#THE_SACRIFICE_SEASON_2
EPISODE 7
©Steve
Seeing her talk like that, Jake couldn’t help but feel bad for neglecting her. He should have thought about how worried she’d be when she couldn’t talk to him.
He raised his right hand to the side of her cheek and he slowly grazed it. “Sweetheart I’m sorry. I should have behaved better, but I didn’t and I’m deeply sorry. I promise not to neglect you, not even for a second even if the world is in shackles and crumbling to pieces. I’ll learn to place my priorities right” He said softly, making Jade look at him with love struck eyes.
“You promise?” She asked. She didn’t want to stress him out and add to his problems. What kind of a girlfriend would she be if she couldn’t lessen her man’s burden and rather intensified it? She had to be an understanding girlfriend. She understood things from his perspective and just having him promise her that he’d never do this again was enough to make her happy.
“I promise” Jake said, placing a kiss on her forehead as he pulled her into his arms. God! he missed this. He missed holding her like this.
Jade let Jake hold her, she also missed being in his strong arms. Being in Jake’s arms felt so warm, comfortable and sweet, all her worries were slowly dissipating and her raging her heart was slowly calming down. She wrapped her head around his waist and buried her head in his chest.
The musk smell emanating from him was so comforting and relaxing, so was his warmth. Jake hugged her even tightly and so did her hold around him.
“I missed you” He said softly against her ears.
“I missed you too, but I’m still angry…but only a tiny little bit” She said faking a sad tone.
“Honey, I’m sorry” He said without pulling away from the hug, he liked being with her like this. “I’ve been a bad boyfriend—”
“Really bad” She agreed, making Jake’s lips curved upward.
“And I probably deserve to be spanked by you” He added.
“And you’re so getting it” She said as she smacked his arm lightly.
“Ouch babe, don’t be violent” He faked a hurt expression, as he halfly pulled away from the hug.
“I’m not being violent. Do you want to know what violent is?” She asked, shooting him a mock-glare, her lips tilted to the side.
“Absolutely not” He hurriedly replied, as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I know something that can make you less violent” He said with a mischievous smile.
She narrowed her eyes at him when she saw the way he was smiling at her. Nothing good can come out a malicious smile like that, but she let her curiosity get the best of her and asked, “What?”
“This” Was Jake’s reply before he lowered his head and slowly claimed her lips with his. He kissed her gently and slowly, savouring the feel and taste of her lips. The last time he missed them was two days ago, but it felt like ages.
With Jade responding to his kiss just as he’d loved her to, he slowly deepened it. The kiss became a passionate and intense with both parties moaning into each other’s mouth. Jade hooked her hand around his neck and lifted herself up so he could have more access to her mouth. Like hell she missed him too.
Has she told us, Jake was a good kisser? Nahhh…she hasn’t.
They both continued kissing, exploring each other’s mouth till they almost ran out of breathe. Slowly Jake pulled away from her lips. He chuckled when he saw her pout sadly. He was sure she didn’t know she was pouting right now.
“I guess you missed my lips more than you missed me” He teased as he brushed his hand through her hair.
“Maybe” She shamelessly replied, making Jake chortle.
“You’re just shameless” He said as he lowered his head to peck her lips, which were slightly swollen from their kiss.
“Just with you” She replied.
“I know” He pulled back into his embrace. “I love you babe”
“I love you too, but you still have to eat” She said pulling away from his embrace.
Jake looked at the packs of food on the table, and he nodded his head.
“But only if you’ll feed me”
_______
*Programming Room 3*
“What are you doing?” Amy asked in a surprised tone which startled Blake.
“Nothing” Blake hurriedly answered as he quickly closed down what he was doing, he swivelled the chair which he was sitting and turned to the source of the voice. He knew who’s voice that was but he didn’t it want to believe it until he caught a glimpse of the person’s face. And indeed it was Amy Walker.
Blake was startled when he saw her standing there looking at him like she caught him doing something suspicious.
“What do you mean by nothing?” Amy asked as she tried to walk closer.
“Stop right there” He ordered in an authoritative tone, halting Amy who was lightly startled. She shot her eyes up to look at him before trying to crane her neck to look behind him to the systems which he had just seen him working on. But are you now displaying the company’s logo, which was far more different from what she has seen when she walked in. She could swear she saw codes running on the screen.
“Wh-hy, Wh-at are you doing here?” He asked stutteringly as he rose to his feet. His eyes darting back and forth out of confusion and fear — fear of being found out.
“What do you mean what am I doing here? I work here remember?” She asked in a sarcastic tone.
“I know you work here, but what are you doing here? You were supposed to be at home and not at work” He told her. “So tell me why are you here?” He asked in an attempt to distract her attention.
“I came to work” She replied, making Blake cock a brow at her, his eyes gazed at her like she just gave him a silly reply.
“And who allowed you to work?” He asked again, his face was stoic, but behind the inscrutable look he was trying to pull right now, Amy knew he was concerned for. Her typical Blake Beau. He was the one who had requested that she’d be given some weeks off work, and the director of her department had willingly complied.
“Me, my doctor and family” She replied curtly, while he sighed.
“Go home, you can’t work yet. And if you’re here because of the new development here at work then know there are capable hands already working on it. So go home and rest” He told her firmly, his gaze on her was serious indicating that there was no room for negotiation.
“No, I’m not going home. I’m back to work and that’s it” She refuted in a tone of finality. Blake looked at her with unreadable eyes for several seconds without saying anything, he sighed deeply as he turned away from her. She was stubborn and he knew it, and as much as he would love to compel her to go home, he couldn’t leave the room because he was working on something.
“What were you doing?” Amy remembered to ask him again. He had been acting suspiciously a while ago, and also she had caught a glimpse of those codes.
“Noth-” Blake’s words trailed when he heard the buzzing alerts emanating from the systems behind him. He quickly turned around to look at it, and so did Amy.
“shit” He cussed.
Blake quickly delved back on the seat and started typing like some typing maniac, leaving Amy completely startled by what she was seeing right now. Her eyes were fully widened in shock as she continued to look at how fast his hands were working, in bewilderment.
Amy was thunderstruck when she saw Blake in that mode. She couldn’t believe it, she was at a lost. It looked like she was seeing a movie of some sort. She just continued to watch him as he continued with what he was doing.
Soon all the beeping noise stopped and so did Blake’s hand, but he didn’t move. He knew she was looking at him and he didn’t want to look at her right this moment, because he knew she’d ask him all the questions he didn’t like to hear and see that annoying gaze people always gave him. But the matter was, was Amy just going to let him be after seeing that? The answer was, No!!
“Wh-at– y-ou” Amy stuttered. Her thoughts were incoherent and so we’re are words. Blake heaved a deep sigh and swiveled the chair around to look at her. She was staring at the screens with widened eyes. She looked like she had just witnessed something terrifying, like the apocalypse, or maybe something unbelievable.
Slowly she took her eyes from the screens to look at his face.
“You are—”
“Not as useless as you think”
……
*Jake’s Office*
Jade was giving Jake a head massage as she stood behind him while he sat on the couch. It had taken so much pleading from her before he unwillingly allowed her to give him that massage, when she noticed how he kept kneading on his temples.
“So if I get this straight this was a targeted attack from one of your people?” She asked as she continued to massage his head with tender circular motions.
“Mmm” He nodded, his eyes were closed as he enjoyed the loving treatment his girlfriend was giving him.
“But why?” She didn’t understand why someone who was benefitting from the company would do something to sabotage it.
“Because of my job I suppose?” He replied, while her hands stopped, making him flicker his eyes open, a cute frown forming on his face as he craned his neck backward to look at her.
“Why did you stop?” He asked with a sad pout. She was the one who had forcefully made him agree into giving him a head massage, now she was just going to stop halfway when he was beginning to enjoy it.
“Babe, you’ll get more head massages later” She said placing a kiss on his forehead. “But first let’s talk about this” She said as she walked back to sit close to him on both the sofa.
“I don’t want to talk about this. I want to hold you” He said trying to put his hand around her, but she smacked it off.
“Jake Beau behave” She warned.
“Babe why are you acting like you didn’t miss me? Even if you didn’t I did” He said as he tried to wrap his hand around her again.
“Jake?” She growled.
“Fine” He said faking a pout as he sat upright, but not without glaring at her.
“Tell me how bad it is” Jade said in a very serious tone.
Jake hissed dejectedly when she asked that. He really didn’t want to talk about this, he wanted to have a few hours of not thinking about the issues surrounding him right, left and center. He was happy she was here, he could use the distraction, but here she was going all serious on him.
He sighed frustratedly before he replied. “Serious enough to make me lose my seat in a few days”
“What?” Jade asked in surprise. “A few days?”
“Yeah” He said as he sat upright. His gaze fixed ahead, looking at nothing in particular.
“We have to fix this” Jade said in a serious and panicky tone.
“I know” He said as he raked his hand through his hair. “I know, but I can’t come up with something yet. I can’t neutralize the virus, none of my teams can. So I’m yet to come up with a plan to fix it”
“But what if you can?”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked interestedly, as he turned to look at her with curious eyes. The serious look she was giving him was making him anxious.
Jade turned her body to look at him so they could see eye to eye.
“Well I don’t know much of IT stuffs like you guys do here, so I can’t be of much help, but I want to think of this on a tactical level”
“Okayyy”
“From what you’ve said, I believe who ever was behind this would be able to fix this before you can, because they have the malware creator. And tracing back the source would be next to impossible given the time frame you have” She paused while Jake nodded affirmatively.
“So if they fix the software they gain your position right?” She asked again just to be sure.
“Yes”
“So what if they can’t?” She asked making Jake to look at her questioningly.
“I don’t understand” He didn’t understand what she was trying to say. What does she mean by what if they can’t?
“I mean what if none of you can fix it, at least make whoever behind it think so or rather more, have them fall into their trap” She said cryptically, piquing Jake’s interest even more.
“Babe I don’t understand what you’re saying. You’re being to cryptic with your words” He honestly told her.
“Okay I’ll explain what I mean. You know the logic that applies when you’re playing a game, let’s say cards or Goa” She asked him.
“Never show you winning hand too early?” He said in a skeptical manner, not sure if that was what she was referring to.
“No baby, delay the winning hand when you don’t have one” She chipped, while Jake cocked a brow at her.
“Honey you’re making me more confused. My brain is exhausted, just tell me what you have already” He hissed as he lolled back on the sofa.
She briefly eyed him, before hopping to kneel on the couch with a smile now plastered on her face.
“Jake, how fast can you make a virus?” She asked making him snap his head to look at her, his brows cocked like she was asking something funny and crazy.
“Tell me. How long will it take to create a virus similar to the one affecting ProGuard?” She urged taking his hand in his.
He looked at her with an inscrutable look, “Maybe two days or more depending on the ability of the programmer” He answered, still not sure what she wanted with that information.
“And two days will be enough to call for another board meeting right?” She asked again, and this time Jake’s interest was really heightened by her questions. She looked like she was scheming something in her head, which could be interesting.
He sat upright to look at her, and nodded his head. “Yes”
“Then I guess you have a lot to do then”
“Jade Peterson, can you tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?” He really wanted to know.
“I will but first you have to bribe me because I might just have a good plan for you to topple your enemy” She said with a mischievous smile and a wink, making him narrow his brows as he intently stared at her, his lips turning upward amusedly as he watched her being mischievous and calculative.
“What do you want?” He indulged her.
“You’ll give it to me no matter what I ask?” She curiously inquired.
“If I can, then I will”
He narrowed his eyes when Jade gestured for him to lean closer indicating she wanted to whisper it into his ears. He knew whatever she was about to say was going to sound really crazy, but he did anyway. He anxiously wanted to hear what she had in mind. Jade leaned towards his ears and started whispering into it.
His eyes flew open, and a strong, “No” escaped his mouth, making Jade frown at him.
“But why?” She asked pouting.
“Because it’s too dangerous and you can’t control it”
“Who said? And you’ll be there with me too” She pressed, still frowning at him.
“The answer is still no. You’re not getting an inch close to it” He declared.
“Because you love it more than me right? You’ve always called it your baby even before you called me baby” She said accusingly. Jake looked at her incredulously before he let out a sigh.
“If letting you drive my car is the only way to get you to spill what you want to tell me, then forget it. I don’t want to hear it” He said before standing up for the couch. He walked back to his seat and opened up his laptop to work.
He couldn’t believe she’d ask for something like that. It’s not like he didn’t want to let her drive, but definitely not those monstrous sport cars of his. It was dangerous, and he didn’t even want to take that risk. He didn’t even know if she knew how to drive, so how was she expecting him to let her drive a car like that. He’d allow a normal car, but definitely not any of his sport cars.
Jade pouted as she watched him leave her on the couch. “So that’s it? You’re not even going to consider it?” Jade grumpily asked from where she was still sitted.
“Babe if that’s the only condition you want, then no” He said without looking at her.
“Jake” She called his name faking a teary voice.
“Say something else”
“But it’s just a drive” She stated.
“In a car that has the highest accident rate in the world” He turned to look at her.
“But you own it and you drive them” She pointed out.
“Is still a no. Either you tell me what you want to tell me or leave it” He told her in a tone of finality.
“Fine”
“So are you telling me or not” He asked.
Jade looked at him for a while before saying, “I will” She was only trying out her luck, she had a feeling Jake would turn her down in the first place, but you can’t blame a girl for trying.
She stood up from her seat and approached his desk. She wanted to sit on one of the seats opposite his desk when Jake said, “Come here”
She walked closer to him and pulled to seat on his laps. “I’d to hear you from here” He said. Jade’s cheek blushed slightly when Jake made her sit on his laps. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, but not him. Jake noticed her cheek slightly color and he knew why. He didn’t want to ask about it, because she might feel more embarrassed so rather he said, “I’m all ears”
Jade looked at him and cleared her throat, as she regained her composure.
“So I was thinking from a gaming level”
“Okay”
“If someone was playing a game and you think your opponent is about to win, what do you do?”
“Prolong the game or give up” He replied.
“Exactly, you stall. The strategy is to let your opponent think they’re winning and you’re trying to prolong the game because you’re at a lossing end, but the major thing is you let them think they’re winning while you get them to deal their best cards” She looked at Jake who now has a frown between his brows.
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t do anything about the software?” He asked curiously, while Jade nodded. His frown deepened when she nodded.
“The truth is you already said it’s difficult trying to neutralize the virus, and with the time frame there’s really not much you can do. So why don’t you let them fix the virus themselves”
“But then I’d lose”
“But will you?” She asked tilting a brow at him. Jake fell silent for a while before his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Nope, I just have to start my own virus” He said with a smile curling his lips.
“Dingo. A virus similar to theirs is all you need to check the game. And you boyfriend can easily fix yours, upgrade your firewall from future threats and be the impeccable CEO you truly are”
“Babe you’re a prodigy” Jake said, gleefully placing a kiss on his girlfriend’s cheek.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 8
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