Chapter 400
James cleared his throat with a hint of formality. “Alright.”
should be heading out, Mirabella said, giving a casual wave as she stood up.
James rose to his feet, his movements measured and calm. “Let me walk you out.”
No need, Mirabella replied with a shake of her head, already sidestepping him to make her exit.
Her slippers betrayed her, catching on the rug and causing her to stagger. Before she could regain her. balance, a firm grip encircled her arm, steadying her. “Watch your step,” came a deep voice from above.
Lifting her gaze, Mirabella locked eyes with James‘ penetrating stare. She paused momentarily, then straightened up. “Thanks.”
James let go, the very picture of a gentleman. “No problem at all.”
“Off I go,” she declared, this time with noticeably more care. A few steps later, she ran into Curtis, who emerged clutching his laptop. He offered her a polite nod in greeting.
Mirabella returned the gesture, but as she passed by Curtis, a glimpse of his laptop screen made her hesitate. She turned back to look at his computer.
Curtis, sensing her scrutiny, looked up with a quizzical expression. “Ms. Mirabella?”
She pointed at his screen. “Is your computer frozen?”
The screen was a void of black, save for the flickering characters. Curtis‘ mouth twitched in a wry smile. Not everyone was a tech wizard, and he didn’t bother to explain. Instead, he just nodded noncommittally.
Mirabella withdrew her gaze, her expression neutral, and continued toward the front door.
After she had gone, Curtis, with a laptop in his arms, joined James in the living room.
James glanced at him. “Still trying to break the record?”
Curtis, eyes on the code running automatically on his screen, grunted in affirmation. “Whoever this ‘Y‘ is, they’re a coding genius. Their firewall is impenetrable.‘
Leaning back on the couch, James tapped his fingers idly on his knee. “If it were easy to crack, you would’ve taken the top spot by now.”
Curtis looked down, stung by the truth in James‘ words, too embarrassed to admit that after weeks of trying, he was still clueless.
Wyatt, who had been glued to his phone, suddenly chimed in. “Just got a message. Donald’s coming.”
Curtis nearly dropped his laptop, his cheeks twitching. “Who did you say is coming?”
“Donald,” Wyatt said, his face a picture of doom. “I hope he hasn’t noticed his favorite tea is gone.”
Curtis shivered and turned to his boss. “Boss, I request a transfer to Antarctica. Effective immediately.”
Wyatt’s lips twisted. “That’s harsh.”
James gave Curtis a fleeting look before turning to Wyatt. “When’s he arriving?”
Wyatt shook his head, his voice low. “No exact time. Could be tomorrow, the day after, or next week.”
James leaned back, rubbing his temples in frustration. “Keep an eye out.”
“Understood.”
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