Billionaire Villainess (Unedited)

Theo

The hum of the city seeped into the cracks of the old apartment building, a low, constant murmur of life outside that never quite silenced the city's heartbeat. In a room tucked away on the fourth floor of a building wedged between glassy skyscrapers, Theo sat alone, his dark hair a tousled mess as he leaned into the glow of his multiple screens. His face was pale, the kind of pallor that only comes from spending too many hours indoors, away from the warmth of the sun. Despite the lack of natural light in the room, his sharp features—high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a nose that was just the right balance between rugged and refined—gave him a certain handsomeness that couldn't be hidden, even in his disheveled state. He was in his mid-20s, but the lines of his face spoke of someone who had spent far too much time absorbed in screens, lost in thought, and disconnected from the world outside.

The apartment around him was a far cry from any notion of luxury. It was small, dim, and worn down by years of neglect—much like its occupant. The walls, a washed-out gray, were dotted with scuff marks and creases, reminders of time spent in solitude. A single, cracked window let in the smells of sizzling street food and the occasional waft of car exhaust—small reminders of the world moving on outside.

Theo didn't mind the chaos of the city beyond; it was part of the rhythm he'd grown used to, a background hum to the hours he spent cocooned in his own thoughts. The space, cluttered with stacks of papers, half-empty coffee cups, and takeout boxes, was a map of his mind—a labyrinth of ideas and half-finished projects. But his focus never wavered. Not now, not with the email from Gabriel staring at him from the screen in front of him.

He leaned forward, his fingers brushing over the worn keys of the keyboard, tapping a steady rhythm that matched his growing excitement. Gabriel, always unpredictable, had finally reached out with something that was bound to shake things up. Theo's gaze flicked over the message again—VidVerse. He couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips. Despite the risks, this had the kind of potential he craved—an untamed idea, one with the ability to rewrite the rules of the game.

The challenge of it was almost too tempting to resist. Gabriel had sent more than just an invitation to help; he'd sent a puzzle—a platform that was half-built but needed something. Something that only Theo could provide. The more he thought about it, the more the idea settled into his mind, the gears of his brain turning faster as the possibilities unfurled before him.

VidVerse had hit a wall, that much was clear. But it wasn't the kind of obstacle that Theo couldn't bypass. His fingers danced across the keyboard, mentally piecing together the encryption flaws Gabriel had mentioned, spotting vulnerabilities where others might see dead ends. This was his element—finding cracks in the system and exploiting them to make things work. A seamless, flawless platform. That was what Gabriel needed, and Theo could give it to him.

Theo had spent years refining his craft, honing his skills as a hacker, learning the tricks of the trade until he was virtually invisible. He knew how to exploit every weakness, how to make systems bend to his will. It wasn't just a skill—it was a way of life, a game he played with the world that never quite saw him coming. He had been one of the best, a ghost in the machine, slipping through cracks that no one else noticed, manipulating code with a precision that felt like second nature. While others worked with rules, Theo had always found ways to break them, rewriting them until the system did what he wanted. That was the thrill of it—there was no greater rush than overcoming the impossible.

The stakes were high, and they both knew it. But what was a little risk? After all, Theo had built his entire life on the edge of danger, his skills honed in the shadows, operating far below the radar. He didn't need recognition. He didn't need fame. What he needed was the rush—the challenge. And this? This was the challenge of a lifetime.

A deep breath in, and then his fingers were moving again, faster now, as he started drafting his response to Gabriel. He'd need access to the test environment to fully assess how the platform held up under pressure. But he also needed to make sure the work was invisible—he was a ghost in the system, never to be found, never to be traced. With a project like VidVerse, with its potential to disrupt the digital world, the risks of leaving any trace were too great. No one could connect the dots back to him—not now, not when the platform was so vulnerable.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought. Gabriel had always been reckless, driven by an idealistic need to make something bigger than himself. But that was what made him a perfect partner for someone like Theo—someone who thrived in the shadows, someone who knew how to stay out of sight while pulling all the strings. Together, they could make VidVerse not just another platform, but the platform.

Theo paused for a moment, his fingers hovering over the keys as he finished drafting his response. He had no illusions about what he was getting into. Gabriel better pay him well after this was all done. If he was going to risk it all, the payout had to match. He knew that once he committed to helping Gabriel, there was no turning back. His reputation as a hacker, someone with the ability to manipulate systems at will, would only grow—and so would the eyes watching him. The danger of being caught, of slipping up, had always been a part of the game. But this? This felt like it was on another level.

"Alright," Theo murmured to himself as he clicked through the windows, each one more important than the last. "Let's make this happen."

His fingers hovered over the keys, excitement simmering just below the surface. This was more than just another job. This was the start of something big, and Theo wasn't about to back down. As the city continued its constant, unceasing motion outside his window, Theo grinned, feeling the adrenaline pulse through his veins.

"This is going to be fun," he whispered, almost to himself, as the first lines of code began to appear on his screen.