Chapter 11: Crossing the Threshold
Mark stared at his laptop, fingers resting lightly on the keys, his mind buzzing. On the screen before him, a swirl of numbers and charts illuminated the recent activity surrounding his two companies—Eryx Investment and NextGen Innovation. Everything was running smoothly. Almost too smoothly, especially considering he had just stolen $100 million from dormant criminal accounts. The enormity of it all hadn't fully sunk in yet, but in this moment, his mind wasn't on the money, nor on Atlas's flawless execution of the heist.
His attention was on the knock at the door.
Jessica.
Mark shut the laptop with a soft click, his pulse quickening. As he crossed the room to open the door, his brain scrambled to rehearse what to say. Jessica had known him for years; she could read him like a book, and the last thing he needed was for her to sense something off. He couldn't afford to raise suspicion—not now, not after everything had fallen into place so perfectly.
The door creaked open slowly. There she was, standing in the dim hallway, her brow furrowed, arms crossed. Concern was written all over her face. She wore her usual campus hoodie, a bag slung over her shoulder, the telltale sign she'd come straight from class.
"Mark?" Jessica's voice was soft but probing, as though testing the waters before diving in. "Are you okay? You've been holed up in here all week. I was worried."
Mark forced a smile, trying to appear casual as he leaned against the doorframe. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… caught up in some stuff. You know how it is."
Her eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced. "Caught up in what? You haven't even answered your phone. You *never* do that."
He let out a laugh, a little too forced. "I know, I know. I've been swamped." He glanced back at the closed laptop, then back at her. A sudden flash of inspiration struck. "Why don't you come in? There's something I've been working on. Might as well show you."
Jessica tilted her head, intrigued but wary. "Show me what?"
Stepping aside, Mark motioned for her to enter. "A project. It's kind of… a secret. You'll see."
Jessica's eyebrows raised as she stepped into the room, her curiosity piqued. Her gaze swept across the familiar mess scattered around his desk—empty coffee cups, stray cables, a few notebooks with hastily scrawled notes—but she focused back on him quickly. "All right, Mark. What's this big secret of yours?"
Mark walked over to his desk and flipped the laptop open again. The screen came to life, and with a few keystrokes, the app he had been working on tirelessly for months appeared. It was minimalist in design—sleek, clean, and deceptively simple. But Mark knew the real magic was beneath the surface.
"This," he said, turning the laptop toward her, "is something I've been developing for a while. It's a translation app."
Jessica looked skeptical, her arms crossed again as she studied the screen. "A translation app? Like Doogle Translate?"
Mark grinned, shaking his head. "Not quite. It's different. A lot faster, way more accurate, and it adapts contextually to the language you're working with. Trust me, just give it a try."
Jessica eyed him with a mixture of doubt and curiosity before pulling up a chair and sitting down in front of the laptop. "Okay, fine. Impress me."
Her fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard as she typed in a simple phrase: *Where is the nearest café?* She hit enter, and in an instant, translations in five different languages appeared on the screen, each one grammatically flawless, perfectly phrased, and free of the awkwardness typical of machine translation.
Jessica blinked, her eyes widening slightly. "Okay… that's fast. Really fast."
Mark smiled, leaning back with a sense of pride. "That's just the tip of the iceberg. Try something more complex."
She hesitated for a second, then typed in a longer, more nuanced sentence: *I need directions to the café near the intersection of Maple and Fifth, where I can sit and finish my homework before my 3 p.m. class.* Again, the app generated translations almost instantly, each one perfectly tailored to the subtle differences in formality and casual tone across the languages.
Jessica stared at the screen in disbelief. "Holy—how did you do this?" She turned to him, her eyes wide with astonishment.
Mark crossed his arms, trying to keep his voice casual. "I've been working on this for months, testing and refining it. I uploaded a beta version to a couple of tech forums a few weeks ago, and so far, the feedback has been incredible. Hundreds of downloads already."
Jessica was silent for a moment, still processing the breakthrough she had just witnessed. Then, without warning, she shot up from her chair and wrapped him in a quick, tight hug. "Mark, this is "incredible"."
Mark chuckled, caught off guard by the sudden burst of enthusiasm. "Thanks, Jess."
She pulled back, her eyes bright with excitement. "No, seriously. This is game-changing. If you can scale this—if you can push this technology further—you could change the entire industry."
Mark nodded, his mind racing ahead to the bigger picture. "I know. That's why I'm starting a company."
Her excitement faltered, replaced by surprise. "Wait… you're starting a company? Like, for real?"
"Yeah," Mark said, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a little self-conscious now that he was saying it out loud. "I've already secured some investment. I'm putting together a team. Which is actually why I wanted to talk to you."
Jessica's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Talk to me? About what?"
"You," Mark said, his voice steady, but full of intent. "You're one of the most talented developers I know, Jess. And I trust you. I want you on this project. Help me build this company."
She stared at him, her expression torn between disbelief and intrigue. "Are you… are you seriously offering me a job right now?"
Mark laughed, the tension breaking slightly. "Yeah, I guess I am."
For a long moment, Jessica was quiet, her mind clearly running through the possibilities. Then, a slow smile spread across her face. "Okay. I'm in."
Mark felt a surge of relief wash over him. He hadn't realized just how much he had needed her on board until now. "Great," he said, grinning. "We've got a lot of work to do, but I really think we're on the verge of something huge here."
....
Palo Alto – December 21, 2023
The smell of roasted chicken and sage filled the air as Mark stepped through the front door of his childhood home. The warmth of the fireplace greeted him, the familiar comfort of home wrapping around him like a blanket. His parents were already seated at the dinner table, deep in conversation, the low murmur of their voices blending with the crackle of the fire.
David, his father, looked up with a smile as Mark entered the room. "Mark! Good to see you, son. How's everything going?"
"Good," Mark replied, taking his seat at the table. "Busy, but good."
Ellen, his mother, was quick to pass him a plate of roast chicken, her sharp lawyer's eyes already scanning him for any signs of stress or trouble. "Busy with what, exactly?" she asked. "You've been awfully secretive lately."
Mark paused, the weight of the evening's planned conversation settling on his shoulders. He hadn't fully prepared himself for this moment, but he knew it had to happen. His parents were sharp, and they would figure it out eventually. It was better to get ahead of it. But first, dinner. One last meal before he laid everything bare.
The conversation during dinner was light, full of small talk about work, college, and life in general. Mark's mind, however, was racing ahead, rehearsing the conversation he would have with his parents later. How would they react? Would they understand? Would they be proud or worried?
After the meal, the table was cleared, and the three of them moved into the living room, where the fireplace cast a warm glow across the room. Mark took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. It was time.
"There's something I need to tell you both," he said, his voice steady but laced with caution.
David and Ellen exchanged glances, curiosity piqued.
"As you know, I have been working on a project, for which I took the 100k from you guys" Mark continued, sitting up a little straighter. "It's have been completed, I..It's a translation app, and it's been performing really well in beta testing. So well, in fact, that I've decided to form a company around it."
His father leaned forward slightly, eyebrows raised. "A company?" David asked, his voice edged with surprise. "That's a big step, Mark. Do you need more money?, If so what kind of investment are we talking about?"
Mark cleared his throat. This was the part he had been dreading. "I've already secured some funding," he said, careful to keep his tone light. "About $10 million from an angel investor."
For a long moment, neither of his parents said anything. Then, David was the first to speak, his voice tinged with incredulity. "Ten million dollars? From an angel investor?"
Mark nodded, his pulse quickening. "Yeah. The investor operates through an offshore company called Eryx Investment."
David's expression shifted, his sharp mind already working through the implications. "Eryx Investment? That sounds… interesting. I'd like to take a look at the details of that deal when you get the chance."
Mark smiled, unsurprised by his father's cautious nature. "Of course, Dad. I'll send you everything."
Ellen, meanwhile, had taken on a more practical tone. "And you've made sure all the legalities are in order? Starting a company is one thing, but you'll need everything buttoned up if you're going to avoid trouble later on."
Mark nodded. "I know. That's why I was hoping you could help with that part, Mom. I'll need someone to go over the paperwork, make sure everything is solid."
Ellen smiled, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. "I'd be happy to help, Mark. Send me everything you've got, and I'll go over it with a fine-tooth comb."
The initial shock of Mark's announcement began to fade as the conversation shifted to the details of the new venture. His parents were fully on board now, and Mark could feel the weight lifting from his shoulders. They were proud, excited even, ready to support him in this new chapter.
....
But as Mark lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, a creeping sense of unease settled over him. Atlas's stolen money still sat in the background, a dark cloud looming over everything. He had no choice but to move forward—he was too deep in it now—but he knew there was no turning back. The path ahead was set, and it was one that could either lead to unthinkable success… or unimaginable ruin.
Only time would tell which it would be.