Chapter 381
After Lemira asked, silence fell on the other end of the line. Tentatively, she spoke up, “Is it something you can’t talk about?” Was Orion’s identity really supposed to be a secret?
“Look, it’s not like that. You should probably ask him directly. I’ve got a meeting to catch, gotta run.”
After hanging up, Thaddeus was hit by a wave of relief mixed with fear. Lemira wasn’t easy to fool. He immediately called Orion, feeling the need to give him a heads-up to avoid any slip-ups. That’s as far as brotherly duty goes. He had already taken the fall for supporting a college girl financially; there wasn’t much more he could do.
Lemira pondered Thaddeus’s words. Orion’s past job must have been shady? All so secretive. She glanced at the top news stories on her phone. The buzz had died down, probably suppressed. Given it had started affecting stock prices, Asher must be having a tough time.
Putting down her phone, Lemira’s mood lifted. But the disturbance meant she couldn’t sleep now. She turned on her laptop to sort out issues identified in the artificial intelligence test. They needed prompt attention.
A message about the dark web popped up on Lemira’s phone. Logging in, she received a private message from an admin: [Someone wants to buy the firewall system you wrote. They’re offering $20,000 for you to rewrite a system for their company to fend off hackers.]
This task seemed straightforward. Lemira replied, [I can do it for $50,000.] After a brief pause, the response came, [The client agrees, but you need to personally visit their company to set it up and prove it can withstand a hacker attack before the final payment. They also offer an annual maintenance fee of $10,000 to handle any sudden issues.]
Seems like this company was a frequent target for hackers.
[Fine. What’s the company’s name?]
[The client requests confidentiality. You’ll be informed when it’s time for you to visit for setup.]
Such secrecy. Well, no one liked to disclose too much on the dark web. As long as she got paid, it was fine by her. Taking on the job was a no-brainer for Lemira—who would say no to more money?
Continuing with the AI project code, she grabbed lunch before heading straight to Maple Group. Upon arrival, she noticed several bodyguards standing outside the company floor. Who could be visiting?
11:05
Chapter 381
As Lemira entered, the manager quickly approached her, “Lemira, the Langstons have arrived, looks like your two brothers, and they seem quite furious.”
Her brothers? Just as she was about to head to her office, Asher emerged, “Lemira, thought you could hide? Did you really think I couldn’t find you with someone protecting you?”
Inside the office, Lucian was present too. But Thaddeus was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, Lemira walked into the office, confronting them, “What are you here for?”
To think they’d come directly to her workplace! But now Asher must have realized this company belonged to Thaddeus. She wasn’t worried about Asher causing any trouble that could threaten the company.
Fuming, Asher blurted, “I’m here to settle scores with Thaddeus. Don’t think I’m unaware that the media exposure is linked to you.”
It dawned on Asher that just last night, he had a run-in with Thaddeus, who had mocked him extensively. Today, the media had exploded with the scandal involving Evelina and Alaric, causing a significant drop in the company’s stock value. Given the unclear relationship between Lemira and Thaddeus, it had to be connected to Lemira.
With a cold smile, Lemira retorted, “Got any proof?”