"Mark," Emily called as she opened the door.
"He's not here yet," Anushka said, her voice soft but audible.
Emily's eyes shifted toward the right, drawn by the voice. There sat Anushka, absentmindedly munching on a pack of snacks.
"Ruhi, right?" Emily asked, her tone curious.
"Yeah..." Anushka replied hesitantly. "We haven't met before. How do you know who I am?"
Emily smiled. "Oh, Jerry mentioned Mark had a beautiful Indian partner. He said her name was Ruhi, so I figured it must be you. And Yes, yesterday Mark talked about you."
Anushka listened quietly, her hands still occupied with the snack pack.
"Call me Anushka—I prefer that," she said, extending her hand.
"Anushka it is," Emily affirmed, shaking her hand. "By the way, I'm Emily."
"Nice to meet you," the two said in unison, a light smile passing between them.
"By the way, how are you feeling?" Emily asked casually, her tone warm but curious.
Anushka blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Huh?" she murmured, clearly confused.
"The warm compress thing," Emily clarified, leaning back slightly with a knowing smile.
Anushka's eyes widened in realization. "Wait… so it was you who suggested that?"
Emily chuckled. "Guilty as charged."
"By the way, thanks," Anushka said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It really helped. I'm doing fine now."
"Good to hear," Emily replied. "I was worried Mark might have messed it up somehow."
Anushka laughed softly, shaking her head. "No, he was surprisingly gentle. He actually handled it well… for someone as moody as him."
"So, do you know where he is? He said he had a quick stopover. I wonder what's taking him so long," Emily asked, glancing toward the door.
"Give me a moment. I can find out," Anushka replied, setting her snacks aside. She leaned into her keyboard, her fingers moving swiftly across the keys.
After about 30 seconds, she spoke up. "He's at one of the malls a few blocks from here."
Emily blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?"
Anushka's lips curved into a proud smile. "I have his phone tracked."
Emily's expression shifted to one of mild disbelief. "You what?"
The smile faded slightly as Anushka defended herself. "It was his idea, not mine. He insisted on it."
Emily raised an eyebrow but let it go. "So, you can track phones?"
"Yep," She said, her attention already back on her screens as she resumed munching.
"He's on the move now," she added after a pause. "Looks like he's heading straight here."
"Alright, I'll wait," Emily sighed, settling into a chair.
Curiosity got the better of her. "What else can you do?"
Anushka smirked slightly, her eyes never leaving the screen. "I can hack any system."
"Impressive," Emily said, genuinely intrigued. "So, what made you dive into the world of IT?"
Anushka paused for a moment, her focus shifting to Emily. "There were a lot of reasons. But mostly..." She hesitated, a small, reflective smile forming. "Mark's mom. She was my role model growing up."
A heavy silence filled the room as the weight of her words sank in.
"She inspired so many young girls," Emily murmured softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.
The door creaked open, shattering the silence that had started to settle.
"Ruhi!" Mark exclaimed as he stepped inside, his tone a mix of exasperation and concern. "You are such a stubborn girl. I told you to take the day off!"
Anushka frowned slightly, crossing her arms. "I couldn't. It's just… not my thing." Her voice was firm but held a trace of guilt.
Mark sighed, shaking his head. "You never listen, do you?" He softened as his eyes scanned her, ensuring she looked better. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"
Anushka offered a small smile. "As good as new," she replied confidently, brushing off his concern.
Mark raised an eyebrow. "Good to hear, but don't push yourself too hard. You're not invincible, you know."
"Since you're here.. look what I got you!" Mark announced, his voice carrying a hint of excitement.
Anushka looked up, startled.
"Oh, Emily... you're here," he muttered upon noticing the other girl seated at the desk on the left.
Mark handed the box in his hands to Anushka, who opened it with hesitant fingers. Inside lay a pair of brand-new Razer BlackShark V2 Pro headphones. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Mark, this is too much," she protested. "I can't accept this."
"They're part of the setup, Ruhi. You have no option but to accept them," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Emily, observing the interaction, smirked and leaned toward Mark. Keeping her voice low, she teased, "She must be someone special to you."
"Why do you say that?" Mark asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Just look at the Chemistry between you two and besides you rarely buy gifts for anyone," Emily replied with a knowing smile.
Mark blinked, surprised by the observation. "Really?"
Emily raised an eyebrow. "When was the last time you bought me a gift?"
Mark's face contorted in concentration, trying to recall.
"You don't even remember!" Emily exclaimed. "That was four years ago. My 20th birthday."
"Seriously?" Mark said, amazed at his own memory lapse.
"Anyway," she continued, brushing it off, "thank you for the thoughtful gift back then. But this moment isn't about me. You've outdone yourself, Mark."
"Emily," Mark interrupted firmly, "I thought we talked about this. I don't want to hear about it anymore."
Emily sighed, shaking her head.
Mark's expression shifted as he leaned against the desk. His voice grew serious. "I haven't had the chance to talk about this, not with everything that's happened... but since you're here, we need to discuss something important."
Emily straightened, sensing the change in tone.
"Emily... I think Mom was killed."
Emily's face darkened. "Honestly, I've had that suspicion for a long time now," she admitted. "But I couldn't be certain, so I kept it to myself."
"Then let's work together," Mark said, his resolve clear. "Let's uncover the truth behind her death."
"Do you have any leads so far?" Emily asked.
Mark nodded slightly. "The only lead I have is Dr. Otim. If anyone knows what really happened to Mom, it's him. I just need access to his phone—but I haven't had the time to work on it," he confessed with a sigh. "Everything's been so overwhelming lately."
Emily's eyes lit up as an idea struck her. "Why don't we involve Anushka? She told me earlier she can hack any system."
Mark's gaze shifted to Anushka, who was now absorbed in her game, the new Razer headphones resting comfortably on her head. His lips curled into a smile as he thought to himself, "Of course… my Ruhi will do it."
He walked over to her desk, the soft click of his shoes on the floor punctuating the quiet room. Reaching her side, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Anushka, startled by the touch, immediately pulled off the headphones and turned to him, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.
"Did you say something?" she asked, her attention now fully on Mark.
"I was just asking," Mark said with a chuckle, his tone light. "Are you a gamer as well?"
Anushka raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "Not really. I play sometimes, if I'm not too busy—or if I'm bored. But it's not really my thing," she explained, shrugging.
Mark nodded, amused. "Fair enough. Well, speaking of things you're good at... I have a hacking assignment for you."
Anushka's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Finally", she thought, feeling the rush of adrenaline surge through her. It had been weeks since she'd worked on a real challenge. Yes, she had gotten a number of hacking jobs over the dark web, but they felt so illegal.
"A phone hack?" she asked, her voice almost eager.