Chapter 1

My husband indulged his protégée hacker, Chloe, allowing her to manipulate my life for "practice."

The first time, our smart home system went haywire in the dead of night, blaring alarms and lights, terrifying me into a hospital bed.

The second time, it was a private video looping on screens during a crucial meeting, making me internet infamous.

And this time, she remotely hijacked my smart car, orchestrating a horrific crash on the freeway.

Lying in the ICU, covered in my own blood, I heard Julian, my husband, calmly explain as he "fixed" the system:

"Don't hate Chloe, darling. She's just a bit childish, trying to prove she's as brilliant as me. You know how these bright young talents are."

"She knows that no matter what happens, I'll always save you – it’s just a game that got a little out of hand."

Before he could finish, an encrypted call pulled him away.

But I saw his unsaved logs on the tablet. They clearly showed he’d known about allof Chloe’s attacks. He hadn't just 'condoned' this sick 'game'; he’d encouraged it, pushing her to 'level up' her skills.

What he didn’t know was that his recent "fix" had just activated the ultimate command I’d buried deep within his network. In a week, his digital empire would crumble.