Chapter 116
Lucinda's fingers tapped lightly on the desk twice. Then she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Clay. I need a favor."
A low, lazy male voice came through the line, tinged with amusement. "Boss, name it."
"Hack into a phone." Her gaze remained fixed on the screen, on that figure hurrying away. "Joseph. VP at Ridgeway Tech. I want all his chat logs, call recordings, transaction records. Everything."
"Got it." Clayton paused, then his voice picked up with excitement. "Give me ten minutes."
Lucinda hung up, leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands across her chest.
Ten minutes later, her phone buzzed.
She glanced down. A folder appeared on the screen—not large, but densely packed with content.
She opened it. Her eyes scanned line after line of records.
Chat logs between Joseph and executives at Vyratek Tech Group. Spanning half a year.
Every transaction, every promise, every meeting—all laid out clearly.
"Data received. When's the payment coming through?"
"Relax. That idiot Lucinda doesn't know a thing. By the time she figures it out, the company will be finished."
"That intern Gaia's the perfect scapegoat. Young, no connections, can't make waves."
"Once this blows over, I'll be CEO, and your position at Vyratek will be secure."
In the voice recordings, Joseph's voice dripped with greedy satisfaction in every word.
Lucinda listened expressionlessly, her finger swiping across the screen twice.
Transaction records.
Many of them. One million dollars. Five million. Eight million... All from Vyratek Tech Group's offshore accounts.
Her lips curved slightly—cold as ice.
Enough.
This evidence was more than enough to put Joseph away for a very long time.
She slipped her phone into her pocket, stood up, and rolled her stiff neck.
The rat was caught.
But the game wasn't over yet.
She was going to make him spit out everything he'd swallowed. Bit by bit.
Lucinda left the server room and walked straight down the corridor without stopping.
Joseph's office was on the top floor, tucked into a corner. Floor-to-ceiling windows faced Starlight City's skyline—the best view, the most sunlight.
She stopped at the door.
"...Let's see how she dies this time. A little girl thinking she's actually CEO..." Joseph's voice leaked through the crack in the door, dripping with smug satisfaction. "Once headquarters issues the order, she'll be packing her bags. Once Gaia the scapegoat goes to prison, the project team takes the fall. No one will trace it back to me..."
Lucinda's fingers rested on the door handle. She paused for one second.
Then she pushed the door open.
Joseph's feet were propped up on his mahogany desk, the tips of his leather shoes pointed toward the door, swaying back and forth.
He held a cigar between his fingers, smoke curling around him. The smile was still plastered on his face—he hadn't had time to wipe it off.
The moment the door opened, his feet froze mid-air.
Ash from the cigar dropped onto his pant leg. He jerked his feet back, and his chair slid a foot backward.
"You—" His face flushed red, then turned pale. His eyes bulged. "Lucinda! Don't you know how to knock?"
Lucinda said nothing. She closed the door behind her with one hand. Click. The lock turned.
Joseph watched that movement. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he quickly stiffened his neck and stood up from his chair, straightening his crooked tie. "What, can't solve the problem, so you came here to throw a tantrum?"
He took a step forward, his lips twisting into a mocking smile. "The workplace isn't a playground, Ms. Wipere. If you can't hack it, go home and lie down."
His words cut off abruptly.
Lucinda pulled out her phone and set it gently on the desk.
The screen lit up. She swiped twice. The projector in the conference room suddenly activated.
The small projection screen built into Joseph's office slowly descended from the ceiling.
"What are you doing—" Joseph's voice trembled, but he was still trying to hold his ground.
Lucinda didn't look at him. Her finger tapped lightly on her phone. The first image appeared on the screen.
A screenshot of a chat log.
A conversation between Joseph and a Vyratek Tech Group executive. Time, date, amounts—all clearly visible.
"Data received. When's the payment coming through?"
"Relax. That idiot Lucinda doesn't know a thing."
In that instant, every trace of color drained from Joseph's face.
The image on the screen switched.
Transaction records.
It switched again.
More records.
Two years ago: a core algorithm, sold for eight hundred thousand dollars.
One year ago: a client list, sold for one million two hundred thousand dollars.
Six months ago: bidding floor prices, sold for two million dollars.
Joseph's legs gave out.
"This... this is fake..." His voice shook, eyes locked on the expressionless woman in front of him. "You forged this... you're trying to frame me..."
Lucinda's finger paused. She turned her head to look at Joseph. "Mr. Miller. Two years. Eleven core company files sold. Total amount: twelve million six hundred thousand dollars. Did I get those numbers right?"
The air in the office felt like it had been sucked out.
Joseph sat in his chair, face shifting from red to white, staring at Lucinda in disbelief.
"You... how could you possibly..." His voice was hoarse, broken, every word trembling. "The surveillance was deleted... I deleted it myself..."
Lucinda looked at him, her gaze calm. "You only deleted the file index. The actual data is still on the hard drive. Recovering deleted surveillance is the most basic technical skill. Mr. Miller, you've worked at Ridgeway Tech for so many years, and you didn't even know that?"
Joseph's mouth opened and closed. He couldn't get out a single word of rebuttal.
His phone was still lit up, the screen displaying the last message he'd sent to Phoenixia.
[File received. Pleasure doing business.]
Lucinda's gaze shifted from the screen back to Joseph's face. "Not just this new product database. Over the past four years, you've sold them eleven core files. From single data chains to complete technical proposals. You didn't miss a single one."
She paused, her voice dropping colder. "Twelve million six hundred thousand dollars. All into your personal account. Mr. Miller, do you know how long those numbers will keep you in prison?"
Joseph completely lost his composure. He collapsed into his chair like all the strength had been drained from his body, his face ashen.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Finally, his lips forced out a complete sentence, his voice barely audible.
"What... what do you want?"