Grayson kept staring at the screen, completely lost. He pulled out his tablet, frantically trying to take notes on the fragmented code he had managed to memorize. He was supposed to learn this system. He had to teach Mark and Amanda how to operate this machine before they presented it to Dr. Sage Walters. If he couldn't even understand the login sequence, he was going to look like a complete idiot, and Epstein was going to destroy him.The heavy, suffocating silence returned to the room, broken only by the soft, rhythmic hum of the laptop's cooling fan spinning at maximum capacity.Nathan watched Grayson panic for a few minutes. He let the anxiety marinate.Then, he decided to drop the bomb."So," Nathan said, breaking the silence. His voice was incredibly calm, almost conversational. "Let's talk about you."Grayson didn't look up from his tablet. "I'm not here to make friends, kid.""Oh, don't worry," Nathan smiled, leaning his head back against the metal chair. "I don't need you to

The tension in the crowd loosened and tightened at the same time. Everyone in the audience quickly dipped their hands into their pockets to fetch their phones. This moment needed to be frozen in time –with their phones– pictures they would all brag about in the coming years. The legendary Dr. Sage Walters was in the building. Mark watched the entourage, trying to estimate the man’s true net worth rather than the fabrications he'd read in Forbes. The figures crossing his mind were staggering. He still remembered how casually the legend had bid four billion dollars during the demo day; as if he were pulling spare change from his pocket. Even Mark's own father had never possessed a billion dollars of his own.Amanda’s eyes were also on Dr. Sage as he passed by, sizing him up. He had the body of a giant. His broad shoulders were barely contained in the suit covering his muscles. However, as he got closer, she got a chance to glance right into his eyes. His eyes; they looked.. familiar.

“What the FUCK do you mean you're done for?” Epstein’s hand snaked out, grabbing Grayson’s collar and jerking him forward. “Fix this right now or I swear to God, I will sever your fucking head off myself! You were paid to master this machine!”“I was paid to milk a genius,” Grayson spat back, his voice trembling. “But you can't milk a mind like Nathan’s. He didn't just build a computer; he built a fortress. And we’re on the outside. I tried to explain to Mark. This was not a part of the plan!”Suddenly, the hall went cold. It wasn't the air conditioning. It was the sound of a chair sliding back.Dr. Sage Walters stood up slowly. The murmurs died instantly. The silence that followed was heavier than the noise that preceded it. He looked up at the stage, where Mark was standing like a statue, sweat pouring down his face, and Amanda was trembling so hard her reflective gown seemed to shiver.“Technical difficulties are a fascinating thing,” Dr. Sage said. His voice was calm; terrifyingly

Dwyane carved a slight smile at the corner of his lips, winking his eye quickly at Nathan, too quick for anyone to notice. And Dr. Sage, he just maintained his gaze like before. But this time, he appeared more relaxed. Everyone who was watching him could notice the difference. His shoulders were more slumped back and his head was now resting on the head rest. And from the far end, Grayson just slightly shook his head, a nod of approval. Their plan had worked out perfectly. Mark noticed the subtle exchange between both men and it made sense now to him. “You.. you did this!” Mark whispered. “You planned this with him. You let him go!”“This is a game, Mark. And I just wanted to be on the winning side. Besides, don’t act like I didn’t warn you. And don’t act like your father wasn’t going to behead me after this was all over.” Nathan, finally grabbing everyone’s attention continued, “I am sure you are all wondering what’s up. A random guy walks into a highly classified meeting to pract

"Who invented the Quantum Machine?"Dr. Sage Walters’ voice cut through the convocation hall like a frozen blade. The silence that followed was so absolute, you could hear the sound of the air conditioning units in the ceiling.Principal Jeffery Epstein was visibly shaking. The sweat on his forehead caught the bright stage lights, making him look like a cornered animal. He looked at the tech scouts, the federal agents, the investors, and finally at his son, Mark, who was currently staring at the floor in pure terror.There was no way out. The truth was standing right there, bathed in the blue glow of the unlocked machine."Dr. Sage..." Epstein stammered, wiping his brow with a trembling hand. "I... I must confess. It is true. Nathan Walters is the primary architect of the core system. He is a brilliant boy. A prodigy."A loud murmur rippled through the audience. The admission was out. The "Chicken Boy" was the genius all along.But Epstein was a scavenger. He never went down without t