CHAPTER 50: COMING CLEAN

Ethan watched Isabela’s shocked reaction to the news being displayed. She hadn’t even noticed that he had walked in, as her eyes were still fixed on the TV.

He didn’t say anything at first.

Instead, he stood there by the door, silently studying her. He could almost see the war behind her eyes. Guilt, grief, and even a little bit of fear.

Finally, he spoke. "Bad day?"

She jerked, visibly startled, as she spun around to face him.

"E-Ethan," she stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Instead of replying, he turned towards the TV, where the news anchor was still reporting on the fire and the death of the Vigilants, before turning back to her.

"Someone you know?" he asked, feigning ignorance, as if he didn’t already know the answer to that.

"N—" she almost denied instinctively, but she paused, looked directly into his eyes, then answered, "Yes."

Ethan was a bit surprised that she admitted it so easily. He had expected her to deflect or switch the topic—maybe even run into her room—but it seemed he was wrong.

And that was surprising.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked as he slowly approached.

Isabela looked conflicted for a moment, her mind struggling with whether to tell him anything or keep hiding her secret, before she let out a sigh and sat back down on the couch.

Ethan also sat down in a nearby armchair, his elbows resting on his knees, ready to listen.

He wondered how much she would tell—or if she’d say anything at all. Regardless, he was ready to listen.

"You might’ve already suspected, but I’m not here for an internship." After a long silence, Isabela suddenly spoke.

She raised her head to meet Ethan’s face, searching for surprise or anger—but she found none. His face remained calm, almost as if he knew exactly what she was going to say, so she just sighed again.

"The truth is," she hesitated before continuing, "I’m part of the hacker group known as the Vigilants."

Again, she searched his face for a reaction. Still nothing. That surprised her.

His lack of surprise could mean one of two things: either he already knew that she was part of the group, or he had no idea who the Vigilants were—which was impossible, since they’d been all over the news just days earlier.

"You’re not surprised?" she asked.

Ethan sat up straight, looked her dead in the eyes, and responded with a simple, "No."

She nodded at his answer. It was a simple response, just one word—but it told her everything she needed to know.

He already knew.

How? She had no idea. But she continued anyway.

"Tonight, I had a bit of an argument with our team leader," she pointed toward the pictures displayed on the screen. "Tag."

Ethan followed her finger, his eyes resting on Tag’s image. Of course, he already knew what they looked like. Athena had revealed their images to him just after the Sentinel hack.

"I tried to walk away," she whispered. "Told him I was done. That’s why I left the base early. B-but I never expected to see them on the news when I got back."

He was silent for a moment, letting her words settle. She still seemed unsure about what to feel.

On one hand, she had only joined their hacking group for the thrill—for the dopamine rush that came with breaking past digital barriers. But on the other hand, she had spent three years with them.

That was more than enough time for them to grow on her—especially Zero, with all his chaotic energy.

Ethan saw the conflict in her and asked, "You cared about them?"

Isabela didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes drifted back to the news as the anchor wrapped up, the Vigilants’ faces still frozen on the screen.

They were people she had laughed with, argued with, pulled all-nighters with—while hacking into the most secure digital fortresses.

Finally, she gave a small nod. "Yeah. I did."

Her voice was quiet, almost inaudible, but honest.

"I didn’t join because I wanted to fight some big system," she continued. "I wasn’t some rebel or ideologue. I just wanted... something exciting. Something that made me feel alive."

There was another pause before she added, even softer, "And before I knew it, they’d already grown on me."

After her words, she went silent, waiting for Ethan’s response.

Ethan thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t expected her to come completely clean—but she had. And that really was surprising.

He leaned forward slightly and asked in a calm voice, "Why are you telling me this?"

Isabela’s fingers fidgeted in her lap. "I don’t know," she said honestly.

"Maybe because I didn’t want to keep lying... or maybe..." Her eyes locked with his. "Maybe I just needed someone to talk to."

"I see," Ethan nodded, thinking carefully about what to do next.

He could send her back—after all, her so-called internship company had just gone up in flames.

He could even turn her over to the authorities, since there was a hefty bounty on every Vigilant’s head.

Finally, he spoke.

"I should probably report you," he said in a neutral tone, revealing nothing of what he felt.

She flinched, and he saw her body stiffen, like she was ready to run—but then she relaxed again, her eyes falling to the floor.

"I understand," she nodded.

To a degree, she’d understand if he decided to hand her over to the authorities. After all, who would want a criminal living under their roof?

So she wouldn’t blame him.

"I should report you," he repeated, then paused before adding, "but I won’t."

Her head snapped up, her eyes wide. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, leaning back in the chair and folding his arms. "I’m not turning you in."

Of course he wouldn’t. Not only because Maria had left her in his care—but because she was Spectra.

A hacker skilled enough to break into the most secure digital companies of 2025, with no one ever coming close to catching her.

That made her a valuable asset. One he might need in the future.

Isabela stared at him, confused. "Why?"

"Because," Ethan seemed to enjoy taking a short pause, just to make her even more nervous, "I’d like to offer you a job."

The last part was said with an innocent smile on his face, confusing her even more.

Isabela blinked. "A... job?"

Ethan nodded, still smiling. "Yes."

She stared at him, stunned. "Are you serious right now?"

"Completely."

Her jaw dropped slightly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You just found out I’m part of an illegal hacker group, and instead of calling the cops, you’re offering me employment?"

"You’re simplifying things," Ethan said, relaxing into the chair. "I’ve known you were part of the Vigilants ever since you tried hacking into my systems."

Isabela frowned. "Wait, what? I never—" she stopped herself, her brain flipping through all the jobs they’d done since arriving in Atlanta. "What do you mean, we tried to hack into your systems? When?"

"Two days ago," he said. "During Sentinel’s launch."

That was all he gave her, waiting for her to put the pieces together herself.

Isabela’s breath hitched as the realization struck. Her voice came out in a hushed whisper.

"Y-you’re the owner of Sentinel."