Chapter 65
LAX – Sunday Evening – 6:12 p.m.
Jake stepped off the plane and into the fluorescent hum of Los Angeles International Airport.
The air was dry and buzzing with noise—airport carts, chatter, intercoms calling out flights. It was jarring after a week of waves and wind and silence.
He adjusted his sunglasses, slipped in his earbuds, and let the crowd move around him.
Back to reality.
---
7:01 p.m. – Brentwood – Harper Residence
The car pulled up to the house just after sunset. Judith was waiting in the driveway, arms crossed, but smiling.
"Well, look at you," she said. "Tan, taller… is that a linen shirt?"
Jake stepped out, duffel in hand. "I think I actually rested."
She gave him a hug. "You needed it. And for what it's worth—welcome home, Doctor."
Jake smirked. "Feels weird when you say it."
---
7:30 p.m. – Upstairs Bedroom
He dropped his bag, walked to his desk, and sat down.
His FacePhone had been off for a week.
He stared at it for a long moment. Then powered it on.
The screen lit up—loading icon spinning for several seconds as the backlog surged in.
94 voicemails.
211 texts.
3,204 emails.
12 flagged media mentions.
Jake scrolled through them slowly.
---
First Messages:
> Callum:
"Welcome back. Everything's stable. You'll want a debrief soon—but we're good."
> Harvey Specter:
"Handled the licensing scuffle while you were gone. You owe me a scotch and a headline."
> Jessica Pearson:
"Call me when you're settled. We've identified a new opportunity worth your attention."
Jake nodded. Efficient. As expected.
Then he froze.
> Haley:
"Hey. I saw a picture of you in the Maldives. You looked… happy. I'm glad. We should talk sometime."
Jake stared at the message for a long time.
His thumb hovered.
Then moved on.
No reply.
Monday – FaceWorld HQ – Executive Conference Room
Jake walked into the main executive suite in his usual style: low-key, dressed in black, FacePhone in hand, expression unreadable.
The room quieted.
Callum stood from his chair with a smirk. "Dr. Harper. The team survived."
Jake nodded once. "Let's get to it."
---
The Debrief
Callum pulled up the master dashboard on the screen.
Netflix streaming hours: up 38% since the UI overhaul
FlickStick beta devices: ahead of production by two weeks
SoundStack: final licensing with Universal Music expected by next month
FacePhone metrics:
User satisfaction up 22%
App ecosystem growing
Integration with Netflix, FaceWorld, and YouTube credited for increased retention
Minimal returns, strong hardware feedback
FaceWorld user base: now over 130 million active accounts
PR: stabilized—Pearson Hardman neutralized the licensing threat while Jake was gone
Jake tapped through charts on his FacePhone as Callum spoke, nodding occasionally.
"The FacePhone is killing it," Callum added. "People are calling it the first all-in-one device that doesn't suck."
Jake cracked a small smile. "Good. It's just the beginning."
---
Later That Day – Jake's Office
Jake sat alone at his terminal, scanning backend logs—just routine maintenance.
Until something caught his eye.
A repeated ping from an admin-level tool.
Location: internal.
Time: 4:03 a.m., two nights ago.
IP: masked.
Credentials: scrambled… but valid.
Someone had accessed FaceWorld's deepest system framework.
No alerts were triggered. Whoever it was… they knew how to hide.
Jake leaned forward, frowning.
He flagged the breach, encrypted the log, and stored it in a private security vault.
He said nothing. But he didn't forget.
---
Tuesday Morning – Incoming Call: Jessica Pearson
Jake stepped onto the executive balcony as his FacePhone rang.
Jessica's voice was calm but direct.
"We've been watching a mid-size streaming company. Strong brand, outdated backend, weak compliance."
Jake's voice was low. "You want to move in?"
Jessica replied, "They won't last a year unless someone does."
Jake asked, "Who is it?"
A pause.
"Hulu."
Jake leaned against the railing, ocean breeze cutting through the warm LA air.
"…Let's talk options."