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Aaron's Gambit Chapter Sixteen
Aaron 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?”
Aaron's Gambit Chapter Seventeen
Celeste 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. “Cal
Aaron's Gambit Chapter Eighteen
Celeste 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
Aaron's Gambit Chapter Nineteen
The 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
Aaron's Gambit Chapter One
"Mr. Aaron... Mr. Aaron!"Aaron snapped out of his daze, his eyes darting toward the voice. The stern-looking interviewer, a middle-aged man with glasses, frowned at him from across the table. The room was silent except for the soft tapping of a pen against the desk.Aaron's throat felt dry, and beads of sweat trickled down his temples. He blinked a few times, trying to focus. "Sorry, uh... could you repeat the question?"One of the female interviewers, seated to the right, exchanged a puzzled glance with her colleague. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked, her tone showing half concern and half annoyance. "You seem... distracted."Aaron clenched his fists under the table, feeling the weight of their judgment. His mind was a swirling mess, the events of the morning crashing over him like relentless waves. The phone call about his mom being rushed to the hospital. The mounting debt threatening to suffocate him. The loan sharks. The fear of losing everything. It was all too much."I'm f
Aaron's Gambit Chapter Two
Aaron stood at the entrance of the building, shifting nervously from foot to foot. The early morning air was crisp, and he was bundled in his only decent jacket. He glanced at the sleek glass doors ahead of him, locked tight. No one was around yet, and the silence made the place feel bigger—almost intimidating.Just as he was about to check his phone for the time again, a car approached. It was a shiny black sedan, the kind Aaron had only seen in movies or parked outside luxury hotels. He hesitated, then waved at the driver as if he were going to ask for directions.The window rolled down smoothly, and Aaron saw a woman behind the wheel. Her hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and she wore large sunglasses that reflected his nervous face back at him.“Good morning,” Aaron greeted, his voice cracking slightly. “I—uh—I was invited here for a job.”The woman’s lips curled into a small smile. “Oh, you must be Aaron.” Her tone was confident, casual, like she already knew everything abou
Aaron's Gambit Chapter Three
Aaron sat at his desk in the underground office, the hum of computers filling the air. The place was like something out of a spy movie, with rows of monitors, blinking lights, and people typing furiously. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was in over his head. His hands fidgeted as he thought about the strange events that had led him here. What exactly was this place? What was Project Blackout?Across the room, Celeste pulled Technophile aside. Aaron couldn’t hear their conversation, but he could tell it was about him. Celeste’s gestures and narrowed eyes made it obvious she wasn’t happy. Aaron glanced away quickly when her gaze darted toward him, pretending to focus on the desk in front of him."He asks a lot of questions," Celeste said, her voice low but firm. "He doesn’t seem ready for this. He’s too green."Technophile smiled, his calm demeanor contrasting with her frustration. "Relax, Celeste. I know what I’m doing. He’s exactly the type we need. Just be patient. The boss re
Aaron's Gambit Chapter Four
Aaron had barely finished arranging his new desk when Celeste burst into the room like a storm. Her phone was pressed tightly to her ear, her tone sharp and urgent.“Yes, boss, I understand. We’ll handle it,” she said, pacing the floor in short, tight steps. Her eyes darted toward Aaron, and she waved frantically for him to open his tracker app. She mouthed, We need to move now!Aaron fumbled with his phone, hands trembling slightly. The app—something he’d barely gotten familiar with—loaded slowly, adding to his growing anxiety.“Hurry up,” Celeste hissed, ending her call abruptly. She leaned over him, her finger pointing at the screen. “We’ve got a live one. Target’s on the move in Vancouver. We have limited time to pull this off.”Aaron’s mouth went dry. “What are we doing exactly?” he asked, voice shaky.“Tracking a guy and pulling files from his system,” Celeste said, already pulling a laptop from her bag. She set it up in record time, her fingers moving faster than Aaron could fo
Latest Chapter
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Nineteen
The 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
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Eighteen
Celeste 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
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Seventeen
Celeste 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. “Cal
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Sixteen
Aaron 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?”
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Fifteen
Aaron 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
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Fourteen
Aaron’s hands trembled slightly as he slotted the camera’s memory card into the laptop at the back room of the internet café. Leila stood next to him, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed in focus. The hum of the computer and the faint buzz of conversations from the café outside seemed distant as Aaron’s heart pounded in his chest.“This better have answers,” Aaron muttered under his breath.The video opened, grainy but clear enough to reveal his mother’s living room. The time stamp on the footage showed it was recorded earlier that day. At first, it looked normal. Then, three massive men entered the frame, their tattoos catching the dim light. Aaron leaned closer to the screen, his brows furrowing.“Who the hell are they?” he whispered.The camera’s angle captured his mother, seated calmly on the couch. She wasn’t tied up, nor did she appear distressed. She was… talking to them. Aaron blinked, struggling to make sense of the scene.“Wait, is she… negotiating?” Leila asked, leaning
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter 13: The TrapAaron slumped into the worn-out armchair of his tiny hideout, his mind reeling from the bombshells Leila had dropped. “Me? Related to a mafia boss?” he muttered, tapping his forehead. “I must be so dumb to even consider it.” He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow in the quiet room.Suddenly, a pang of guilt washed over him like a cold gust of wind. Images of his mother flashed in his mind: her tired smile, her reassuring words even when things were falling apart. He ran a hand through his hair. “Mum, I’m sorry. I’ll come see you soon,” he whispered to the empty room.Aaron pulled out the burner phone and dialed his mother’s number. It rang once, twice, but there was no answer. A gnawing feeling of unease began to creep in. He tried again. Still nothing.“C’mon, Mum. Pick up,” he muttered, pacing the small room.He tried her number one last time, but when the call went straight to voicemail, his chest tightened. “Something’s wrong,” he realized aloud. Without hesita
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Twelve
The cafe was dimly lit, the hum of old computers filling the air as Aaron paced nervously near Leila’s table. His arms were crossed, his brows knitted in frustration as he muttered under his breath.Leila sat on the other side, her laptop open, scrolling through files with the precision of someone who’d done this countless times. She wore a calm, focused expression, but her eyes hinted at a storm brewing beneath. She finally looked up, taking a deep breath.“Aaron, sit down,” she said, her tone firm yet gentle.Aaron stopped pacing, his hands on his hips. “How am I supposed to sit down when you just told me Celeste is framing me? I mean, why? Why would she do that?”Leila tapped her pen on the table. “That’s what we’re here to figure out. But before we get into the plan, there’s something I need to tell you about Celeste. It might… complicate things.”Aaron finally slumped into the chair across from her, rubbing his face with his hands. “As if things aren’t already complicated. Fine,
- Aaron's Gambit
Chapter Eleven
Aaron sat hunched over the outdated monitor in the corner of the internet cafe, its hum barely masking the sound of chattering keyboards and muffled conversations. His fingers flew over the keys, pulling up forums and threads, rereading the comment that had burned itself into his brain: “Check the metadata. The logs don’t match.”He scrolled back, following the username that left the comment.Anonymous001. The user’s profile wasn’t flashy. Most posts were just observations, calling out inconsistencies in tech-related scandals. Whoever they were, they knew their stuff. Aaron muttered under his breath, “You might be my only shot.”He glanced over his shoulder for the tenth time in as many minutes. Paranoia was his constant companion now. Every stranger’s glance felt like a potential threat, every shadow a lurking officer. His face, plastered on every news channel, had him living like a ghost. The scent of stale coffee and fried snacks filled the air, grounding him for a moment.Aaron cr
