Tiffany’s jaw dropped. She remembered when Kenneth’s computer was hacked-he’d lost at ton of important data and was furious for days.
She’d secretly celebrated his misfortune, but never in a million years did she imagine her own little brother was behind it.
“Wow…” she stammered, staring at Eric in awe. This kid had a hidden talent.
After a moment to process, she asked, “When did you learn all this? Who taught you?”
Eric blinked innocently. “Is it supposed to be hard?”
Tiffany couldn’t help but smile. Her brother was a genius.
Filled with pride, she pulled Eric into a tight hug and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Well then, looks like I’ve got my own personal hacker for any of my future schemes,” she said with a playful grin.
Typically, an older sister might lecture her younger brother about the dangers of hacking, but Tiffany was anything but typical.
Eric, ever the devoted brother, nodded seriously. “You got it, sis. I’m ready to help!”
“You know,” Tiffany mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully, “I heard Kenneth’s been working on some big study guides and practice tests for next week’s exams…”
Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them. Their shared wicked grins said it all-they didn’t even need to discuss it.
They would hack Kenneth’s computer until there was nothing left.
Just then, Charlie returned from work, completing the family gathering. As they all sat down for dinner, Tiffany’s gaze drifted to the other side of the table.
Selena and Sandra wore their usual polite smiles, sitting primly as always. Stan, however, looked like he was sitting on pins and needles, his eyes darting around the room, appearing utterly drained.
Tiffany couldn’t resist the urge to poke fun at him. “Stan, you don’t look so great,” she remarked with a hint of amusement.
Stan’s laugh was stiff. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a little cold, I guess.”
Tiffany nodded, her spirits lifted. The evening’s main event was about to unfold, and she relished the thought of the first big present she had in store for the Olsons.
After her inquiry, Charlie joined them at the table, shrugging off his suit jacket with a satisfied grin.
He immediately began praising Stan. “Stan, you’ve really outdone yourself with this deal. Running around to secure those extra points of profit was no small feat. I’m proud of you! Take a couple of days off to rest.”
Before Stan could respond, Selena and Sandra’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Does that mean the contract is secured?” they asked eagerly.
“Yes, the shipment arrived today, and we should start the project next week, Charlie replied, clearly in high spirits.
Yet, despite the praise, Stan remained silent, drawing puzzled looks from everyone around the table.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Charlie asked.
“No, no… Stan forced a smile, wiping sweat from his brow. “It’s just that my stomach’s been off from too much drinking lately.”
“Make sure to rest, and if it gets worse, see a doctor,” Charlic advised.
“Will do,” Stan replied, his voice lacking conviction.
The dinner continued pleasantly enough, with everyone seemingly enjoying themselves.
At one point, Selena used the excuse of getting more soup to pull Stan aside, her excitement barely contained. “You sly dog, you didn’t even tell me you closed the deal! What about the money? Make sure to move it to another account before anyone notices!”
The mere mention of the money made Stan’s vision blur with frustration.
There was no money left.
That fateful night, when he claimed to be out on business, everything had slipped through his fingers after a reckless escapade.
The one point two million dollars-a staggering sum-had vanished. But because of how he obtained it, he couldn’t even report it stolen without raising suspicions.
For days, Stan had be on edge, his mind racing with no solution in sight. Selena’s question only added fuel to the fire. “Money, money, money! That’s all you care about!” he snapped. Just shut up will you?
Selena was taken aback. The man who usually sweet-talked her had suddenly turned hostile, leaving her stunned and seething.
But she knew better than to make a scene in front of everyone, so she bit her tongue.
After dinner, as the family prepared to leave the restaurant, Charlie received a phone call. The news on the other end made his face turn ghostly pale. “What? Are you serious?”
Charlie was a seasoned businessman, a man who had weathered countless storms. For something to rattle him this much sent a chill through the room.
Thalia noticed his reaction and asked, “Honey? What’s wrong? Has something happened at the company?”
Charlie didn’t answer directly. Instead, his sharp gaze locked onto Stan. “The project manager just called. The materials you ordered? They’re not just subpar-they’re dangerously defective. Care to explain yourself?”
The weight of Charlie’s words hung in the air like a guillotine. In their line of work, cutting corners was not only unethical, but potentially catastrophic.
Charlie’s anger simmered as he considered the potential fallout. If those defective materials. had been used, the damage to the Kelley Corporation’s reputation would have been irreversible.
So irreversible in fact, that no one in their right mind would ever trust the Kelley Corporation again.
Under the intensity of Charlie’s glare, Stan seemed to physically shrink. Panic clawed at his throat as he stammered, “There… there must be some mistake! I followed the procedures exactly, I swear!”
The sudden turn of events left Selena and Sandra stunned. But in that fleeting moment, the mother-daughter duo both found the answer they were looking for in each other’s eyes.
This had been their plan all along-to skim a fortune off the top, hiding behind the mask of a legitimate business deal. The Kelley Corporation could crash and burn for all they cared, as long as they walked away with their pockets lined.
Now, as they watched the chaos unfold around them, they realized that everything was going exactly as they had planned.