Chapter 29
Selina's mentor always told her frankly: in this world, she had to establish her own rules. She shouldn't shy away from challenges or burdens, but she should never compromise her values or disregard her conscience. With her exceptional skills, Selina could have easily gone rogue—a path to self-destruction, leaving her as good as dead. She took these words to heart, living by them from day one on the Dark Web. Most of Charm's jobs involved stealing corporate secrets or combating other hackers. Her reputation drew clients; otherwise, with such strict rules, she would never secure any gigs. The Dark Web crowd, the people posting jobs, were not naive.
Many sought to uncover Charm's true identity, hoping to exploit her. Her reputation alone intimidated powerful figures. This job, however, was about retrieving a secret file Frehur had stolen from Clusia. Deadline: 24 hours. They needed Selina, and they needed her fast.
This surprised Selina—she raised an eyebrow. She had been Charm for two years, and jobs like this were rare. Bigwigs usually didn't believe Dark Web hackers were effective. But their desperate plea suggested the file was highly sensitive. Selina considered it for a moment, then sent back a message: [OK].
The administrator connected her with the client anonymously. They finalized the details, verified her identity, and confirmed the payment. Then Selina went to work, laboring through the night.
As dawn broke, Selina stretched and sent the stolen secrets to the buyer. A quick cleanup of her digital tracks, and she vanished. Buyers rarely witnessed such speed. It took them ten minutes to reply: [Thank you].
Charm: [Money talks. I fix messes, no fuss.]
The buyer: [Hope to team up again soon.]
After depositing the money, Selina immediately donated it to a mountain charity—a cause close to her heart. Then she headed for a much-needed shower.
Whenever Selina earned money from her cyber gigs, especially those related to Clusia, she ensured the funds aided her homeland. This was one of the self-imposed rules of her Dark Web career. She couldn't refuse the money without blowing her cover, but by channeling it back home, she felt she was doing her part.
But what Selina didn't know was that her cash flow was attracting unwanted attention.
"Right on the mark, Captain Brady. Every time Charm takes a major job for Clusia, the money ends up with this group in Clusia that helps the mountain people," an intelligence agent reported after investigating. "This charity is squeaky clean. They don't handle dirty money, and they barely take enough to cover expenses. It's practically a beacon of hope." He concluded his report, addressing the seasoned gentleman behind him. "Captain Brady, you're probably right—Charm is likely from Clusia. But with all her money coming from abroad and her skill at covering her tracks, uncovering Charm's identity won't be easy."
"That's sufficient. Just knowing Charm has Clusian roots and cares deeply for her country is plenty," Samuel Brady reflected, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. From the moment Charm appeared on the Dark Web, rising through the ranks rapidly, she had piqued everyone's curiosity. They were captivated not only by her incredible skills but also by her unwavering principles—she avoided harming her country or its people, a rarity that commanded respect. Without her exceptional abilities, Charm wouldn't have survived a minute in the web's ruthless environment.
Samuel had been investigating Charm's true identity for a long time, even feeling disheartened when she disappeared. But now she was back, and Samuel's intuition told him she was Clusian. Bringing her in and getting her to work for Clusia would be a significant victory. But he knew approaching her required caution and subtlety.
Just then, Samuel's phone buzzed. He pinched his nose, sighed, and saw his daughter's name. He answered. "Nora, what's up? Why are you calling so early?"
"Dad, you're out of the loop. Trevon got married! How come you, his father, know nothing about his own wedding? And you're still buried in work!" Nora's voice was playfully teasing.
"Trevon married?!" Samuel was taken aback. Trevon typically avoided romance, so the idea of someone capturing his heart was surprising. Samuel suspected Nora was joking.
"Okay, okay. Since you're oblivious to Trevon's love life, I'll take charge. I'm crashing the Brady manor today to meet this new sister-in-law who's won Trevon over! Catch you later,"
The call ended, and Samuel let out a heavy sigh. Trevon has a wife, and I didn't even know… Guess I've been neglecting my family too much.
His staff spoke up. "Captain Brady, you should take a break and go home. You've been cooped up in this institute for weeks—don't forget your family. How about going home for a meal and catching up?"
He nodded. "I'll leave things to you then." With the Charm puzzle seemingly solved, Samuel decided it was time to spend time with his family.
Meanwhile, after breakfast, Selina was working out at the gym.
Soon enough, Devin arrived, saying, "Mrs. Brady, Ms. Nora Brady is here to see you." He added, "Just so you know, Nora is Mr. Brady's kind-hearted half-sister, not like the snooty Hudson family."
"Got it." Selina prepared to meet Trevon's relative. She wiped off her gym sweat, changed into comfortable clothes, and went to the living room.
There was Nora, dressed in a frilly outfit, with two ponytails, a headband, white socks, cute red flats, and swinging an adorable bunny purse. She bounced around, and upon seeing Selina, skipped over, eyes sparkling. "Selina, I'm so excited to finally meet you!"