Chapter 172
Kristin had just stepped In the CEO’s office when she noticed a steaming cup of hot chocolate on the desk..
York, is this for me?” Kristin asked with surprise, her eyes lighting up at the unexpected treat.
“Yeah.” York nodded, a grin spreading across his face.
“Aw, thanks!” Kristin beamed, and her appreciation was genuine.
“Don’t mention it. I lost a bet, and now, I’m your errand boy for three months.” York waved her thanks away casually, not mentioning that it was Rhett’s idea.
He had done the deed, and he was taking the credit.
“Don’t sweat it,” Kristin
about it in a few days.plied quickly, lowering her voice. “Mr. FitzGerald will forget all
“My hearing is just fine. Thank you very much,” came Rhett’s voice from his desk, where he was tapping away at his keyboard.
Kristin suppressed a giggle, sipping the hot chocolate. It was sweet as if someone had added just a hint of sugar, not too much, just perfect.
“Mr. FitzGerald asked me to get you a hot chocolate with little sugar. He thought you might like it,” York admitted under Rhett’s intense gaze, finally revealing the truth behind the thoughtful gesture.
Feeling overwhelmed by the attention, Kristin glanced at Rhett and murmured a shy “Thank you.”
“I’ve got a meeting. Send the SandStone Project files to my computer and ensure it’s encrypted,” Rhett instructed before standing up.
Kristin hesitated, knowing the task was usually for Rhett’s secretary
Rhett had been sidelining Randall for some time, and Kristin.knew that Rhett would make his move once she was competent enough to manage Randall’s responsibilities. temporarily. Randall, for his part, was likely beginning to sense the shift.
“You’ll need to be careful around him,” Kristin thought.
“Mr. FitzGerald…” Kristin began, sitting before his high–tech computer system.
Rhett, who had reached the office door, turned back at her hesitation. “Yes?”
“The computer…” Kristin faltered, not entirely confident.
The technology had advanced quickly since her time, but she had learned computer repair
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prison. Being naturally Intelligent, she caught on quickly to computer applications.
She wasn’t a pro, but she had learned from a fellow Inmate, a hacker who did her time for causing a company significant financial loss through illegal system breaches.
That woman had initially bullied Kristin with the others, but after Kristin had stood up for her, she had warmed up and taught Kristin quite a bit.
“You don’t know how to use it?” Rhett mistook her hesitation for unfamiliarity with his computer system and returned to show her.
“No, it’s not that.” Kristin shook her head and expertly pulled up the task manager to check for suspicious processes.
Rhett stood alongside her, a surprised smile playing on his lips at her proficiency.
“Mr. FitzGerald, this…” Kristin pointed to a strangely named process. “Have you opened any suspicious programs?”
It looked like Rhett’s computer might have been hacked.
Rhett’s expression darkened, and he instructed York, “Call Granger.”
Granger was their go–to cybersecurity expert.
Kristin quickly checked the system logs and found unauthorized login attempts and other
breaches.
“Mr. FitzGerald, you should check for any missing important files,” Kristin urged, panic edging her voice. “Maybe we should call the police.”
“No rush. Let’s play along,” Rhett said, glancing at the clock. “York, cancel the morning. meeting. We’ll do it in the afternoon. Tell them I need to finalize the SandStone Project first thing.”
York nodded, leaving to carry out the order.
Rhett had a good idea of who was behind this.
“Enter the project proposal into the system,” Rhett instructed Kristin, asking her to input the final draft into the computer.
Kristin hesitated, worried. “Mr. FitzGerald, this is too risky.”
“It’s fine. We have a contingency plan,” Rhett reassured her, ruffling her hair affectionately.
Her keen sense of alertness was endearing, a clear sign of a past that had taught her to be wary.
She would never have developed such sharp instincts if she had been a sheltered heiress.
Kristin’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she focused on entering the files with
seriousness.
Granger arrived within twenty minutes, disguised as a delivery guy, and went to the omice.
Hey, when did we hire a beautiful new assistant?” Granger joked, nudging Rhett as he set down his delivery bag.
Knock it off. Don’t scare her,” Rhett scolded, his brow furrowing in warning.
Kristin eyed Granger nervously, instinctively moving away from the strange man.
After realizing who she was, Granger corrected himself with a more respectful tone. “Hey, you must be Rhett’s honey, Kristin. I’m Granger.”
Kristin stammered, “Ah, what?”
Rhett’s honey? Weren’t her and Rhett’s dealings supposed to be a secret?
“Enough, Granger,” Rhett warned, his frown deepening.
Granger nodded, getting down to business. “Any idea who our friend might be?”
“It’s got to be Vincent. He’s the only one interested in sabotaging the desert project,” Rhett said in a low tone.
“Fine, let’s bait him with something he can’t resist. Create a new file with an enticing topic,” Granger suggested, plugging his USB into the computer. “To snag a big fish, we need to hack his system without him catching on.”
“I don’t know what he’s into,” Rhett grumbled, clearly irritated.
“Just…use my name on the file,” Kristin said hesitantly, glancing guiltily at Rhett. “Kristin
Turner.”
Granger paused, not quite catching on.
“Huh?” Granger turned around to see Rhett’s expression had turned stormy.
That was dark enough to be alarming.
Kristin nervously tapped away from Granger, her fingers fumbling across the keyboard as she entered her name, “Kristin Turner,” to rename the file before uploading a passport–style photo.
Granger glanced back at Rhett, seeking approval.
Rhett remained silent, prompting Granger to whisper cautiously, “Hey, Kristin, will it work?” Kristin nodded with determination. “Yes, it will work.”
She knew Vincent inside out. Once he spotted a file about her on Rhett’s computer, he would open it.
And as expect, as soon as the file was ready, someone downloaded it on the other end.
But that was no ordinary file. It was a Trojan horse, ready to infiltrate Vincent’s computer.
Hal Brilliant Granger couldn’t help but slap the desk in triumph. “We did it!”
Eager for some praise, Granger turned back to Rhett, only to find his face as dark as a storm cloud.
“What are you grinning at? Keep an eye on him!” Rhett barked, and his voice sounded like a threat.
Granger looked confused, glancing between Rhett and York, trying to figure out Rhett’s mood.
“Mr. FitzGerald has been off recently, all moody and stuff. Just get used to it,” York muttered under his breath.
Kristin kept her head down, too scared to make a sound.
“Come with me,” Rhett said darkly, motioning for Kristin to follow him.
York felt a pang of fear. Rhett looked ready to chew someone out. Was he about to give Kristin a piece of his mind?
“Mr. FitzGerald, it isn’t Kristin’s fault. She wouldn’t do something like this. Maybe we should double–check it?” York suggested, thinking Rhett suspected Kristin of leaking information or planting the virus that gave the hacker an opening.
“Out of my way,” Rhett snapped, too irritable to entertain York’s suggestion.
“Rhett! Come quick. Vincent opened the encrypted file.”
Rhett was about to take Kristin into the back room for a ‘serious talk‘ when Granger’s shout caught his attention.
“What’s so interesting about Vincent’s encrypted files?” Rhett asked, his face grim as he glanced at the computer screen.
But with just one look, Rhett’s expression turned even darker. It was no longer just menacing but was murderous.
