Chapter 1 — Sabotage in the Spotlight
Harper
The room was a cathedral of glass and steel, humming with the anticipation of a curated crowd of investors, tech journalists, and industry leaders. Harper Ellison stood at the center of it all, her tailored charcoal suit impeccable, her silver pendant tucked discreetly under the collar of her blouse. The air carried a mix of coffee and ozone, the faint hum of the AI device beside her blending with the buzz of whispered conversations. The pedestal holding the device, a sleek marvel encased in brushed titanium, reflected the bluish lights that bathed the room in a cool glow.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she began, her voice crisp and steady, cutting through the low murmur of the audience. “What you’re about to see represents the future of security. A device that doesn’t just predict threats but prevents them, using adaptive learning to outthink even the most sophisticated adversaries.”
Her gray eyes scanned the room, meeting gazes of skepticism and awe alike. She thrived in this space, where logic ruled and every word was weighted with purpose. Harper had built her reputation on precision and ambition, and today was supposed to cement her place at the pinnacle of the tech world—a career-defining moment meticulously engineered to leave nothing to chance.
With a subtle motion of her wrist, she activated the device. A holographic projection unfurled above it, casting a soft, ethereal glow across the room. Streams of data flowed in elegant, dynamic patterns—lines diving and converging, pulsing with calculated precision. The visual representation of the AI’s algorithms was mesmerizing, analyzing simulated threats in real-time. A faint vibration hummed beneath her fingers as she rested her hand beside the pedestal, the energy of the device palpable.
“As you can see,” Harper continued, her tone unwavering, “the device identifies anomalies in behavioral patterns within seconds. It’s not just a tool—it’s a game-changer.”
Murmurs of approval rippled through the audience. An investor leaned forward, his tablet poised to take notes. A journalist began scribbling furiously, their brow furrowed in concentration. Harper allowed herself the smallest flicker of satisfaction. This was her legacy made tangible—a culmination of years of relentless effort, a testament to the belief her mother had instilled in her long ago.
Then, the projection flickered.
The satisfaction vanished, replaced by a sharp, sinking weight in her chest. Harper stilled, her practiced poise masking the cold knot of unease tightening in her stomach. The flicker turned into a static burst, and then the hologram collapsed entirely, leaving the pedestal ominously dark.
A collective gasp swept through the audience, followed by the low rumble of confusion and the sharp clatter of a pen dropping to the floor.
Harper’s smartwatch vibrated against her wrist, a discreet alert from the device’s internal diagnostics. *System breach detected.* She pressed her lips into a thin line, her heartbeat quickening. The weight of a hundred scrutinizing eyes pressed down on her, but she refused to falter. There was too much at stake.
“I assure you,” she said, her tone controlled but firm, “this is a minor technical issue. Our team is already addressing it.”
She gestured toward the technician stationed at the edge of the room. His pale face and trembling hands betrayed the situation’s gravity as he feverishly typed on his tablet. The murmurs didn’t subside, and Harper felt the scrutiny intensify. A single moment of failure could unravel everything she had built.
Elena Moreno, Harper’s COO, sidled up to her with the kind of grace only Elena could manage under pressure. Her hazel eyes were sharp behind her glasses, her voice low enough to avoid carrying. “Harper, this isn’t just a glitch. The backup systems are reporting the same anomaly.”
“Sabotage,” Harper muttered, her jaw tightening. Of course. Competitors in her industry were ruthless, and the timing couldn’t have been more deliberate.
Elena nodded, her expression grim. “I’ll start tracing the breach, but we need to stall.”
“I’ll manage it,” Harper replied, her voice clipped. Turning back to the crowd, she raised her hands in a gesture of reassurance. “Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that we’ll need to pause the demonstration. This is a precautionary measure to ensure the integrity of the system. Rest assured, we’ll provide updates shortly.”
The audience buzzed with speculation, their whispers growing louder as Harper and Elena exited the stage, slipping into the controlled chaos of the backstage area. The sound of footsteps and muted voices faded into the background as Harper’s mind raced.
“Tell me everything,” she demanded as soon as the door closed behind them.
Elena pulled out her tablet, her fingers flying across the screen. “The breach originated from an external source, heavily encrypted. Whoever it is, they’re good. They didn’t just crash the system—they planted a backdoor.”
“How far in?”
“Deep enough to access the prototype’s core functions. If we hadn’t caught it, they could’ve stolen or corrupted the entire program.”
Harper’s jaw tightened. The AI device wasn’t just her company’s flagship product—it was her life’s work. Beyond the immediate embarrassment, the sabotage could devastate her company’s reputation, her investors’ trust, and everything she had sacrificed to build. She paced the small room, the sharp click of her heels echoing against the polished floors. For a moment, a flicker of doubt surfaced—what if this failure unraveled her career? Her legacy? But she crushed the thought, locking it away behind her steely resolve.
“Elena,” she said, her voice low and deliberate, “I want a full diagnostic sweep. Isolate the breach and track the source. Discreetly. No one outside this room hears a word about this.”
“Understood. But Harper…” Elena hesitated, uncharacteristically uncertain.
“What?”
“This attack feels… targeted. Personal. Whoever did this wasn’t just aiming to embarrass you—they wanted to break you.”
Harper stopped pacing, her hand instinctively brushing against the pendant beneath her blouse. A strange chill ran through her, the cool metal seeming to pulse faintly against her skin. A fleeting memory of her mother’s warm smile and quiet warning surfaced, unbidden. *“There’s more to you than you know, Harper. One day you’ll understand.”* She shook it off. Logic first. Always logic.
“Then they’ll be disappointed,” she said coldly. “I don’t break.”
Before Elena could respond, Harper’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. The sender was unlisted, and the content was a single line of text:
*Come alone. Summit Ridge Lodge. Noon tomorrow.*
Harper frowned, her analytical mind parsing the implications. The timing was suspicious, the wording cryptic. *Help*—help with what? The sabotage? The breach? And why Summit Ridge Lodge, of all places? The name stirred something faint and unplaceable, like a half-forgotten dream.
“Who is it?” Elena asked, peering over Harper’s shoulder.
“No idea,” Harper admitted. “But I’m going to find out.”
“Harper, wait. This could be a trap. You can’t just walk into some remote lodge based on an anonymous message.”
“I don’t have time to wait for answers, Elena,” Harper said, her tone brooking no argument. “If this person knows something, I need to know it too. The product launch is in two weeks. We can’t afford any more delays.”
Elena sighed, rubbing her temples. “Fine. But at least let me come with you.”
“No,” Harper said firmly. “I need you here, running damage control. Keep the investors calm, handle the media spin, and find that backdoor. I’ll handle this.”
Elena hesitated, her loyalty warring with her better judgment. “Just… be careful, okay?”
Harper nodded, already mentally preparing for the meeting. She had no intention of walking into anything unprepared.
As the crowd outside began to disperse, Harper allowed herself a single moment of vulnerability. She touched the pendant again, feeling its cool weight against her fingertips. For years, it had been her constant, a reminder of her mother’s quiet strength. Now, it seemed heavier somehow, as though it carried a significance she couldn’t yet understand. A faint warmth radiated from it, or perhaps she imagined it.
Shoving the thought aside, she straightened her shoulders and strode out of the room. Whatever awaited her at Summit Ridge Lodge, she would face it head-on. She had no other choice.
