The Hacker's Path Chapter : 3 The Price of Secrets
📄 Page 1 – The Aftermath
Martin sat in silence, the dim glow of his monitor casting shadows across his tired face. The thrill of that first mission—the data theft, the rush of escaping unnoticed—was long gone. All that remained was a weight in his chest that grew heavier by the hour. He had touched something forbidden, and even though he came out richer, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had opened a door that couldn’t be closed.
Stacks of cash were hidden under his bed. Not that it meant peace. He checked the locks on his windows and doors five times a night. Any car slowing down outside made his stomach drop. His mother noticed the change in him—less talkative, constantly distracted, eating less. She assumed it was school stress. She had no idea her son had broken into a government-linked database and sold it to a masked buyer.
Martin wanted to believe he did it for her. To pay rent. To help. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized something darker—he had liked it.