Part 5
Marcus carried Zoe across the thick, cream-colored carpet and laid her down gently on the king-sized bed.
He carefully pulled off her small sneakers, placing them neatly by the nightstand.
Then, he pulled the heavy down comforter up to her chin, tucking the stuffed bear right next to her arm.
Zoe blinked open her eyes for a brief moment, looking around the massive, dimly lit room.
“It’s big,” she murmured.
“It’s yours tonight,” Marcus whispered back, brushing a stray lock of hair away from her forehead. “Go to sleep, sweetie. Daddy is right here.”
“You won’t leave?”
“Never.”
She closed her eyes, her breathing slowing down instantly as she drifted off into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.
Marcus stood by the bedside for a long time, just watching her.
The anger that had been simmering beneath his calm exterior began to boil over.
He walked over to the massive glass window, looking down at the sprawling city below.
He had built this entire empire from nothing.
He had grown up in neighborhoods where people looked at him with the exact same suspicion Derek had shown tonight.
He had promised himself that once he made it, once he had the power, he would build a shield.
He thought technology was that shield.
He thought code was impartial, that data couldn't be prejudiced.
But tonight proved that humans would always find a way to corrupt the systems meant to protect people.
He took his phone out of his pocket again.
The screen reflected in the dark glass of the window.
He opened the master administrative panel, entering a 16-digit encryption key that he had never used outside of the main headquarters.
The screen flashed red, then transitioned into a deep, commanding blue.
He wasn’t going to wait until 8:00 AM.
May you like
He wanted answers now.
He initiated a full digital audit of every employee terminal in the entire region.
