Tension

Gilbert's phone buzzed in his pocket, the sharp vibration interrupting the silence of the library. He ignored it at first, trying to focus on the notes he had laid out for Kamsi's tutoring session, but the buzzing continued. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and glanced at the screen.

Dad.

His heart sank. His father rarely called him unless it was something important—important.

He hesitated for a second, then answered. "Hey, Dad. What's going on?"

"Gilbert, we have an emergency," his father's voice was urgent, and Gilbert could hear the chaos in the background. "The system's been compromised. We've been hacked."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. "What? How bad?"

"Bad. I need you home immediately—we're running out of time. The longer this goes on, the more damage we take."

Gilbert's mind raced. His dad had always entrusted him with responsibilities when it came to the family's tech company, and this was no exception. There wasn't time to hesitate. "I'm on my way."

He ended the call, feeling a rush of adrenaline and anxiety. But then his gaze landed on Kamsi, sitting a few feet away, scribbling in her notebook, unaware of the brewing storm. His tutoring commitment. He couldn't just leave her hanging, not after he'd promised to help.

His eyes darted across the room and landed on Damon, who was lounging at a table nearby, casually scrolling through his phone. Gilbert hurried over, leaning down to get his attention. "Damon, can you cover for me? It's an emergency—my family's company just got hacked, and I need to head out now."

Damon blinked up at him, then shook his head, holding up his phone. "Sorry, man. I've got a group project due tomorrow, and if I don't handle it, Zendaya's going to murder me." He shrugged apologetically.

Gilbert clenched his jaw in frustration, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at Kamsi again. He was out of options—except for one.

He turned to Xavier, who was sitting at a far corner of the library, his feet casually propped up on a chair, appearing indifferent to everything around him. Xavier was the last person Gilbert wanted to ask for a favor, especially one like this, but there wasn't time to think about it.

"Xavier," Gilbert called out as he approached.

Xavier didn't look up from the book he was lazily flipping through, his posture completely relaxed as though the world could be burning down around him, and he'd barely notice.

"I need a favor," Gilbert started hesitantly, his voice tight. "It's an emergency—my family's company was hacked, and I need to go. Can you… cover for me? Just this once?"

Xavier's sharp gaze finally flickered to Gilbert, narrowing as if he couldn't believe the request. He raised a brow, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "You want me to play tutor for her?" His tone was laced with mockery.

"Please, man. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Gilbert shifted nervously. "Just help her with the basics until I get back."

Xavier leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as his eyes flickered from Gilbert to Kamsi, who was still oblivious to the conversation happening across the room. Then, without warning, he sent Gilbert a cold glare, his smirk vanishing. "You owe me for this."

Gilbert, not waiting for any more resistance, took that as an agreement. "Thanks, bro," he said quickly, grabbing his bag and rushing out of the library before Xavier could change his mind. He didn't dare look back

Meanwhile he atmosphere inside Bruce tech was on the verge of collapse. Alerts screamed from every screen, and the tension was thick enough to choke on. The IT team was in a frenzy, fingers flying over keyboards as they tried to regain control of the company's systems. But every new attempt to stop the breach ended in failure, as the anonymous hacker slithered through their defenses like a ghost.

"Dammit, how are they getting past everything?" one technician cursed under his breath, sweat trickling down his temple.

Mr. Bruce, the CEO, stood at the center of the room, arms crossed and jaw clenched. His face was tight with frustration as he watched the team struggle. "Fix it," he growled. "Whatever it takes."

Just then, the doors to the control room burst open. Gilbert Bruce stepped in, his gaze laser-focused, scanning the chaos. His entrance drew several glances, but he didn't spare anyone a word. He walked straight toward the nearest unoccupied workstation.

"Hand me a computer," he demanded, voice clipped and urgent.

One of the junior technicians blinked, unsure whether to comply or question him, but the intensity in Gilbert's eyes left no room for debate. The technician quickly vacated his seat, and Gilbert slid into place, his fingers already moving before the computer had fully booted up.

The room was still in full panic mode, but Gilbert's focus never wavered. His fingers moved with practiced precision, running command after command, bypassing security layers like he was born to do it. The hacking was advanced—far beyond what the company's protocols had been prepared for—but Gilbert was faster, more precise. He wasn't just patching holes; he was tracing the intruder's every move.

A bead of sweat slid down his forehead as he worked. The screen in front of him flashed error codes, corrupted files, data hemorrhaging by the second. But Gilbert stayed calm, his brain processing the problem at lightning speed.

Suddenly, a pattern began to emerge—the hacker was trying to isolate key data servers, likely to steal valuable IPs and customer information. The threat was worse than he'd imagined. Gilbert's jaw tightened. Not on my watch.

"Gotcha," he muttered under his breath, spotting the breach point the hacker was using. In a swift motion, he initiated a series of countermeasures, setting up traps within the system, one after another, blocking off every digital exit like a closing net.

The seconds stretched into minutes, but finally, the breach alarms began to quiet. Gilbert's fingers stilled as the last firewall snapped into place, sealing off the hacker's access. He sat back, exhaling sharply. It was done.

Silence fell over the room as the realization set in—the hacking had stopped. They were safe, for now.

"Who the hell is that guy?" whispered one of the interns tec staring at Gilbert in awe as the young man calmly pushed away from the desk.

But Gilbert wasn't finished. His eyes flickered with intrigue as he spotted a familiar trace in the hacker's coding. It was subtle, almost too subtle for most to catch, but Gilbert wasn't most people. There was something familiar about the breach—the tactics, the encryption style. It wasn't just any hacker.

His breath hitched. This was the same hacker who had been attacking other tech companies in the region for months now. The pattern matched.

Gilbert frowned, the pieces clicking into place. The attack wasn't random. It was a calculated move—part of something bigger.

But for now, that information would stay with him. He wasn't ready to share it just yet.Gilbert looked up to meet his father's eyes, and a wave of warmth washed over him. His father, usually so focused on the numbers and deadlines, now wore an expression of genuine pride.

"You saved us from a major disaster today," Mr. Bruce continued, his voice steady but softer than usual. "I knew you had it in you. You handled that like a pro."

Gilbert nodded, a smile breaking through the adrenaline-fueled haze. "Thanks, Dad," he said, feeling a swell of gratitude. It felt good to know his efforts hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Let's celebrate later," his father added, clapping him on the back. "You've earned it."

Gilbert's heart swelled at the thought of a small celebration with his family. But as the moment faded, his mind shifted back to the lingering mystery. He had found something in the hacker's code—a glimmer of information that pointed to a larger scheme at play.

"Right. I will," he muttered, trying to sound casual, but the determination in his voice was unmistakable.

As he stepped out of the room, the proud words of his father echoed in his mind, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was still more to uncover. The hacker had made a mistake, and Gilbert wasn't going to rest until he found out who was behind the attacks.

Back in the library Kamsi glanced up when she heard Gilbert's footsteps hurrying away. She blinked in confusion, realizing her tutor was nowhere to be found. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Xavier, who had now shifted his attention in her direction. His expression was unreadable, but the dark amusement in his eyes told her this wasn't going to be a normal tutoring session.