Chapter 28

Trevon leaned in, his breath brushing against Selina's ear, the cool scent of his cologne a subtle caress. She felt a chill, but not fear, and met his gaze, their eyes locking like stars in the night sky.

"I've noticed how good you are with computers," Trevon murmured, his face reflected in Selina's sparkling eyes. "Your skills remind me of someone I've worked with before… someone who goes by the name Charm."

Selina's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't realized she'd ever crossed paths with Trevon. But everything on the Dark Web was anonymous; hackers were judged by reputation, and the cardinal rule was never to pry into clients' identities. They completed the job, received confirmation, got paid, and that was it. Break that rule, and deals fell apart; worse, you might find hitmen on your tail. So, Trevon could have worked with Charm without Charm ever knowing it was him.

But Selina never anticipated Trevon dropping Charm's name, much less connecting her to Charm. She tried to play it cool, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about, Trevon." His gaze was intense, piercing, as if he could read her mind. The mere mention of the name sent a shiver down her spine, stealing her breath. She felt she'd said the wrong thing.

"Honey, you must have heard of Charm, the top hacker on the Dark Web," Trevon said with a sly grin, his fingers lightly tracing her now-pink lips. "Your skills are impressive, but your lying needs work."

Selina fell silent, rattled by his assessment. Deep down, she knew no serious hacker was unfamiliar with Charm. By feigning ignorance, she was essentially shouting, "That's me!" The last thing she wanted was to blow her cover, especially to Trevon, or, worse, to let her fellow students learn her secret. The Dark Web was dangerous; she was trying to keep them safe. "Honestly, I don't know anything about the Dark Web or Charm. My hacking skills? I'm self-taught—just lucky, that's all. You'd back me up if things went south, right?" she tried, desperately faking it.

"You're quite the whiz, self-taught or not. I really hit the jackpot with you," he said, then leaned back.

Selina's mind raced, trying to determine if Trevon believed her or still suspected she was Charm. For now, she could only play along. Trevon watched her closely, enjoying her uncertainty. He thought, Is she really this worried I'll uncover her secret? To Trevon, it felt like a thrilling game.

They arrived at the Brady manor, each lost in their own thoughts. The driver opened the door, and just before Selina stepped out, Trevon said, "Shouldn't you take my hand when you exit, honey?"

Selina bit her lip, then linked arms with Trevon. They walked out, laughing and smiling, playing the perfect couple.

Back at the house, Selina pulled Trevon aside, whispering on tiptoe, "Trevon, if you scrapped the deal with the Thompson Group to protect me—and it cost you… I wish you hadn't. Caleb's accident was awful; he'll be in the hospital for ages. He's already…"

"You still don't get it, honey?" Trevon said, glancing at her. His cheek brushed against her hair. "Doing this for you is a no-brainer. You're my wife. If someone messes with you, they're clearly messing with me. You take down the bad guys, and you're happy, right? So shouldn't I be happy to help?"

Selina felt both cherished and protected. She pressed her lips together. "You're kind of intense, you know, with all this possessive guarding thing you've got going on."

"Is that bad, honey?"

"Not at all, it's awesome, thanks, hubby. I'm going to shower; I'm exhausted. See you later." Selina seized the opportunity to escape, trying to shake off her anxiety about Trevon discovering her true identity as Charm.

But Trevon knew. He saw through her flimsy disguise, recognizing Selina as Charm. He watched her leave, blending into the crowd.

Just then, Devin approached. "Mr. Brady, Ms. Nora Brady visited Mrs. Brady earlier. I told her you were both out. After waiting an hour, she left, rather unhappy. She says she's coming back tomorrow."

Trevon, thinking about his half-sister, Nora Brady, chuckled. That little troublemaker… Let her hang out with Selina. We'll all be one big family soon enough.

Back in her room, Selina didn't immediately shower. She accessed the laptop Lydia had provided and logged into the Dark Web. Like a seasoned professional, she checked to ensure her personal information hadn't been compromised. Breathing a sigh of relief, she figured as long as she maintained her vigilance, Trevon couldn't uncover her secret life.

Then, an alert flashed on her screen. A message from the Dark Web's head honcho. Selina clicked it open, finding a new job offer addressed to Charm, promising a substantial sum. For a top-tier hacker like Charm, the payout was incredible. Plus, Charm had a reputation for refusing jobs that harmed her country or its people.