CHAPTER 287: CHAPTER 287

At that moment, hearing what Cora just said, Oliver chuckled and slowly raised one hand into the air with a slight grin tugging at his lips.

"That’s not showing off," he said playfully. "There’s no show-off here, Cora. That’s just me stating the truth and you know it. You’ve always known I think fast."

Again Cora narrowed her eyes at him with a mock glare, but she couldn’t help the laughter bubbling up inside her. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she shook her head with a breathy laugh.

"You’re too proud," she said, smiling.

"Not proud. Just honest," Oliver replied, tapping his chest with exaggerated pride.

The playful back-and-forth sparked something warm in Cora. She felt the lightness in her chest, the kind that made her want to move without thinking. So she did. She stepped forward with a gleam of mischief in her eyes and started to close the space between them. Her intention was simple just to give Oliver a small push, something playful to match the moment. She wasn’t planning anything grand, just riding on the wave of joy and energy.

But just as she lifted her foot and leaned in, something caught her toes. It was quick too quick for her to see what it was. Maybe a piece of her rug had bunched up, maybe it was the edge of her slipper. Either way, the sudden tug knocked her off balance.

"Ahh—!" Cora gasped, her arms flailing instinctively.

Oliver’s smile dropped in an instant as he saw her stumble. Reflexively, without thinking, he lunged forward, trying to catch her.

"Cora!"

But they both moved too fast her momentum too strong and his reaction too sudden. Instead of catching her, Oliver lost his balance as well. Within seconds, the two of them crashed to the floor, landing with a dull thud.

Cora landed right on top of him, her hands braced against his chest, her legs tangled with his. The surprise on both their faces was unmistakable wide eyes, mouths parted. But before either of them could say a word...their lips touched, and they kissed.

It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t even supposed to happen. But the way they fell, the timing, the closeness it all aligned in that one electric second. The room fell silent. Her heartbeat raced so fast she could hear it in her ears. Oliver didn’t move. Neither did she.

For just that moment, the world slowed.

At that moment, Cora froze in place, her heart skipping a beat as she realized what had just happened. Her lips still tingled, not just from the accidental kiss, but from the chaos of emotion rushing through her chest. She quickly scrambled to her feet, brushing her dress awkwardly as if that would erase the moment that just occurred between her and Oliver.

Her eyes darted around the room like a guilty child caught sneaking candy, and when she finally managed to speak, her voice cracked with anxiety.

"I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean... I mean, that wasn’t... I didn’t plan that. I swear, it just—" she stumbled through her words, waving her hands as if trying to clear the air between them. "I’m just going to... I think I should... I’ll go take my bath now."

Oliver, still sitting on the floor where he had landed, let out a soft laugh, not mocking but calm understanding. He raised one hand gently, his expression reassuring. "Cora, relax. It’s okay. I know it was an accident. You don’t need to explain so much."

But that only made Cora even more flustered. She nodded rapidly, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something else but couldn’t find the right words. Instead, she turned around and hurried toward the bathroom, her steps unsteady with embarrassment.

Before she disappeared into the bathroom, Oliver stood up and dusted himself off. "I’ll wait for you downstairs," he said with a light smile. "Take your time. When you’re done, let’s go together."

However Cora paused at the bathroom door, not looking back. She gave a tiny nod. "Okay... thank you."

The door closed behind her, and the silence in the room grew heavier.

Alone now, Cora leaned against the bathroom sink, her palms pressed firmly on the cold ceramic as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed, her cheeks clearly tinged with red. She frowned and whispered, "Why is my heart beating so fast?"

She shook her head as if trying to shake off the feeling, but the thoughts kept rushing in. "What is wrong with me? Why are you acting like this, Cora? Why won’t you just behave?"

Her fingers gripped the edge of the sink tightly. She tried to laugh it off, but it sounded hollow. "He’s your friend... nothing more," she said out loud, as if saying it would make it true. "Just your friend."

She leaned closer to the mirror, narrowing her eyes at her reflection. "Behave yourself. You’ve got this, Cora. You’ve always had this. Don’t let your feelings get in the way. Don’t let a small thing like this confuse you. It’s not real. It was nothing."

Still staring at herself, she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.

"Just breathe. Act normal. Be professional."

**

Lovi sat motionless in the middle of his dimly lit workspace, his fingers loosely tangled together, elbows resting on the edge of the large desk scattered with high-tech gadgets, multiple screens flashing streams of encrypted codes, signal tracers, and system alerts. His gaze, however, wasn’t on any of them. It was distant fixed somewhere between frustration and fear.

He had been trying for days non-stop to trace this shadow called Mr. B, but each time he thought he was getting closer, the trail would vanish like smoke. It made no sense. Not to someone like Lovi, who had been in this game longer than most. He wasn’t just another hacker he was the Lovi, the same one who once locked down the financial systems of three multinationals simultaneously just to prove a point.

But now? now, he felt like he was being played... and worse, by someone whose identity remained completely invisible.

He rubbed his jaw, pacing slowly now. "What the hell is going on?" he muttered under his breath. There was no way an average technician could do this. No way an ordinary coder could cover his or her tracks this well.

The only person the only one who could possibly toy with Lovi like this, who had the skill, the silence, and the cruelty... was The Ghost.

That name made his heart skip just a little.