The ballroom erupted into chaos as masked operatives flooded the room, their weapons gleaming under the faint emergency lights.Guests were forced to the ground, their hands raised in surrender as shouts echoed through the space.One of the operatives stepped forward, their voice amplified by a distortion device.“Ethan Elliot,” they announced, “if you value the lives of these people, surrender now!”Lisa gripped Ethan’s arm.“What are you going to do?”Ethan’s mind raced.This is coordinated. They knew every detail of the layout, the security, even the backup systems. But they don’t know I’ve studied this place inside out.“Stay low and trust me,” Ethan said.Ethan ducked into the shadows, his movements swift and silent.Through the earpiece, Harris’s voice came through.“We’re locked out of the main entrances. They’ve barricaded them from the outside.”“Use the service corridors,” Ethan replied.“Secure the exits and sweep for explosives. I’ll handle the hostages.”Harris hesitated

The hacker’s smirk widened.“What are you gonna do? Type me to death?”Without a word, Ethan grabbed a nearby keyboard and began typing rapidly, his movements swift and deliberate.The hacker’s confident expression faltered.“Wait—what are you doing?”“Locking you out,” Ethan said, his tone calm but fierce.The hacker spun back to his workstation, his fingers flying across the keys in an attempt to counter Ethan’s commands.“You’re joking, right? You can’t just waltz in here and undo hours of work.”“Watch me,” Ethan replied.The room filled with the sound of frantic keystrokes as the two battled for control of the system.Ethan’s deep understanding of the company’s architecture gave him an edge, allowing him to anticipate the hacker’s moves.“You built this system,” the hacker said, his voice tinged with frustration.“I’ll give you that. But you’re still in over your head.”“And you’re too arrogant to realize when you’ve lost,” Ethan shot back, activating a series of firewalls to blo

Ethan sat in the mansion’s secure command room, the faint hum of monitors filling the air.His team was scattered around the room, each member focused on their respective tasks.Harris leaned over a digital map of the world, while Harper sifted through encrypted communications on her laptop.Ethan tapped his fingers on the desk, his expression unyielding.The data’s out there, and if this syndicate uses it, everything I’ve built will collapse.Lisa entered, a tablet in hand, her face a mixture of determination and exhaustion.“We’ve got a lead,” she said, placing the tablet on the desk.“What is it?” Ethan asked, sitting up.Lisa pointed to the screen.“There’s a pattern in the transactions tied to the stolen data. They all lead back to a single funding source—a tech billionaire named Gregory Holt.”Ethan frowned. “Holt? The media darling with a global AI empire?”Lisa nodded.“The same. On paper, his businesses are squeaky clean, but his offshore accounts tell a different story. He’s

Ethan crouched behind a cluster of sculpted hedges, staring up at the towering structure before him.Gregory Holt’s tech fortress wasn’t just a building—it was a fortress of innovation and intimidation.Its sleek, glass-and-steel design gleamed under the night sky, illuminated by an array of cutting-edge defenses.Drones hovered in coordinated patterns around the perimeter, scanning every inch of the estate.Automated turrets moved methodically, their red targeting lasers slicing through the darkness.Security cameras dotted the walls, synchronized to a central AI system that could detect even the slightest irregularity.Harper’s voice crackled in Ethan’s earpiece.“You’re approaching the main perimeter. Drones are synced to a five-second gap between sweeps. You’ll have to time your movements perfectly.”Ethan smirked.“I’ve handled worse.”The interior of the fortress was as sleek as its exterior, a maze of white walls and glowing blue accents.The air hummed with the energy of advan

Holt’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, but he recovered quickly.“You’ll see soon enough. Even if you manage to disrupt it, the damage will already be done. Your empire will be a shadow of itself, ripe for the taking.”Ethan stepped closer, his gaze unflinching.“If you were as confident as you pretend to be, you wouldn’t still be here. You know I’m going to stop you.”Harper’s voice came through the earpiece again.“Ethan, we’ve found a vulnerability. The AI’s primary control is routed through a central node in this building. If we can sever the connection, it’ll stop the attack.”“Where is it?” Ethan asked.“Two floors below you,” Harper replied.“But it’s heavily secured. You’ll need to disable the firewalls on-site.”Ethan glanced at Holt.“You’ve made one critical mistake.”“Oh?” Holt said, raising an eyebrow.“You built this fortress to keep people out,” Ethan said, stepping toward the door.“But now, I’m already inside.”Before Holt could respond, Ethan dashed out of