Page 138 of Matteo

We talk about the old days and the first time we met face to face. It was his suggestion. Not because he wanted anything from me, but because he thought I was wasting my talent. He said there were legitimate ways to earn money identifying security flaws and helping companies fix them. He thought I'd be good at it.

At first, I thought it was a terrible idea.

But after months of talking, I'd started to trust him.

It was the same day I met a few of the others.

He told me later that he'd vetted me beforehand. In fact, he vetted everyone before letting them anywhere near his circle. Vlad trusted almost nobody. He was cautious by nature, deeply suspicious of authority, and convinced that the real predators weren't ordinary people, but the oligarchs, politicians, and corporations who operated beyond accountability.

That belief shaped everything he did.

When we took on ethical hacking jobs, we weren't interested in targeting civilians or causing chaos for the sake of it. The goal was always to expose vulnerabilities, reveal corruption, and avoid collateral damage wherever possible.

At least, that was the idea.

Vlad rarely talked about his past, but from the scraps I picked up over the years, he'd built himself from nothing. He never talked about family, and he didn’t have connections. No wealthy benefactors. No lucky breaks. Just intelligence, determination, and an almost obsessive need to stay three steps ahead of everyone else.

I'll never forget how outraged he was when I told him about my life. The three jobs I was juggling just to keep the lights on. The nights I'd gone to bed hungry because rent came first. The times I'd donated blood plasma for extra cash when I was desperate.

He was fiercely protective, of us, of the work, of the systems and networks he'd spent years building.

He had a brilliant mind. He saw patterns nobody else saw and could solve problems before most people even realized there was one.

I've learned to do that now, because of him.

But now, something makes me uneasy, because the man sitting across from me feels a world away from the Vlad I once knew.

Vlad helped me, and saved me, and I’ll never forget it. That's why Matteo's opinions about him don't sit well with me. But sometimes I feel like I owe him my life, and I don’t like that feeling. It’s complicated. There’s a sense of gratitude and loyalty, but it’s laced with discomfort and guilt because I feel indebted to him.

He doesn’t let me question him, and the boundaries are up between us. He can question who I am and find out who I’m flying with, but when I ask him any questions, I get nothing in return.

“How did you meet this man?” he asks.

I balk internally, because I don't want to discuss our relationship, or my work, which doesn't leave room for anything else. I doubt Vlad would be interested in knowing about Arthur and Irene.

“Through work.”

“Through work.”

“I’m doing a security audit at the company. It’s good for my profile. I need this role.”

“No doubt you’ve impressed him.”

I sense that he doesn’t like that I’m with Matteo. “I like to think that he saw more than just my ability to read code.”

“Obviously, mala. Obviously.” He sits back, his eyes burning into mine. “You know, the Knights are exactly the type of people we would go after, and now you're dating one of them.”

One of them.

I don’t know how I feel about that, being on the other side. Not that I’m on the other side, but I’m involved with Matteo. I care about him, and I care what happens to him.

I’m starting to discover that the world isn’t so black and white, and there are many shades of gray. And now that I think about it, there’s not much difference between Vlad and Matteo. They are different sides of the same coin.

Matteo has power, privilege and control through wealth. Vlad has power, privilege and control through his skillset.

That’s because Vladimir Vuković is the kind of man who doesn’t need power handed to him. He knows exactly how to take it. It’s clear to see that he’s doing exceptionally well, and I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Things have changed, Vlad. I couldn’t leave the States and start over. I’m sorry that you had to, and I can see that you’re doing very well, but for me, I’m a former grey-hat trying to go legit. My company has gotten off to a slow start. A contract with Knight Enterprises is a big deal. Huge. I’d be stupid not to take it.”