After a long morning filled with shopping, ice cream, and quiet joy, Isabella returned home, practically glowing. The sun had risen high into the afternoon sky, casting golden light over the marble floors as she stepped inside the villa.
Her arms were full of shopping bags, but the guards politely stepped forward to carry them without her asking. She walked ahead with a soft bounce in her steps, humming to herself as if the entire world was finally a little brighter.
Without hesitation, she headed straight to the third floor.
The forbidden floor.
According to the marriage contract, she wasn’t supposed to step foot up here but well... Leonardo did bring her to his room yesterday, didn’t he?
So technically... the rule didn’t count anymore.
That was how she justified it as she tiptoed her way up the stairs.
The guards, well-trained and used to orders, didn’t question her. They followed her up, carrying her new customized laptop and carefully bagged plushies. When they entered her room—still silent and elegant like a dark castle—they quietly set the laptop box on her table and arranged the stuffed toys gently on the soft black sofa.
The moment they left and the door clicked shut behind them—
Isabella squealed quietly.
She dropped her purse on the floor, her eyes sparkling as she darted toward her new friends.
First, she dove onto the sofa, grabbing the pink strawberry bunny plushie and hugging it tightly to her chest.
"Aaahh you’re so soft!" she giggled, her face buried in its squishy belly. "I’ll name you Berry!"
Then she reached for the pastel-colored unicorn, lifting it up like a baby.
"And you..." she whispered with a grin, "...are Moonbeam!"
With playful glee, she kissed both of their faces—one on the soft strawberry cheeks, the other on the unicorn’s glittery snout.
Her heart felt light. Giddy.
For the first time in years, she was surrounded by things she chose for herself. Not borrowed. Not stolen. Not handed down. But hers.
She tucked both toys beside her on the sofa, giggling softly as she fluffed their ears and straightened the unicorn’s horn.
Then her eyes shifted—
To the sleek, matte black box on the table.
Her laptop.
Her fingers itched with excitement.
She practically floated over, sitting down and carefully unboxing it like it was the most precious treasure in the world.
Her smile widened. "Finally..."
This wasn’t just a laptop.
This was her freedom.
Her weapon.
Her secret playground.
She glanced over at Berry and Moonbeam sitting politely on the sofa.
With excitement bubbling in her chest, she carried the laptop to the big black sofa where her stuffed unicorn and strawberry bunny were still sitting patiently, waiting for her.
She sat down between them, crossing her legs as she gently opened the sleek lid. The screen lit up instantly, washing her face in soft, cool light.
Her brown eyes sparkled.
There was something magical about the moment...the quiet room, the glow on her face, and the happiness that filled her chest. To most people, it was just a screen. But to her, it was a door. A door to a world she belonged in.
She quickly made her local account: Bellatrix_019, her signature name since she first began dabbling in code.
And then, without hesitation, she opened her browser and typed the familiar URL she knew by heart:
Hackerverse.com
The page loaded, and Isabella’s entire expression changed.
Her smile deepened, her fingers poised on the keyboard like a pianist before a concert.
Hackerverse was the largest underground hacker community on the web. It was secret, encrypted, and heavily protected. Here, people made profiles, took tasks, shared programs, and gained reputation points like badges of honor.
For Isabella, it was more than a site.
It was her secret home.
Her escape from the world she lived in.
She never took payments, even though many begged her to. Her uncle used to monitor everything—her room, her computer, her bank account. If even a penny appeared out of nowhere, she’d be in danger.
So instead, she offered her skills for free.
Debugging servers. Fixing firewalls. Hiding security traces And over time, she became known. Quietly. Softly. As the helpful girl who fixed code like magic.
People liked her. Not just for her talent but her kindness.
She didn’t know their real names. Only usernames.
But what she didn’t know was that many of those usernames... belonged to legends.
Hackers with million-dollar bounties. Coders who could rewrite AI algorithms. Ghosts of the internet who vanished entire systems in a second.
To her they were just sweet, silly online friends who sent her funny emojis and called her Bellatrix the Gentle.
As soon as she logged in, her screen lit up with familiar pings.
@SyntaxQueen: "Is that who I think it is? Bellatrix?!"
@BlackKnight: "No way. She’s back? Bless the internet."
@_F4ngs: "Oyyy our cutie finally returns. Get ready. I saved a job for you."
Isabella giggled, cheeks glowing, hugging her strawberry bunny plushie beside her before typing back:
"Hehe~ missed you guys. New laptop day! Let’s break it in."
And with that, she pulled the laptop closer, legs tucked beneath her, her fingers already dancing across the keys.
For the first time in forever...
She wasn’t just Isabella.
She was Bellatrix_019.
Quiet. Kind. Brilliant.
And ready to shake the digital world.
Isabella curled up on the sofa, her knees hugged to her chest, laptop balanced in her lap.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed into the Hackerverse chat:
Bellatrix_019: I need money... I owe a Big Guy loan...*cries softly in binary*
She even added a crying bunny emoji at the end.
Within seconds, the replies flooded in like a wave of digital concern:
@BlackKnight:
"How much? I’ll wire it now. Say the number."
@SyntaxQueen:
"GIRL. Do you need crypto or direct deposit? I got you!"
@ZeroVoid:
"We don’t let our cutie starve, tell us what you need."
@K4ne404:
"Just drop your wallet. Seriously. I’ll throw in extra for emotional damage."
Isabella laughed softly, her cheeks warming..
She had forgotten how chaotic and sweet her Hackerverse friends were.
But she didn’t want free money.
She was free now. She had her own laptop. Her own path.
She didn’t want to take, they had already helped her grow.
So she typed back:
Bellatrix_019:
"Nooo! I’ll earn it myself! Can you guys send me some jobs?"
There was a moment of pause... then—
@SyntaxQueen:
"Okay fine, but only because you’re being responsible."
@BlackKnight:
"Got some clean gigs. Pay in crypto. Sending now."
@_F4ngs:
"I just cracked a bank’s firewall, wanna help patch it for their new server? Legal job. Decent pay."
@ZeroVoid:
"You got options, cutie Boss. Check your inbox."
A soft smile bloomed across Isabella’s lips as she saw her inbox fill up.
Her heart felt light, her fingers ready, and her screen glowing like a gateway to a life she was finally in control of.
Time to work.
Time to earn.