۞ XXVI ۞

"IS SHE ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING?" FLORENTINA ASKED.

Black Mamba: Classified. I will not take the risk. You could turn against her and use her allergy against her. If she has any, that is.

"We would never kill her!" Nina exclaimed offended.

Black Mamba: Any more questions?

Madalina and Nicolae shared a gaze, "What's your IQ?"

Black Mamba: 243.

That shut them all up. They were too stunned to speak. As a family who always cared too much about their Intelligence Quotient and of anyone else, they were aware that an IQ that high was beyond frightening. It was almost unheard of.

Black Mamba: As you are finally finished with these impersonal questions, we can go back to business.

Black Mamba: Nicolae and Madalina Scarlat, my work is not charity. It is not free. Knowing this, you will have to pay me for it. I will not make it cheaper to you, simply because of your future link to Rufus's daughter.

"We didn't expect anything else!" Nicolae managed to say.

"How much?" His wife asked.

"As you may know, money isn't a problem to us!" Nicolae exclaimed proudly with a condescending grin on.

Black Mamba: 9,958,792,996.50 pounds.

Black Mamba: I am aware. I have your banks data.

Keira clenched her jaw, annoyed by how prepared the hacker was before contacting them. Asshole, they really got everything on us. Dangerous. "Name your price, Black Mamba!" She spoke firmly.

Black Mamba: 35 businesses under your family. Plus the system of each of your seven main properties. 15 people.

Natalia gasped, "15 people? We are 11!"

Black Mamba: Shall I leave the partners of your kids unprotected then? If yes, just be aware that that could end up being harmful to the ones who date them.

Black Mamba: Meera Vaidyar. Roy Kalingasan. Brent Chapman. Nora Mágocsy. It was easy to get their information, not just the ones they already stupidly display online, but the private ones as well.

Black Mamba: It is not like I care about them, either way, so it is totally on you. Nevertheless, this will play a part on how much you will be paying me for my cyber security.

The gasp came from Florentina and Nina, whose boyfriends had just been mentioned by the hacker who invaded their life.

"We have to protect them too!" Florentina exclaimed.

"15 people, we got it!" Natalia said through greet teeth.

"Your price, Black Mamba!" Her son pressed.

Black Mamba: 10 million per business. 13 million per property. 15 million per person.

Black Mamba: 350 + 91 + 225 = 666 million pounds.

Black Mamba: With the 666,666.00 pounds extra fee, we get to a total of 666,666,666.00 pounds to be paid.

They gasped again. "That's too much!" Nicolae yelled.

Black Mamba: Did you not just say money was not a problem to your family? Was it arrogance? I am not even asking for 1 billion, which would be a reasonable. I just find the 666 number amusing, and so that is my usual price.

Keira chuckled bitterly, "Of course. The devil's number!"

Black Mamba: You are mistaken about that, Keira.

Black Mamba: 666 is an angel number. And it means to reflect. It is the number that signals when it is time to wake up to your higher spiritual truth. For you to take a step back and reflect if what you are doing is good or not.

Black Mamba: Is Damian the only one acknowledgeable in angel numbers? What a pity.

"So, by using 666, is that you putting a hand on your bloody conscience and thinking if what you are doing to your clients may not be as good as you believe? That it might be theft?" Keira scoffed.

Black Mamba: Me? That is laughable at best.

Black Mamba: I am a capitalist. A grey hat who chooses their work according to who will be more beneficial for me.

Black Mamba: My price is named, and you should thank God that it is not 10% of your net worth.

Black Mamba: Worry not. When I am done, you will still have 9,292,126,330.50 pounds. And I assure you that when people know that you were chosen by me, you will get 666 million in no time.

Ugh, couldn't they give us a discount for our connection with Rebecca? How annoying. That's too much money! Florentina sucked her cheeks. "Such a devilish person!"

Black Mamba: Thank you, very much, not-so-prude kid.

Her eyes widened, her skin turned bright red right away, "You insane bastard. How dare you?" She glared at the screen.

Black Mamba: Nicolae and Madalina, do we have a deal?

Florentina felt angrier when the hacker ignored her, but as her mother held her forearm softly, she kept her mouth shut. "Yes, Black Mamba. We have a deal!" Her mom exclaimed.

"Where do we send you the money? Do you have any bank account we should use?" Nicolae asked, wanting to finish this quickly and get free of the snake.

Black Mamba: I have recorded our agreement. You cannot say anything against this now. I will extract my payment from your bank account in exactly 6 hours and 6 minutes from now. You will get a warning when I do.

Black Mamba: I will begin working right away.

Black Mamba: I will be done in three months from today. And I will start by your personal protection, since that has the utmost importance.

Black Mamba: Damian, Madalina, Marin, Luca, Theodor, Natalia, Keira, Florentina, Nina, Nicolae, Cornel; Nora, Roy, Brent, Meera. Mayfair mansion, Kensington mansion, Belgravia mansion, the other four properties. Then the 35 businesses on order of grandiosity. This will be the order I will be working on!

Nicolae frowned, "Why am I almost the last of my familie?"

"Yeah, what's with that order?" Nina gasped, annoyed that's she only isn't the last of her siblings because Cornel is the last.

Black Mamba: You are on that position because I do not like you, Nicolae. Damian is only first because he is to be married to Rufus's daughter, otherwise, he would be last. The order of you corresponds to whom I like the most, and I came to that conclusion after all the information I gathered on you.

Black Mamba: I am only telling you this, so you know what to expect. Regardless of my personal thoughts, I will make sure all of you, your houses, and your businesses are protected.

Madalina blushed, "Wait, then did you like me the most?"

"My love!" Nicolae gasped.

"What? They spyed on all of us, every single thing. That's a whole lot of stuff. Enough to form a firm opinion of us. So, I am curious," she rolled her eyes.

Black Mamba: Yes, Madalina. You are the most pleasant. It is not about me liking any of you or not, because I did not. It is simply my honest opinion and according to my criteria, you have a personality and way of acting similar to someone dear to me.

Her eyes widened, "Rebecca? You think she's like me?"

Black Mamba: I do, indeed. But again, that is solely my personal opinion. You will be able to make your own conclusions when Rufus's daughter is married to your son.

Oh? She's like mami? "Can you tell us anything else about her, then?" Nina leaned closer. "Since you blocked us from learning about her. Something that could prepare us to what she'll bring into our familie."

"Yes. Anything you can tell. You are already taking 666 million pounds of out net-worth, it won't hurt to give us something on her. As much as you feel like telling us!" Keira added.