Chapter 202: Will You Marry Him?

For the first time, Nathaniel's account had been hacked. Mason was stunned, never expecting such a call in the early hours.

“Have you identified the hacker?” Nathaniel asked, momentarily taken aback, but quickly regaining his composure.

“Not yet,” Mason replied. “The incident was completely unexpected; we lacked adequate precautions. By the time we realized the account was compromised, the money was gone.”

The hacker had taken over seven billion. Their audacity and skill suggested they could easily have targeted a bank, yet they chose Nathaniel's personal account. This indicated a specific interest in him.

“I’m giving you a day to investigate,” Nathaniel said, abruptly ending the call. Hacking the account wasn’t the difficult part; transferring the funds was the real challenge. While the money had vanished into a string of numbers, its successful transfer wasn't guaranteed. Even if lost, it was insignificant to Nathaniel.

Meanwhile, Vivian awoke early to take Jonathan to kindergarten, only to find him still asleep. “What’s wrong with this boy?” she wondered. He usually rose on time without needing to be awakened. Finding him soundly asleep, she gently pinched his rosy cheeks. “Oh, well. I guess I can let you be late for school just this once.”

Jonathan had spent the previous night attempting to infiltrate Nathaniel’s bank account, finally falling asleep around four or five in the morning. He woke at half past nine. Furrowing his brows—strikingly like a miniature Nathaniel—“I overslept,” he said. Punctuality was a constant for him; this was unprecedented. He quickly freshened up and left.

To his surprise, Vivian was waiting. “Hey, sly kid. You’re late today, aren’t you?”

Jonathan was caught off guard. Vivian usually worked, and the driver took him to school. “Vivian, aren’t you supposed to be at work?” he asked, changing the subject.

Her face fell. “Yeah, I have a meeting later.”

“Mr. Zachary?” Jonathan wondered aloud, packing his bag.

Vivian's eyes widened. “How did you know?”

Jonathan feigned innocence. “Just a wild guess.” Vivian clearly didn’t believe him.

Seeing him finished, she said, “Let’s go. The meeting is near your preschool; I’ll drop you off.”

Vivian detested Zachary, but had to meet him due to threats from her father, Roland. The Sinclair family’s interest in her was unclear, but they'd proposed a marriage. The thought of Zachary gave her a headache.

Jonathan, meanwhile, was troubled. Zachary had previously tried to grab him at preschool, and Jonathan had noticed suspicious individuals lurking nearby since then. He hadn’t expected such a strong grudge. “I need to figure out a way to deal with him,” he thought. “Otherwise, I might end up falling into his clutches.”

Reaching the preschool, Jonathan asked, “Vivian, will you marry Mr. Zachary?”

Vivian, taking a sip of water, nearly choked. “Of course not. He’s a troublemaker. There’s no way I could ever marry him.”

Jonathan was relieved. “Good. I’ve arrived. Bye.”

Vivian watched him sprint away, sinking into thought. Before she could process his question, her phone rang. It was Zachary.