Chapter 128 The Hacker Behind the Crown
+8 Pearls
The truth was, last night Tilda had suddenly gotten a craving for something ridiculously dark and decadent. She casually mentioned it while chatting with Jude, and without a second thought, he had it delivered right to her. Tilda had also asked if he’d been busy lately, and whether personally stepping in to deal with the Jensons would cause him any trouble. Jude reassured her it was no big deal. He even mentioned he’d have to take care of something the next day. Then he stayed with her for two whole hours before heading out. What he didn’t say was that he’d be flying to Lucien for a business trip.
Jude had never hidden the fact that he was interested in forming a contract with her, but he’d always been a gentleman about it, never once pushed or forced her into anything.
Maurice’s eyes glinted with amusement. “If Jude knew how much you were thinking about him, Ms. Tilda… I’m sure it’d make his day.”
“Mr. Rowse, don’t get the wrong idea. Mr. Bell and I are just friends,” Tilda replied calmly.
Sure, she could admit their relationship had progressed rapidly lately, but they were nowhere near that level yet.
“Mmm, I get it. Now you’re friends. But who knows about the future? Fate’s like that, right?”
Clearly, Maurice had zero intention of playing neutral. He was shamelessly helping Jude out – wingman duties, fully activated.
You’re welcome, Jude. This is my final assist as your loyal bro, he thought.
Tilda didn’t say anything.
Then Andy finally stepped in. “Alright, Mr. Rowse. If you’re here for a drink, that’s cool – welcome, even. But maybe don’t get too involved in our Tilda’s love life, yeah? Our girl here? She’s way better off staying gorgeous and single. Romance just isn’t necessary for her vibe. Okay?”
If Andy hadn’t figured out that Maurice meant no harm, and hadn’t genuinely loved the vibe of Nightingale Bar, he would’ve kicked him out already. Andy would’ve been seriously annoyed if they lost this place and couldn’t even throw their own farewell party here. This was a farewell party for their closest friend. No room for side characters.
“Okay, I’ll stop talking. Mr. Saville, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s an honor to finally meet. This drink’s on me.”
Just then, music started pulsing from the dance floor. Una, clearly overwhelmed by Maurice’s presence, leaned over and suggested they go dance. Tilda was also down to join, but just as she was about to head over, a unique notification sound chimed from Tilda’s phone.
It was a dark web alert.
There was only one possible sender…
Her apprentice–DJ.
Andy noticed too, and subtly shot Tilda a look. Then Andy turned to Una with a grin. “Actually, Una, I’ve been wanting to dance too. Let’s go?”
“Yesss!” Una cheered.
Tilda stayed calm. “I need to take a call real quick.”
With that, she got up and walked off, leaving Maurice behind with his drink.
Maurice sat there alone, stunned.
He coughed, awkwardly.
Wait… did I just get ditched?
Every time he showed up somewhere, he was used to being the center of attention. Being ignored this hard? This had to be a first.
And yeah… it stung a little.
Tilda stepped into the restroom and pulled out her phone. Just as she expected, it was a dark web message.
DJ had finally reached out. “Master, sorry I’ve been MIA. A lot’s happened recently. It’s finally handled, so I can contact you again.”
Tilda, using her handle Queen, replied smoothly, “Whatever kept my heartless little apprentice from messaging me this long… must’ve been serious.”
DJ replied, “No, Master, I’ve missed you a lot. You’re the most important person in the world to me. You’ve done more for me than anyone ever has. I just… My family was going through something.”
Queen reassured gently, “Relax, I was just teasing you. But if you’re reaching out now, I doubt it’s just to catch up. What’s going on?”
On the other side of the screen, Dominic lowered his eyes, trying to hide the flicker of sadness in them.
It had all started the moment he heard about the legendary Queen. That fascination had pulled him into the dark web, and he dove headfirst into the hacker underground. When he actually became her apprentice, he was so ecstatic it was borderline obsession. Even though he had never met her in person, the admiration he felt was more than just respect. It was the kind of intense devotion only a diehard fan feels for their idol.
Yes. That’s right.
No one would ever have guessed that Dominic – CEO of the Jenson Group, firstborn of the ultra-elite Jensons – was secretly a hacker. And more than that… Queen’s apprentice. The person he admired most in the world was her.
Dominic had never told anyone. Not a soul. Not even his own family.
To the outside world, and to the Jensons themselves, Dominic was the model son. He’d inherited Russell and Blair’s best genes. Graduated early with a master’s degree from a top international university, returned to Cetherland with honors, and from the moment he stepped into Jenson Group, he was named CEO. Through raw skill and cold precision, he quickly won the respect of the entire company. Anyone who doubted him or tried to stir up trouble was swiftly removed, even the old guard. His ruthless efficiency had surpassed Russell himself. Which was exactly why Russell had felt confident enough to hand the reins of the company over early and retire with Blair to enjoy their golden years in peace.