Every Mafia's Favorite Girl novel Chapter 95

Chapter 95: "You’ll Find Out Soon Enough"

It was nearly 6:00 PM when the sleek blue Accardi sedan glided into the heart of the Ombra district.

As Aren gazed out the window, a forest of sprawling glass towers rose before her, their mirrored facades catching the last gold of the setting sun.

’So this is the territory of the infamous House Ombra.’

Compared to the rest of Borgata, the place felt almost futuristic.

By daylight, House Ombra presented itself as an empire of software firms and multinational technology corporations.

Behind those polished corporate façades, however, lay heavily advanced data centers where cybercrime flourished on an industrial scale.

Harvesting classified government intelligence.

Launching sophisticated cyberattacks.

Blackmailing politicians, corporations, and rival Houses alike.

Those hidden operations were what had elevated House Ombra into the most influential of Borgata’s Ten Houses — and, perhaps, the very reason House Accardi wanted it erased.

Beside her, Isidore had barely spoken throughout the drive. His attention never strayed from the tablet in his hands as he worked through an endless stream of reports.

Turning toward him, Aren finally broke the silence.

"Master Accardi, have we arrived? It’s nearly six o’clock."

Without lifting his gaze from the screen, Isidore replied in his usual clipped tone.

"See that gray, four-story building on your right?"

Aren followed his line of sight through the window until she found it nestled among the surrounding towers.

"Yes," she replied. "I see it."

"That building is one of Ombra’s primary technology facilities. Conveniently, it also houses one of their key server rooms."

He slid open a concealed compartment beside his seat and placed a white clutch into her hands.

Nestled inside was a compact black device no larger than her palm. A single network cable protruded neatly from one side.

Aren turned it over with quiet curiosity.

"What is this?"

"A hardware tap. You’re going to infiltrate the server room and connect it directly to the primary server. Once attached, it’ll begin transmitting their internal data wirelessly to my terminal."

"I see."

She slipped the device carefully into the clutch before looking back at him.

"Do I have authorized credentials to access the server room? Or something similar?"

"Not yet."

Reaching into the compartment once more, Isidore retrieved a second device and placed it on her lap.

"Put this in your bag as well."

Aren picked it up, recognizing it immediately.

"A scanner?" she asked.

"You’ll need to duplicate a high-level Ombra employee’s security keycard. Keep it inside your clutch. Just get the bag within range of the target’s access card, and it’ll clone the credentials onto the dummy card stored inside. Once you feel a vibration, it’s done."

"Understood." She tucked the scanner away beside the hardware tap. "May I know the precise location of the server room?"

"We know it’s somewhere on the fourth floor. The exact layout remains unconfirmed."

Aren blinked.

"So... it’s my responsibility to locate it?"

"It is."

She scratched lightly at her cheek.

"May I ask how? That parameter seems... rather vague."

For the briefest instant, the faintest trace of amusement flickered in Isidore’s eyes before vanishing again.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

The words had barely left his mouth when the sedan rolled smoothly to a stop before the venue.

At last, Isidore set his tablet aside and opened the door.

’They are strange.’

’They behave as though they are family... yet they don’t act like family at all.’

’Is that what normal families are actually like?’

Before she could react, she was guided smoothly forward until her side rested against a broad, solid chest.

Aren looked up in surprise.

Isidore regarded her with his usual calm, unreadable expression.

"Forgot what I briefed you on?"

Aren blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You are my partner tonight," he murmured. "Behave like one."

Aren’s gaze dropped to the hand resting securely at her waist.

She had been assigned partners on dangerous missions countless times before. She couldn’t recall a single operational protocol that required this degree of physical closeness.

Looking back up at him with mild confusion, she asked,

"Could you please explain what ’behaving like a partner’ entails?"

Isidore stared at her for several long seconds.

His expression remained perfectly blank, as though she had asked a question so fundamentally self-evident that it scarcely deserved an answer.

Had his own secretary asked something so obvious, she almost certainly would have earned one of his cutting remarks instead. For reasons known only to him, however, he chose not to reprimand the young woman in his arm.

"Stay close to my side," he said matter-of-factly. "Speak only when absolutely necessary. Go along with whatever I say."

Aren spent several quiet moments translating those instructions into terms she understood.

’Ah... he means treating him as my commanding officer, but with closer physical proximity and more obedience.’

Recognition brightened her face.

"All right! That I can do."

Isidore regarded her for another long moment.

Then, wisely deciding not to question whatever unique conclusion she had reached, he turned and guided her deeper into the sea of guests, his hand remaining securely around her waist.