**Chapter 10** As the water cascaded down her skin, Nicole let the warmth of the shower wash away the remnants of a frantic day. Wrapped in a soft towel, she stepped out, shedding the last layers of stress. The serenity was fleeting, for her mind now buzzed with thoughts of her next move, and her trusty computer beckoned her. With a few clicks, she navigated through the familiar Windows interface, but then, unexpectedly, a mysterious window blinked into existence. It was a list of jobs from The Hunters, an underground realm she had danced with before. As she scanned the screen, a message pinged in her private chat: Specter, her enigmatic teammate, had reached out. “Lucifer! You've been offline for ages. What’s your deal?” he typed, his concern palpable. Nicole’s fingers hesitated before typing back. “Just enjoying a few days of normalcy,” she replied, a hint of irony lacing her words. “Normalcy? You’re on the wanted list! Are you seriously living it up while a $10 million bounty is out for your head?” Specter responded, sending a few screenshots that made her heart quicken. There she was, plastered across a notorious bounty board. “What’s the big deal? This happens all the time in our line of work.” She dismissed their worry with a smirk. “Common? Didn’t you see the price? It’s ten million!” Specter’s next emoji depicted a creature crawling towards the edge of the screen, a mix of horror and urgency. Nicole, intrigued, clicked on the details. The bounty was substantial—certainly the highest she had seen this year. Someone she had crossed must now despise her intensely. “This is amusing. Honestly, if I weren’t the target, I’d consider taking this job.” In sharp contrast to her bravado, Specter’s anxiety leaped off the screen. “You should lay low from now on. Don’t draw attention to yourself.” “Worry about your own safety,” she shot back, half-joking. “Everyone knows our alliance.” Confident in her ability to remain hidden, Nicole felt no fear. Years of eluding the prying eyes of The Hunters had made her exceptionally adept at vanishing into thin air. She only hoped Specter had managed to glean the same skills. “Damn it! You’ve just reminded me to stay offline myself! Take care.” With those parting words, Specter went dark. Nicole chuckled, shaking her head at his skittishness. The true target was her, not him. With a sigh, she delved back into her screen, her eyes flitting over the job listings. Finding a particularly tempting offer, she accepted it before shutting down her computer and slipping into sleep. Little did she know, her audacious actions had drawn the attention of a formidable adversary. In a dimly lit room, shadows danced across the walls as a tall man stared at the web page, his expression dark and brooding. Jared, having just settled some personal affairs regarding his fiancée, now faced a more pressing dilemma: Nicole, the hacker known as Lucifer, had resurfaced. “Mr. Johnston, she’s back and has even taken a new job,” Max, Jared’s ever-anxious assistant, reported, his disbelief barely contained. “I’m aware,” Jared’s voice was as cold as steel. Three months prior, Lucifer had outmaneuvered him, causing him to lose millions. Desperate to capture her, he’d placed a bounty on her head. Now, she had resurfaced, accepting new contracts right under his nose, provoking him with her defiance. “What’s the next move?” Max questioned anxiously. “She was online for a while, and we couldn’t pin down her location.” Jared, his gaze narrowing, loosened his bow tie, the tension radiating from him like heat. “If we can’t catch her, we’ll lure her out.” Max perked up. “You have a plan?” “Yes. Whatever job she accepted today, we’ll find the client and take over. That way, we can reel her in.” “Understood,” Max nodded, energized by the direction. As Jared ended the call, his focus sharpened on Lucifer’s avatar, disdain curling his lip. “You cost me a hundred million, and I will hunt you down.” The days cascaded by in rapid succession. Nicole had officially rejoined the Riddle family, the warmth of home wrapping around her. Almost every strand of her life was meticulously woven back together, save for her school. Daniel and Gloria, anxious to gain support for their cause, decided it was time to enlist help from Damien, Daniel’s older brother. They planned to take Nicole along to meet him, and Sean was tasked with picking them up. In the car, Daniel couldn’t suppress the urge to offer a reminder to Gloria. “Whatever happens today, keep your cool. It’s for our child.” “Of course,” she sighed, a martyr’s resolve etched on her face. Sean, ever observant, noted Nicole’s unease and leaned closer. “Our aunts might be abrupt. Just don’t take it to heart.” “Got it,” Nicole replied, her eyes sweeping over Gloria’s anxious demeanor—she had a feeling the aunts wouldn’t hold back. Pondering her next move, she pulled her phone from her pocket, fingers hovering over the screen, fingers ready to send a message. As Sean ignited the engine, Norah waved to them, calling out, “Drive safely, Mom, Dad, Sean!” “I will,” he replied tersely, avoiding eye contact, while even Daniel and Gloria remained silent, locked in their own apprehensions. Watching the car pull away, Norah felt the sting of indignation. Their family trips had once included her. Now, with Nicole’s return, she felt cast aside, just another forgotten piece of the puzzle. “Nicole, we’ll see how a hillbilly like you manages to get into Royal Creek Institute!” She had experienced the fierce disapproval of their aunts before. When she sought entry into the institution, they had thrown every obstacle imaginable in her path. It dawned on her that a country girl like Nicole stood little chance of receiving their support now. As the wheels turned and the distance stretched, Norah’s mind spiraled at the thought of Nicole outshining her all over again. She was eager to witness the conflict unfold.