Chapter 290
The sun was just beginning to rise when Evelyn Carter first dipped her toes into the world of hacking. What started as curiosity had now turned into something far more serious—she was making rapid progress, faster than she had ever anticipated.
Nathaniel Whitmore saw right through her flimsy excuse. He knew exactly what she was up to—trying to breach a corporate system. But instead of calling her out, he simply exhaled and leaned back in his chair.
"Easy," he said, voice steady. "Follow my instructions. Big corporations have entire teams dedicated to cybersecurity. The moment they detect an intrusion, they’ll retaliate. You need to mask your IP behind a secure firewall. Otherwise, they’ll trace you in seconds."
Evelyn bit her lip. "I have the program you gave me. It should be enough."
"That’s not foolproof," Nathaniel countered. "I’m sending you something better. This one will actually work."
A beat of silence passed before she murmured, "Thanks, Nathaniel."
Not only had he seen through her plan without confrontation, but he had also handed her a lifeline—a new, more powerful tool.
"Don’t mention it. Just call me if you hit a wall."
"Got it."
The call ended, and within minutes, a zip file appeared in her inbox. She downloaded it straight to a USB drive, her fingers moving with quiet determination.
The next morning, Evelyn walked into Vista Properties with her laptop tucked under her arm.
Maxwell Harrison worked here.
She was done waiting. It was time to face him directly and demand answers.
Approaching the reception desk, she flashed a polite smile. "Hi, I’m here to see Mr. Harrison. He’s overseeing the demolition in my old neighborhood. Every family received compensation except mine. Could you tell me what’s going on?"
The receptionist nodded. "One moment, I’ll check for you."
While she waited, Evelyn let her gaze wander across the sleek, modern decor of the lobby—polished marble floors, glass walls, and expensive art.
A minute later, the receptionist looked up. "Mr. Harrison is currently occupied. If you’d like to wait, he’ll address your concern as soon as he’s free."
Evelyn forced a smile. "Of course."
She retreated to a secluded corner, pulled out her laptop, and got to work.
Within minutes, she was inside Vista Properties’ internal system.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she navigated through files, searching for anything related to the demolition project.
And then she found it—a schedule, complete with names and dates.
A photo of Maxwell Harrison stared back at her, his smug expression burned into her memory.
An hour ticked by.
Impatience gnawed at her. She marched back to the receptionist. "Is Mr. Harrison available now?"
The woman shook her head apologetically. "I’m afraid not. Please bear with us a little longer."
Evelyn clenched her jaw.
Fine. If he wouldn’t come to her, she’d force his hand.
She dove back into the system, this time hunting for Maxwell’s direct contact number.
Found it.
She dialed.
The line connected instantly.
"Hello, who is this?" His voice was smooth, dismissive.
Evelyn didn’t waste time. "Mr. Harrison, my family hasn’t received compensation for the demolition. I’d like an explanation. Are you free to talk?"
A pause. Then, a sigh. "Oh, it’s you. Look, I’m busy right now. I’ll get back to you later."
The call ended abruptly.
She tried again.
No answer.
Realization struck like a slap.
He was avoiding her.
And she knew exactly why—Victoria Sinclair had something to do with this.
Evelyn’s fingers hovered over the keyboard.
If he wanted to play games, she’d play them better.
She typed a single line into the company’s internal messaging system—visible to every employee with access.
"Mr. Harrison, are you done yet?"
The effect was immediate.
Across the office, screens lit up with the unexpected message.
Murmurs erupted.
"What the—?"
"Who sent that?"
"Did we get hacked?"
Within minutes, the news reached Alexander Montgomery.
His expression darkened. "What the hell is the IT department doing? Find out who’s behind this—now!"