Page 64 of It's Not All Fake

"Eugene believes he can restore your files without paying the ransom?—"

“The what?” Chloe’s face is pale.

"They're asking for payment in exchange for your files," I clarify.

“Oh my God,” she repeats, rubbing her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut as if it’s a bad dream she needs to wake up from.

“Chloe, we can probably retrieve the files, but they already have a copy. That triggers government breach laws.” I look to Ted for his input.

“Yes, I can start making notifications,” Ted replies calmly. His composure is a stark contrast to Chloe, who lets out a sob, covering her face. The “waterworks” Eugene foresaw and wanted to avoid.

I move closer to her and wrap my arms around her. She rests her forehead against my chest and gives in, her body shaking with sobs. Her hair smells faintly like oranges and the cheerful, citrus smell reminds me how hopeful Chloe was this morning. And now her carefully built world seems to be crumbling around her.

I know what she must be thinking—her career is ruined, and she betrayed the trust of her clients. She only wanted to help them, but now some asshole is privy to all their intimate secrets. She’s blaming herself even though she’s not the bad guy here.

“It’s going to be okay, I promise,” I whisper in her ear. “I’ll fix this,” I assure her, determined to make her pain go away.

She pulls away from me, shaking her head. “This isn’t your problem.”

Her words sting a little because I feel invested in her, in us, at this point.

Her cheeks glisten with tears and she takes a deep breath, trying to regain control. I can see her mind racing.

“I should have given him what he wanted,” she finally says, more to herself than anyone.

I immediately know she’s talking about her ex, and my jaw tightens. I loathe the idea that Chloe should have given him what he wanted. “We don’t know that it’s Lucas,” I remind her.

“It has to be him. He wants money. I need to talk to him.”

“No, if it is him, he’s committing a cybercrime and you shouldn’t negotiate with him,” I say firmly.

“Liam’s right,” Ted adds. “At this point, we need to deal with the breach. We’ll notify your clients.”

“Oh, God.” Chloe chokes at the thought. “This can’t be happening.” Her face has lost all color, the usual rosiness in her cheeks evaporated.

“I’m sorry to say,” Ted interjects. “These types of attacks are unfortunately common. Most businesses?—”

“But I’m not a Walmart,” she interrupts, frustrated. “I’m a one-person business. This feels very personal.” Her eyelids are puffy from crying, but I see a fire smoldering in her emerald eyes now.

“Even if it is personal,” Ted responds calmly and deliberately, probably irritating Chloe even more. “I’m afraid we might not be able to prove it. Most hackers are skilled at hiding their identity, and only a small percentage are brought to justice.”

I understand that Ted is trying to temper her expectations, but damn. Flooding her with the full reality of this shitstorm all at once doesn’t seem necessary, or humane.

Before I can intervene, Chloe turns to me with a determined expression. “What did the ransom demand say?”

I freeze, considering if there is any way to avoid answering this question. It won’t help her to know the answer; it will only cause her more worry.

Chloe sees my hesitation and gives me a stern look. “Liam, just tell me,” she demands.

I let out a heavy sigh. “They want ten million in bitcoin within forty-eight hours, or they’ll release your data onto the internet.”

I watch as shock takes over Chloe’s features. She’s staring at me like I just shattered her entire world.

The sun assaults my eyes as I exit the office building, squinting to see which way Chloe went.

“Chloe, wait,” I call out as I hurry after her across the parking lot. She’s making a beeline to her car, the same old run-down one from before she became a millionaire. It feels like déjà vu all over again.

Chloe doesn’t acknowledge me and gets in her car quickly. I hear the engine turn over, but before she can drive away, I fling open the passenger side door and get in.

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