Chapter 403

Calvin yelled at Leonard, his eyes steely with barely controlled rage, "Your carelessness in handling things almost cost us everything! If I hadn't stepped in, this would've blown straight to the top."

Leonard nearly collapsed under the weight of that glare, his knees going weak. "M-Mr. Briggs, I was wrong!I neglected my duties.I-"

"Shut up," Calvin cut him off, his voice sharp as a blade. "Excuses are useless now. Tell me this-what about the defective stock and those sloppy records Natalie mentioned? Were they handled already?"

"I already sent word," Leonard hastily replied,nodding frantically. "The defective goods are being destroyed, and the irregular records have been corrected!"

A cold, derisive sound escaped Calvin's throat. He jabbed a finger at the stack of reports and photos on

his desk. "Get rid of everything she handed in."

"Yes," Leonard answered.

"Keep an eye on this annoying Natalie," Calvin said,rubbing his chin with deliberate thought. "And find a reason to push her out of Luminara Group."

"Yes." Leonard's eyes darkened, brimming with resentment. He would be more than happy to see Natalie gone. However, he required a plan.

Hannah had sensed the shift in atmosphere the moment her report ended. Once avoiding her workstation or becoming silent whenever she walked into the break room, her coworkers suddenly behaved as though an invisible ban had been lifted.

One of her coworkers, Linda Donovan, who had never spoken to Hannah before, actually looked up and grinned as Hannah carried a cup of water to the printer. "Printing something, Natalie?" Her tone was casual,almost as if they had always shared this level

of familiarity.

"Yes, Ms. Donovan," Hannah answered with calm politeness.

Later, Marissa approached carrying a small box of fruit candies, her practiced smile radiating warmth."Natalie, want to try one? They were brought back from abroad by a buddy.

"Thank you, Ms. Vaughn." Hannah took the candy and placed it neatly on the corner of her desk without opening it.

By lunch, several younger women-usually clustered around Marissa-"happened" to pass Hannah's desk."Your presentation this morning was impressive,Natalie! Even Mr. Briggs gave you kudos. Honestly,we should come to you for advice more often."

Hannah replied with courteous reserve, adjusting her black-rimmed spectacles, "Thank you for your kind words, but I was only doing my job. And I don't think I have much advice to offer. Let's all learn from one another instead."

She wasn't fooled in the slightest. She understood these sudden gestures of friendliness were calculated.

Peace, however, didn't last long. The storm was brewing fast, awaiting Hannah.

On an ordinary Tuesday morning,Hannah sat at her desk and switched on her computer.

The startup dragged unnaturally long before the monitor began to flicker wildly. A moment later, the screen froze, an unforgiving blue error glaring back at her.

"What happened?" a colleague sitting nearby whispered, leaning over curiously.

Hannah didn't reply. She simply picked up the phone and called IT.

Kevin Lopez, the IT technician, arrived quickly. After a few swift keystrokes, his expression hardened."Ms. Preston, your computer's been hit with a nasty virus. It's designed to corrupt documents-you'll

need a full system reinstall."

As he spoke, he ran a quick scan. Suddenly, he froze,letting out a sharp, startled sound. His finger lingered on a hidden folder deep within the system. "Wait,isn't this a document from an internal meeting? It's flagged confidential. Why would this be on your computer?"

Though his voice wasn't raised, the words carried across the office with perfect clarity.

In an instant, every head turned toward Hannah.Suspicion, shock, and barely hidden schadenfreude thickened the air.

Marissa let out a theatrical gasp. "Confidential files?How could this be on your computer, Natalie? This is a serious problem!"

Hannah remained composed as she saw right through it. This was an unmistakable setup. Those recent displays of friendliness had been nothing but a charade, aiming to lower her guard while the mastermind pulled the strings.

Hannah gazed at Kevin, her voice steady. "Please go ahead and reinstall the system for me."

But before Kevin could proceed, she leaned down,her fingers flying over the keyboard with practiced ease. Beneath the surface, she triggered an administrator script-silently exporting the full system logs and network records onto the encrypted USB drive she always carried.

She didn't straighten until she had secured the proof,watching calmly as Kevin began formatting the drive.

She hadn't expected that the computer fiasco was only the beginning. More plots were already on their way.