New York, Kyle’s penthouse

One week later

Paige strode into Kyle’s penthouse, her heels clicking against the hardwood floors. The place was in disarray, with papers and equations scribbled haphazardly across every surface. Kyle looked disheveled, his curly hair sticking out at odd angles, his shirt untucked and wrinkled.

“Paige!” he exclaimed, his eyes alight with a feverish intensity. “You’re just in time. I’ve made a breakthrough.”

“What is it?” she asked, her heart pounding with trepidation and excitement.

Kyle gestured to the pages strewn about. “I cracked Jane’s encryption. Someone, somehow, got me the DNA sample I needed.”

Paige’s breath caught in her throat. “Aiko’s?” she whispered.

Kyle nodded, his gaze distant. “It must have been. I don’t know how, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I can access Project Mindjevity in its entirety.”

Paige’s mind raced. How had someone obtained Aiko’s DNA? And who had provided it to Kyle? A knot of unease churned in her gut, but she pushed it aside, her curiosity overriding her doubts.

“What happens now?” she asked.

Kyle’s eyes gleamed. “Now, we test it. I’ve updated the code sequence with the new data, and I want you to be my first subject.”

Paige hesitated, but Kyle was already ushering her toward a chair, a strange headpiece connected to his computer by a tangle of wires. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “It’s perfectly safe. I’ve triple-checked everything.”

Paige settled into the chair, her heart pounding as Kyle secured the headpiece around her temples. “I’ve got one of the new experimental quantum computers running the simulations,” he explained, his fingers flying across the keyboard. “This is going to be revolutionary.”

The headpiece came to life, and Paige sensed a peculiar tingle in her mind. Initially subtle, a gentle nudge, then the sensations intensified. She found herself lifting her arm, her fingers wiggling without conscious control.

“Kyle, what’s happening?” she demanded, trembling.

“It’s working,” he breathed, his eyes wide with wonder. “I’m controlling your motor functions through the neural interface.”

Paige’s heart raced as Kyle guided her, making her stand, spin in a circle, and even dance a few steps. This loss of control over her own body was both exhilarating and terrifying.

“We’re going to be rich,” she gasped as Kyle released his hold, and she sank back into the chair, her limbs trembling.

Kyle shook his head, his expression grave. “We need to be careful, Paige. The consequences would be catastrophic if the technology falls into the wrong hands. Imagine if someone used it to control others, to turn them into puppets.”

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Paige opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, the door to the penthouse burst open, and a group of men in dark suits poured in. At their center stood a tall, imposing figure, his face set in a stern expression.

“Kyle Brennan,” the man said, his voice clipped and precise. “I am Malcolm Whitmore, representing the Shadow Dealers. We’ve been monitoring your progress with great interest.”

Paige’s blood ran cold. The Shadow Dealers were a secretive organization rumored to be involved in all manner of illegal activities, from arms dealing to human trafficking. What could they possibly want with Kyle’s research?

“You’ve made a remarkable discovery, Mr. Brennan,” Malcolm continued, his eyes flicking to the computer and the tangled wires connected to Paige’s headpiece. “One that could prove invaluable to our organization.”

Kyle stepped forward, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered. “This is just theoretical research, nothing more.”

Malcolm’s lips curved into a bitter smile. “Don’t play coy with me, Mr. Brennan. We know all about Project Mindjevity and its potential applications. And we want in.”

Paige’s heart pounded in her ears as the implications of Malcolm’s words sank in. The consequences of Shadow Dealers acquiring this technology would be catastrophic. She exchanged a terrified glance with Kyle, her face contorted in a pleading gesture.

But before either of them could speak, Malcolm’s gaze settled on Paige, his eyes narrowing. “Perhaps a demonstration is in order,” he mused. “Miss...?”

“Rothchild,” Paige supplied, her mouth dry.

Malcolm nodded. “Miss Rothchild, kindly put the headpiece back on.”

Paige hesitated, but one of Malcolm’s men stepped forward, his hand resting on the butt of his gun. With trembling fingers, she secured the headpiece around her temples once more.

Malcolm turned to Kyle. “Now, Mr. Brennan, I want you to show me what this technology is capable of. Control Miss Rothchild’s movements, her thoughts, her very being. Prove to me that Project Mindjevity is worth our investment.”

Kyle’s face lost all color, but he had no choice. With shaking hands, he typed a series of commands into the computer. Paige felt the familiar tingling sensation in her mind.

This time, however, it was different. The sensations were sharper and more intense. Paige could not resist as her body moved, her limbs jerking and twitching like a marionette on strings.

Paige tried to protest, but she couldn’t use her voice. She was a prisoner in her own mind, a mere spectator as Malcolm guided her movements, forcing her to dance and spin and contort herself into grotesque positions.

Malcolm released his hold, and Paige slumped forward, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Impressive,” Malcolm murmured, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. “Very impressive indeed. I could feel her trepidation, and it was intoxicating. Mr. Brennan, the Shadow Dealers, will be in touch. We expect your full cooperation.”

“Wait, I changed my mind. I’m no longer interested in selling the technology,” Paige said.

Malcom gave her an incredulous stare. “And why in heavens would you turn down all that money?” Malcolms said.

“What? No, this is a part of my best friend’s legacy. I owe it to her daughter.”

“It’s too late to back out now, my dear. And besides, we have plans for dear Aiko,” Malcolm said as he turned and left the penthouse.

As the door slammed shut, Kyle and Paige shared a look of shame, regret, and pain.

Paige lifted a trembling hand to her face, wiping away the tears. “Kyle,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “What have we done?”

Kyle sank into a chair, his head cradled in his hands. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “We must prevent the Shadow Dealers from obtaining this technology. The consequences would be unimaginable.”

Paige nodded. A wave of dread bore down and settled in her chest. It felt like a car fell on her and the rise of an all too familiar feeling of anxiety threatened to consume her. She had acquired Malcolm’s information from a trusted colleague and set something into motion that terrified her.