Chapter 15 Simple Mistake
Rebecca arrived at the company earlier than usual the next morning. She had barely slept for the past few nights; her mind kept replaying everything Richard had told her, everything Vanessa had said, and everything Liam had done to her.
To make matters worse, she had been unable to find her scan result which was now adding to her anxiety. It felt as if someone had placed a heavy stone on her chest, and every breath required immense strength.
The large building of Smith Estate Company looked beautiful from the outside, but on the inside, Rebecca felt like a visitor instead of the owner. Everyone greeted her with respect, but deep down, she knew the truth: the company was not hers. At least, not yet.
Her father’s will was strict. "If she was not married within three months, everything would all go to Vanessa." Just the thought made her stomach twist.
Walking into her office, Rebecca took a seat and sorted through the documents her secretary had arranged for the day. However, she kept flipping through the sheets, her mind far from the paperwork.
She felt stuck, as if everything was working against her. "Three months…" she repeated to herself. "Where do I even start? How do I find a husband in three months?" She leaned back in her chair, frustrated.
The dating sites she had tried were not helpful; the men either weren’t ready for commitment or just wanted someone to take care of them. Exhaling shakily, she rubbed her forehead.
Lost in thought, a gentle knock at her office door startled her.
"Come in," she said.
Her secretary, Bella, stepped in, looking sharp in a neat skirt and simple blouse, always professional. Bella closed the door gently before speaking.
"Good morning, ma’am."
"Morning, Bella. What is it?" Rebecca replied, straightening up in her chair.
"There is a man outside who says he wants to buy a property from the company. He insists on speaking with you directly."
Rebecca blinked slowly. "A buyer? This morning?" she asked. There were always protocols in the company, but if the buyer insisted on seeing her, it must be urgent.
"Yes, ma’am."
Rebecca forced a small smile. Business mattered, and she needed every deal to run smoothly, especially now. This was also a chance to prove to herself and everyone that she could take care of her father's company.
"Let him in," she said.
Bella nodded and stepped out. A few seconds later, she returned with a tall man dressed in a well-fitted suit. He carried a brown folder and wore a simple smile. He appeared calm, polite, and harmless, every bit the businessman.
"Good morning, Miss Rebecca. I'm Mr. Daniel," he said, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."
"Good morning," Rebecca replied politely. "Please, have a seat." She gestured for Bella to leave. "You can excuse us now, Bella. I will attend to Mr. Daniel," she instructed. Bella bowed slightly and exited the room.
Mr. Daniel sat directly opposite Rebecca and placed the brown folder carefully on the table between them. "I’m interested in one of your estates."
“Which one?” she asked and after he described which one he was talking about to her, Rebecca gave him a nod before going ahead to open her tablet, trying to appear in control.
Behind his calm expression, the man’s eyes scanned the office quickly. They moved from the desk to the sofa, then landed on her phone lying beside her laptop. Same brand. Same color. Same case. Just as the caller had described.
His heartbeat steadied. 'Perfect,' he thought as he glanced around the room for any hidden cameras. Satisfied that there were none, he turned his attention back to his prey.
Rebecca clicked a few things on her tablet. "Here are the pictures of the estate. It’s a five-bedroom duplex with a swimming pool. The land size is—" she was still talking when he cut her off.
"Yes, yes," he replied softly. "Very nice. I will just take a look."
He leaned forward as if genuinely interested, pretending to read the documents she showed him. In reality, his eyes kept darting toward her phone, calculating distance, timing, and possibility.
Rebecca talked for several minutes, explaining the details about the property. He nodded repeatedly, asking a few questions to appear sincere.
Once she finished, she closed the tablet and looked up at him. "Would you like time to think about it, or do you want us to proceed with preparing the agreement?" she asked.
"I’ll think about it," he said calmly as he stood up. "Thank you very much, Miss Smith. Could I please get a copy of the properties you just listed?" He was already looking for the perfect opportunity to execute his plan.
She stood as well. "No problem. And you can reach out anytime," she replied, turning her attention to the small printer on her table.
That was all he needed. In one smooth, practiced motion, he picked up her phone and replaced it with his own which was also of the same color, and similar cover. It took less than a heartbeat. If someone had blinked, they would have missed it.
Unaware of the switch, Rebecca turned back to give him the printed paper.
The man smiled pleasantly. “Please excuse me, ma’am. Before I leave, I’d like to use your restroom.”
She nodded. “Go ahead.”
The moment he stepped inside the restroom and locked the door, his calm expression vanished. He pulled a tiny device from his pocket, connected it to Rebecca’s real phone, and began the cloning process.
His fingers moved quickly. He worked with the confidence of someone who had done this many times. In less than three minutes, he had full access to everything ranging from her messages, to emails, call logs, anf everything else.
He smirked, satisfied. She will be very pleased. He thought.
Once he finished, he cleaned the phone with a small cloth, removing any trace of his fingerprints.
"Thank you for your time and for letting me use the restroom. I will have my lawyer contact you tomorrow," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Glad to hear that," Rebecca said, returning the smile. "We look forward to working with you."
As he reached to shake her hand, the phone on the table buzzed. She glanced at it quickly, then placed it in her bag without thinking and shook his hand.
"Have a great day ahead," He said as he turned and left.
Few minutes later, he returned to the office, wearing an embarrassed expression.
“Miss Rebecca, I’m very sorry, but I think I mistakenly picked up your phone instead of mine.”
Rebecca frowned, confused. “What? No… my phone is—”
She reached into her handbag and pulled out the phone she believed was hers. The moment she looked at it closely, her eyes widened.
“This… this is not my phone,” she said, her voice soft but filled with surprise, wondering how she might have made that mistake.
The man quickly handed her real phone back. “Yes, I’m very sorry. I must have taken yours by accident when I stood up earlier.”
Rebecca blinked several times, confused but calm.
“Oh. Okay… It’s fine. Mistakes happen.”
He bowed slightly. “Thank you for understanding. Have a nice day, ma’am,” he said as he left the office with a satisfied smile.
Rebecca sat down slowly, her phone in hand. Although she could feel the whole incident was strange, but she pushed the thought aside. She was too tired to overthink a simple mistake.
Besides, what could a stranger want with her phone? She checked and seeing that it was still locked, she sighed. It was just a mistake. Even she did not notice the phone she'd placed in her bag wasn't hers. She told herself.
But what she didn’t know was that from this moment on, she no longer had her privacy.