Every Mafia's Favorite Girl novel Chapter 99

Chapter 99: "My Apologies"

It didn’t take Isidore long to reply.

No surprise crossed his face, nor even the faintest flicker of shock. After all, he had expected her to locate the room with precisely this level of flawless efficiency.

His voice remained calm as he guided her through the darkness.

"The main server is at the center rack, marked by the triple-layered cooling ducts overhead. Follow the primary cable pathway from the entrance."

Aren advanced through the freezing chamber, her footsteps barely audible against the polished floor.

Her gaze traced the thick bundles of cables suspended overhead until they converged upon a massive, heavily reinforced server rack standing at the heart of the room.

There it was.

The main server.

Excitement surged through her so suddenly that she forgot herself entirely.

"Master Accardi!" she whispered into the earpiece, unable to suppress the delight in her voice. "I found it!"

On the other end of the connection, Isidore paused for the briefest instant as that unmistakable note of excitement reached him.

’...Does she always switch moods this abruptly?’

’This can’t be healthy for my neurons.’

The absurd thought disappeared almost as quickly as it had surfaced. Clearing his throat, he answered in the same measured tone.

"Keep your voice down. Disconnect the primary fiber line. Insert it into the hardware tap. Then reconnect the tap to the server."

"I understand."

Aren identified the cable almost immediately. She disconnected it with practiced ease, retrieved the compact hardware tap from her clutch, and connected everything exactly as instructed.

Click.

Then another.

Click.

A small indicator light glowed green.

"Done."

Far below, within the exhibition hall, Isidore lowered his gaze to the encrypted terminal displayed on his phone. The hardware tap appeared online almost instantly.

A progress bar swept across the screen.

Connection Established.

Streams of data flooded into House Accardi’s secured network.

Thousands of encrypted files.

Financial ledgers.

Internal communications.

Authentication credentials.

Server archives.

His fingers moved rapidly across the display, issuing command after command as layer upon layer of House Ombra’s protected infrastructure quietly transferred into Accardi custody.

His expression remained as unreadable as ever — no satisfaction, no triumph, not even the faintest hint of amusement. Only when the transfer reached completion did his voice return through Aren’s earpiece.

"Good work."

The words fell softer than usual, lacking his typical clipped tone.

Aren paused.

’Did his voice sound... a little strange just now?’

A puzzled look crossed her face.

’Must be a connection issue.’

She tapped the earring a few times, attempting to reset it, but she never had the chance to confirm her theory.

Deep within House Ombra’s monitoring infrastructure, the momentary interruption caused by disconnecting the fiber line registered as a minute fluctuation in network traffic.

Normally, such a disturbance would have passed unnoticed.

Tonight, it didn’t.

The automated alert propagated silently through House Ombra’s internal security network.

Hardware Interruption Detected.

Location: Server Room 4B.

Aren spotted the warning the instant it appeared across the console.

"Master Accardi," she said quietly. "Something’s wrong."

Having no access to the server display, Isidore’s attention sharpened instantly.

"What happened?"

"An automated breach protocol just activated. It’s flagging a hardware interruption in this sector."

The report brought him to an abrupt halt. His voice came without the slightest hesitation.

"Disconnect. Leave immediately. You have seven seconds to reach the nearest emergency exit."

Aren was already moving.

"Understood."

She disconnected the hardware tap in one smooth motion, slipped it back into her clutch, and exited the server room, heading directly for the nearest emergency stairwell.

Down in the exhibition hall, Ylenia Ombra was still speaking with Isaac Accardi when a notification appeared on her phone.

Ordinarily, she would never have interrupted a conversation with someone of his stature. This alert, however, carried a unique vibration reserved exclusively for critical security incidents.

She excused herself without hesitation.

"My apologies, Don Isaac. It appears I have an urgent matter requiring my attention."

Isaac needed only a single glance to understand exactly what kind of "urgent matter" it was. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

’Excellent work, Isidore.’

"Of course," he replied smoothly, reaching for another glass of champagne with effortless composure, giving the Ombra heiress no reason to suspect he had anticipated the interruption.

The moment Ylenia turned away, she tapped the discreet earpiece concealed beneath her hair.

"Report. Why did the server room alarm activate?"

The security analyst answered immediately.

Ding.

’They’re covering the stairwells from the first floor.’

’I’m trapped.’

’No.’

’No route forward.’

Her mind instantly began calculating alternatives — backtracking, locating another access point, creating a diversion.

Before she could settle on a solution, the nearby office door swung open.

A hand shot out.

Strong fingers clamped around her wrist with startling speed.

The sudden force made Aren flinch. She spun toward her attacker, but she was already being pulled inside so abruptly that the corridor disappeared behind her.

The door clicked shut.

Aren pivoted on pure reflex.

Her fist lashed forward, already driving toward the stranger’s face—

That was when she saw him.

A familiar face.

Cold.

Composed.

Expressionless.

Those unmistakable green eyes met hers with impossible calm.

Her punch stopped barely an inch from his nose.

"...Master Accardi?"

Nothing about his presence made sense.

He was supposed to remain downstairs, coordinating the operation from the exhibition hall.

Yet here he stood before her, his suit jacket slightly loosened, a few strands of blond hair no longer perfectly in place — the only signs that he had crossed the building far faster than anyone should have.

Before Aren could voice another question, hurried footsteps thundered past outside the office.

Security.

Searching.

The realization flashed through her mind.

’They’re right outside.’

She spun toward Isidore at once.

"Master Accardi, what should we do?"

Without answering, Isidore stepped closer. One arm slipped firmly around her waist as he guided her backward into the recessed alcove beside the office entrance, shielding both of them from the narrow strip of frosted glass set into the office door.

Aren looked up at him.

Before surprise, confusion or curiosity could fully take shape, he leaned close enough that his breath brushed faintly against her ear.

"My apologies."

The words had scarcely left his lips before he closed the remaining distance and pressed his mouth gently against hers, backing her decisively against the wall.