.
I reached for my laptop, the weight of it is familiar in my hands. The screen lit up, casting a faint glow across my face as I navigated through the system. My own custom-built programâsomething I had designed specifically for situations like thisâopened with just a few keystrokes. A hacking tool designed to infiltrate, extract, and track devices discreetly.
Darlene leaned in closer, watching me work with curiosity. Karla, however, only smirked, already knowing what I was capable of. Ashley, on the other hand, was still gripping her wine glass tightly, her knuckles white as she braced herself for whatever I was about to find.
"Alright, I'm in," I muttered, my fingers moving swiftly across the keyboard.
The screen is filled with lines of code, scanning through Ashleyâs boyfriendâs phone in real time. Within seconds, I had access to his messages, call logs, and even his current location. I clicked into his conversations, my heart pounding as I scanned through the messages.
And then I saw it.
A name. A familiar name.
I squinted, reading the contact carefully. My stomach twisted.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," I breathed, my voice low and tense.
"What? What did you find?" Ashley demanded, her voice sharp with anticipation.
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening into fists as I turned the screen towards her.
"He's cheating on you, Ash," I said, looking her directly in the eyes. "And not just with anyone⦠with your cousin."
The room fell into complete silence.
Ashleyâs entire body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. Darlene gasped loudly, slapping a hand over her mouth in shock. Karla let out a low whistle, shaking her head as if she had expected this all along.
"No way." Darleneâs voice was barely above a whisper. "Tell me youâre joking."
But I wasnât. The proof was right in front of us.
Ashley hesitated before leaning forward, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the messages. Her face contorted with disgust as she read the sickeningly sweet words he had been sending to her own blood relative.
And then, as if that wasnât enough, I scrolled further.
"Look at this," I said, pointing at the screen. "Theyâve been planning to meet up this weekend. Heâs been telling her that heâs âstuckâ with you but canât wait to be free. He even told her that being with you is just an obligation."
Ashleyâs lips parted, her breath coming in short, uneven bursts. Her fingers clenched around the glass so tightly I thought it might shatter.
"No," she choked out, shaking her head violently. "This can't be happening. Not him. Not her."
I watched her closely, recognizing the emotions flashing across her faceâhurt, betrayal, rage. A storm was brewing within her, one that would soon break free.
And I was ready to help her let it out.
"Letâs make this count," I said, my voice steadier than before.
Without hesitation, I entered a command into my program. A second later, a new line of code executed, and the screen displayed a message: Device Shutdown Initiated.
Across town, wherever he was, Ashleyâs boyfriendâs phone had just been completely disabled. It wouldnât turn back on unless I allowed it.
Ashley blinked, as if processing what had just happened.
"Wait⦠did you justâ"
"Yep," I cut her off. "He wonât be able to call or text for a while. Letâs see how he likes being powerless for once."
As if on cue, Ashleyâs phone vibrated on the table. The name flashing on the screen was the very man we had just cut off.
"Oh, now he calls?" Darlene scoffed. "Pathetic."
Ashley just stared at the phone, her expression unreadable. It rang again. And again. Desperate. Panicked.
Then, a message popped up:
"Hey, I need your help. My phone just shut down. Can you check what's wrong?"
The audacity.
Ashley read the message slowly, her lips curving into something that wasnât quite a smileâmore like the realization that she was finally free.
"No help for him," she muttered, and with one swift motion, she deleted the message.
She stood up, the strength returning to her posture as she rolled her shoulders back. Then, for good measure, she blocked his number.
"No more second chances," she declared, her voice unwavering. "Iâm done."
The weight of those words settled in the air. This wasnât just about him. This was Ashley reclaiming her power.
Karla leaned back with a satisfied smirk. "Damn right, you are."
Darlene grinned. "God, that was satisfying to watch."
I crossed my arms, nodding approvingly. "You deserve better, Ash. And now, heâll know he messed with the wrong woman."
Ashley took a deep breath, exhaling the last remnants of whatever attachment she had left for him. Then, she raised her glass.
"To us," she said firmly. "To loyalty, to power, and to never letting some weak-ass man think he can play us ever again."
We all clinked our glasses together, a silent vow passing between us.
We had each otherâs backs. Always.
And as we sat there, basking in the glow of our friendship and the power we held, I knew one thing for certainâthis was only the beginning.