Aaron's Gambit
Aaron thought graduating top of his class would change his life. Instead, it feels like the world is against him. No one will offer him a job, and the one interview he had hoped for goes wrong after a call about his mom being rushed to the hospital. Broke, hopeless, and with loan sharks threatening his life, Aaron doesn’t know where to turn. Then a mysterious man gives him a business card with an offer that seems too good to be true.
The job? A tech startup that promises fast money. The company is actually a front for illegal cybercrime, and his boss, Celeste, is way more dangerous than she looks. Celeste ropes Aaron into shady missions, promising to help him clear his debts. Things blow up when one of his assignments goes wrong, and suddenly, Aaron is being hunted by the cops and a powerful tech mogul whose secrets he accidentally exposed.
When the loan sharks come after him, Aaron finds out his mom has been lying to him. The loan wasn’t just for his education, part of it was to cover her gambling debts. Even worse, the loan sharks work for the mafia, and Aaron’s mom has a dark past with them she’s been hiding for years, Aaron was just part of a deal she made to save herself.
With everything falling apart, Aaron teams up with Leila, a sharp paralegal who wants to take the mafia down. But Leila’s got secrets too—her brother works for the same people hunting Aaron. Together, they’ll have to outsmart Celeste, the mafia, and everyone else trying to destroy their lives. If Aaron can pull off one last risky move, he might clear his name, take down the mafia, and finally start fresh.
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Chapter: Chapter TwentyThe room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn tightly to keep out any prying eyes. Aaron sat on the edge of a creaky bed, staring at the laptop screen as Alex’s detailed analysis flashed in front of him. Leila was pacing behind him, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed.“This is it,” Aaron said, his voice trembling slightly. “This is the proof we’ve been praying for.”Leila stopped mid-step and turned to face him. “It’s good proof. Now what we do with it is important. We can’t just walk into a newsroom and hand it over. They’ll arrest you on the spot.”Aaron nodded, frustration boiling under his calm facade. “We need to be smart about this. Alex said he’d help us get the word out. He’s already working on it.”The laptop pinged with a new message. Aaron clicked on it, and Alex’s message popped up:Alex: The report is done. I’ve uploaded the metadata inconsistencies, pixel anomalies, and the audio glitches. The world will see the truth.Aaron felt a wave of relief wash over him. “He’s don
Last Updated: 2025-01-11
Chapter: Chapter NineteenThe streets of Toronto buzzed with life, the steady hum of car engines and the occasional honking blending with the chatter of pedestrians. Aaron sat in the passenger seat of Leila’s car, his eyes darting nervously to the side mirrors. Leila gripped the wheel tightly, her eyes scanning the rearview mirror every few seconds. The tension in the air was palpable.“You’re sure no one followed us from the motel?” Aaron asked, his voice barely above a whisper.“I’m sure,” Leila replied, though the slight quiver in her voice betrayed her doubt. “But something feels off. I can’t shake it.”Aaron’s gaze followed hers, and he noticed a man in a beige trench coat standing by a newspaper stand. The man’s head tilted slightly, his eyes fixed on their car for a moment too long before he turned away. Aaron’s stomach churned.“I think he just took a picture,” Aaron muttered, his body tensing. “I saw a flash from his phone. Or a camera. Something.”Leila glanced in the mirror, her brow furrowing. “You
Last Updated: 2025-01-10
Chapter: Chapter EighteenCeleste leaned back in her sleek, black office chair, the glow from her multiple computer screens casting a cold light on her face. She smirked, sipping her wine. This was her masterpiece, her magnum opus. She’d just finished watching the deepfake video she had created of Aaron. Every detail, from his mannerisms to his voice, was perfect. It looked so real that even she—the mastermind—felt a twinge of doubt for a moment.“You’re done, Aaron,” she whispered, her voice venomous.She clicked a button, uploading the video to a private server. From there, it would spread to anonymous forums, journalists’ inboxes, and social media platforms. Celeste’s plan was calculated to perfection. The video, along with fabricated bank records and chat logs, painted Aaron as a cybercriminal mastermind. It would turn him into a national villain, not just a fugitive.“Let’s see you wiggle out of this,” she muttered, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she typed an anonymous tip to the police.In a s
Last Updated: 2025-01-10
Chapter: Chapter SeventeenCeleste leaned back in her sleek leather chair, her perfectly manicured fingers drumming on the edge of her desk. The recording of Aaron’s conversation with his mother played on her phone for the third time. Each word, each pause, echoed like a ticking clock in her head.“Giovanni knows,” she muttered to herself, her voice a cold whisper. The realization sent a chill down her spine. For years, she had been the center of Giovanni’s trust, the daughter he groomed to follow in his footsteps. Aaron was a nobody—a threat she had worked tirelessly to neutralize. But now, everything felt like it was slipping out of her control.She slammed her phone onto the desk, her face darkening. "If he knows... why hasn’t he done anything?" she said aloud, her voice trembling slightly.Her personal guard, Marco, standing silently in the corner, spoke up cautiously. “Maybe he’s waiting for the right time. You know how he operates—everything’s calculated.”Celeste’s lips curled into a scornful smile. “Calc
Last Updated: 2025-01-09
Chapter: Chapter SixteenAaron sat on the edge of the couch in Leila’s small apartment, his leg bouncing uncontrollably. The burner phone sat on the table in front of him. Leila paced the room, her arms crossed tightly.“Are you sure about this?” she asked, her voice laced with doubt. “If she’s working with them, this could blow up in our faces.”Aaron ran a hand through his messy hair. “I have to know, Leila. If she’s really involved, I need to hear it from her.” He picked up the phone, hesitating for a moment before dialing the number. The sound of each ring felt like a hammer pounding in his chest.Finally, she answered. “Hello?” Her voice was soft, cautious.Aaron took a shaky breath. “Mom, it’s me.”“Aaron? Oh my God! Where are you? Are you okay?” Her voice cracked with emotion.Aaron’s grip on the phone tightened. “I’m fine, Mom. But we need to talk. I saw a video of you… with those men.”There was a long pause on the other end. When she spoke again, her voice was lower, almost a whisper. “What video?”
Last Updated: 2025-01-08
Chapter: Chapter FifteenAaron slumped back in his chair at the café, staring blankly at the screen in front of him. His mind was a storm of thoughts, memories colliding and unraveling in chaotic bursts.“I’m so dumb,” he muttered, tapping his forehead repeatedly with his palm. “It was all there. The signs were right there.”Leila glanced up from her laptop, concern etched on her face. “Aaron, you okay?”He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “No, Leila, I’m not okay. I just realized my entire life has been a lie. And I was too blind to see it.”Leila closed her laptop and leaned forward. “Talk to me. What signs?”Aaron sighed deeply. “My mom… she was always distant, cold even. When I was a kid, she’d disappear for days, come back with bruises she’d never explain. I remember her late-night phone calls, speaking in hushed tones. And then—” His voice cracked. “Then there was the time Technophile showed me that video of her in that fancy apartment, looking healthier than I’d seen her in years. How did I no
Last Updated: 2025-01-07
