The Final Read

Mira was no ordinary thief; she was a mind reader, and her ability made her one of the most successful scammers around. She had no need for force or clever schemes—she simply tapped into her target’s mind, reading their thoughts and gathering all the information she needed to bleed their bank accounts dry. With a glance and a whisper of concentration, she could catch bank codes, passwords, and pin numbers.

The Heist of a Lifetime

One of her most notorious marks had been a businessman on a train. Sitting across from him in the crowded compartment, she pretended to be reading a book, while in reality, she was tuning in on his thoughts. He was anxious, recalling his recent bank transaction and the digits of his account number, trying to remember if he’d locked his briefcase before boarding. Mira simply filed away each thought as he fretted, down to the last digit.

Within hours, Mira was in possession of his details. That night, she drained his account, cashing out an impressive $40,000. She left the city before the businessman even knew he’d been cleaned out, another big score in her long list of successful hauls.

Mira thrived off the thrill of the chase. With her abilities, even high-security events became her playgrounds. Fancy galas, auctions, and business conferences became prime heist opportunities as she zeroed in on high-profile targets, bypassing their defenses with nothing more than a keen eye and a focused mind.

The Mark: An Unusual Encounter

One day, Mira spotted an elderly man sitting at a café with a classic wristwatch and a crisp suit, sipping his coffee as he studied his surroundings. He looked wealthy enough to warrant her attention, but the odd glint in his eye hinted at a wisdom she couldn’t quite read. Still, the lure of his wealth made him irresistible. She sat a few tables away and began working her magic, watching his mind’s patterns for hints of bank codes or valuable information.

Yet, as the days went on and she cultivated a casual friendship with him, her attempts to read his thoughts became frustratingly complex. Every time she tried to zero in on useful details, his thoughts were, oddly enough, focused on chess games, poetry, and random memories. Her head buzzed as if someone were jamming her ability, but she persisted, slowly coaxing him to trust her more. Eventually, he even shared a bit about his family—a son who was a police officer, and some mention of regretful memories from his youth.

Intrigued, Mira continued to manipulate the elderly man’s trust, but she grew increasingly frustrated with the mental static that blocked any useful details. Her greed urged her on, determined to break through whatever strange walls this man’s mind had constructed. She convinced him to trust her enough to let her help with some “financial matters,” all the while planning to steal from his supposedly well-guarded dummy account.

The Twist: Checkmate

The day came. Mira, after carefully prying enough details, moved in to clear his account. She wore a self-satisfied smile as she initiated the transfer, only to find that the bank flagged the transaction within seconds. And just as she stood to leave, confident she could evade any backlash, the old man entered the café and seated himself across from her, his eyes unreadable.

“Hello, Mira,” he said, his voice calm yet filled with unspoken authority. “Or should I call you Ms. Carter?”

Mira froze, her confidence shattered. The man reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small badge, one that gleamed ominously under the café lights. “Detective Lawrence Mitchell,” he introduced himself. “You didn’t think I knew? I’ve been waiting for this day.”

Mira’s heart sank as he revealed that he’d been onto her from the start. Years ago, she had double-crossed his son in a similar scam. This time, however, the detective had set a trap specifically tailored to lure her in. By creating a mental maze of meaningless thoughts, he’d tricked her into believing she could break him.

“That dummy account you just tried to hack? That’s all the evidence I need,” he continued, his tone unforgiving. “You’re coming with me, Mira. It’s the end of the line.”

Mira, finally outmaneuvered, could only stare as the realization hit her. She had been bested, not by brute force, but by a man who had understood her abilities better than anyone else.

The End

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