บท 1: Chapter One.
Four days ago.
His hooded eyes, narrowed coldly, sweeping over the terrified faces of the employees before him. Whisky eyes glimmering with rising anger, as he enunciated, slowly, "How did it happen?"
Swallowing a lump in his throat, the sweaty head of the Security Operations Center answered, his voice wavering, "We don't know what happened, sir. One minute everything was secure, the second the alarms started blaring."
Oliver's straight and long fingers, drummed on the silver conference table, his face passive as if the explanation was not good enough.
"Luckily the breach was stopped before any sensitive information was taken." Another employee, spoke up chuckling nervously.
"Stopped?" Oliver's eyes snapped to the man. He paused, conceding something. "It was stopped because the second stage security system I built was impenetrable and it only got to that stage because the first stage which took a year to build by all of you, was easily attacked." Every word was cut-throat and over emphasized by his pedantic voice.
"Sir, it was a mistake that would never be repeated. We apologize and we will work hard to build a stronger opening security system." The head of the SOC said humbly, head bowed.
"What do I pay you for? You could have noticed the attack on time but you were late. I do not pay you to chat because if I wanted that, I would hire monkeys. However, fathoming your incompetence I'm sure monkeys would do a better job than you all combined." The air became heavier and more oppressive. They knew Oliver Wilde despised tardiness more than anything.
"But why did they immediately retreat when the alarms blared? Normally, they would have battled it out with us." Someone pointed out and Oliver lifted his eyes, staring out in the distance, before answering, slowly, "They were testing the waters." His fingers paused their movement.
***
Louisa enjoyed the sun's rays during fall. Summer had ended but it was still warm and her greenish-blue sea eyes traveled along the scenic flowery view of the campus, one of the reasons she chose Sylvester College. Her friend walking beside her hair, immersed herself in humming the tune of 'The Boy Is Mine' that was on full volume on her AirPods. Luckily, she only wore one...this time.
They both weaved through the bustling university, students were packed since today was the end of the first week of the new academic year.
"Tell me again, why you are taking this class again?" Louisa's soft voice which seemed like listening to waves filtered into her friend's ears.
"I don't know. I think the class would be great and it's a five-point class." Kayla shrugged.
"Almost all your classes in your first year were four to five-point classes but you decided to drop cybersecurity, so why out of the blue did you decide to take it?" They side-stepped a group of students sharing fliers for their clubs.
Kayla sighed, tightening her fingers on her backpack. "You can't just let me be at peace, can you, Loui?"
"Saying the truth will give you peace, isn't that what they say?"
"Professor Dylan Lilac is the one taking this class." She admitted.
Realization dawned in Louisa's eyes, "Oh... the one that wrote that book you are so obsessed with."
"And who wouldn't be obsessed with that book?" Her hazel eyes lit up as she continued, "He created the legendary Circular Pyramid Attack and no one has ever been able to use and break through the Attack."
"Right, and that explains why you dropped out of the major in the first place. So have you ever used the Circle Triangle?"
"Loui," Kayla groaned. "It's called the Circular Pyramid and I haven't used it." She looked away from her friend, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"What? You and I both know it's true, Kay. You've never told me why you did what you did." Kayla side-glanced the midnight blue-haired girl who was adjusting the white ribbon that loosely tied up her at the back. The ribbon matched Kayla's short manicured nails.
"David is into tech, and so is Terrence. We don't need all of us in the friend group to be in STEM."
"That's what she said." She hummed.
"You know, you are getting on my nerves."
"Well ensure I get off before we meet up with Rory, today."
"Is Blaire going to come too?"
"Yeah."
Both of them stopped when they reached Louisa's department of English. Kayla seemed to think that her major fit everything about Louisa, even her outfit. The 5'4 Swiftie wore a cropped, soft-knitted sweater in a cream color, while hers was lavender. She paired it with a high-waisted, wide-leg linen beige pants and ankle boots.
"Don't forget to come back here by 2 pm for my spoken word presentation!" Louisa reminded her friend, who nodded and waved goodbye to her.
Her class started at 10 and it was 9:15, so she had time to get her customized earl-grey passion boba tea.
The line was long and by the time she got hers, ten minutes had passed. She had no time for any more side-quests. However, as she stepped out of the cafe, someone on a scooter bumped into her harshly making her spill her tea over her turtle-neck chunky knit sweater.
"Did you exchange your sight for the scooter you dimwit!? Watch where you are fucking going!" She yelled after the boy but he was far gone. "Argh!" She muttered a curse and made her way to the nearest restroom but there was also a line.
When it was her turn, she took multiple tissues and added water to wipe off the stain but it wouldn't come off.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Her exasperated expression was reflected in the mirror. Black brows furrowing, with hazel eyes focused on the task at hand. The stain even got on her high-waited fitted blue jeans that accentuated her wide hips.
Kayla tried and tried but the stain didn't budge. With a deep breath, she called it quits and when she got out of the restroom it was already 9:40.
"Shit!" She walked as fast as she could to get a shuttle because the computer science building was on the other side of campus. Unfortunately for her, the shuttles were packed because of the influx of freshmen and by the time she reached class, sweat was dripping from her face. She didn't run because she couldn't afford to, but it was still strenuous for her that she gasped for air, greedily.
"Oh my God... I'm so sorry...I... ohmygod," she said between her breaths. Then, as she was about to enter, an arm blocked her path.
She lifted her eyes, to meet a pair of golden eyes. Normally she would have been intoxicated and studied his features but her mind was a mess.
"You're late." Oliver drawled out, snapping Kayla from her thoughts. He scanned her disheveled hair, curved brows, Nubian nose, and watery face.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You are late." He repeated, irked.
"And I apologize. Someone spilled my coffee on my clothes, then I had to wait in line, then I had to wait in line again for the restroom and there were no shuttles and..."
"It doesn't change the fact that you're late, therefore you can't enter the class." His cold words poured water all over her initial fatigue. This week was a bad one for Oliver. First, his security system was almost breached and now this girl showed up late to the class that he was coerced into teaching.
"Sir, I apologize sincerely but it wasn't my fault. Some psycho bumped into me." Her left eye twitched. She was trying to keep her anger at bay, but the coldness from the man's eyes didn't diminish. It seemed to increase.
"And that concerns me because?" he asked lazily and Kayla was sure that it was the dog owner whose dog she almost ran over by accident that cursed her but this man in front of her was sent to turn her day from bad to worse. He was just the TA and he was behaving this arrogant? She hated when people exploited the little position of power they were given plus today had been horrible so she exploded.
"Are you joking? I just explained myself to you and any kind and considerate person would understand but you want to keep me outside?" Kayla retorted without thinking, her nose flaring.
His face darkened, "What did you just say to me?" There were only a few people who dared talk back to him. He gave her a once-over and felt like she looked oddly familiar.
"What? Can't handle the dish you served to others? You are just the TA, so mind the way you talk to people. I want to speak to the professor and he will decide whether or not I deserve to be in this class or not!"
"How dare you…" he trailed off, remembering what she had said. "TA? I'm the TA?"
"Only the professor has the right to say such, so you just stay in your place!" she pointed her index finger at his bumpy nose, angrily.
A smile slowly appeared on his face. This week wasn't so bad after all. "Then you're in luck feisty, he is standing in front of you."
"What?" She blinked. She should have taken Blaire on her offer to see her mouth shut. Her reaction was even more priceless than he had imagined. He loved her features morphing into discombobulation.
For the first time in Oliver's life, he was more than happy to repeat a statement, "I am the professor."
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