SWNOVELS Chapter 34 by HusnaS
34. Tampering with The Reports
That Evening…
Heidi sat in front of her computer, going through a list of models on the web. While engrossed in her work, she was oblivious that someone was inside the room with her.
“Why are you overworking yourself when you’re sick, Heidi? Who even allowed you to stay at home instead of keeping you at the hospital?”
Heidi looked at her father, her lips pursing in an offended manner. “You knew I fell into the pool. Were you so busy with playing golf that you couldn’t call and check on me?”
It had been a few days since he left home. Heidi didn’t even know he traveled until his absence became alarmingly prominent.
“Were you so busy with being a servant housewife that you forgot you have parents for three years?” Her father had his own comeback, narrowing his eyes at her and also pursing his lips.
Heidi sighed exasperatedly. “Dad, didn’t you all disown me?”
“If we’ve disowned you, we wouldn’t have allowed you into the mansion.”
“Grandpa would defend me.”
“Silly Girl, always hiding behind your grandfather. Let me tell you, stop provoking Harold and his family,” he said harshly.
Seeing his stubborn daughter not willing to back down, Caleb wasn’t only beyond himself, he was a bit worried that Harold might put her in a tight spot.
“I know, I know.” Heidi stood up and pushed him out, her voice filled with conviction. “Uncle is so scary that you’re afraid to compete with him in managing the company. Now you have to wander around the world and play games with your friends to kill boredom.”
“You, Heidi- are you mocking me?”
“Of course not. Goodnight Dad, I love you.”
Heidi returned to the bed and sank down. Hours passed by and her eyes were still fixed on the computer screen.
Then finally, her fingers halted with the mouse. The cursor stopped at a particular name and her eyes widened with both confusion and disbelief.
Kate Anderson.
The highest office in the enormous Skyscraper of GK Group was engulfed in a foreboding aura.
As Lucas sat in his chair, scrolling through the computer screen and reading the reports, his brows furrowed more than normal and his eyes flashed with a coldness that could freeze the whole building.
“Amanda!” Without pressing the intercom, he yelled out the secretary’s name, the office shaking with his voice.
“M-Mr. Harrison, I’m here. Do you need anything?” Amanda scuttled inside the office, looking scared as well as confused.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lucas pushed the computer towards her and she quickly caught it. Amanda’s fingers trembled as she held the computer and read through the reports.
“M-Mr. Harrison.” She looked up, confusion evident on her face. “A- About this… Is something wrong with it?”
The man’s eyes flickered with fire, and Amanda quickly rephrased her question.
“Th-This is the report I sent you last night, regarding the architectural layout of the new mall. Did you find anything displeasing, Mr. Harrison?”
“Is this how you write a report?” The man’s deep voice made her shudder. ” Tell me, is this how you have been organizing the reports you sent me?”
“Urm…” Amanda trailed off. That was exactly how she’d been organizing the reports.
What was wrong with the man?
“Amanda, I can see you’re tired of your job. As the head secretary, what made you think you can slack off even a bit?”
“I- I’m so sorry, Mr. Harrison. I- I’ll… I’ll go through the report again then reorganize it and send it back.”
Amanda was on the verge of crying as she gently placed the computer in front of him.
What went wrong? The man wasn’t like this before.
He would sometimes even praise her reports. Amanda quickly did her job. In a few minutes, she returned with a new version of the reports.
“This is even worse!” Lucas almost flipped the table over. “Are you provoking me on purpose?”
“Ah! Mr. Harrison!” Amanda broke down. “This- I’ve put in a hundred and ten percent accuracy this time. The reports I even sent before aren’t as polished as this.”
“You-”
The man stared at her as if she was lying. Amanda had no choice but to keep on defending herself. “If you don’t believe me, please allow me to show them to you. Mr. Harrison, it is normal to forget some things sometimes.”
Thinking that Lucas Harrison had probably woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Amanda was quick to pacify the situation.
She brought her own computer and showed him all the reports she’d been sending to him for the past several months.
Lucas was patient enough to listen to her defend herself.
Strangely, though, the reports inside Amanda’s computer weren’t only different from the ones he received, they were all disorganized, just having the same context.
“M-Mr. Harrison, aren’t these the same reports you’ve been receiving from me?”
“No,” Lucas replied flatly, his hard expression melting into confusion.
“What!?” Amanda exclaimed. “Does that mean someone has been tampering with the reports? I make sure my computer system is well encrypted and my privacy is intact. I’ll speak with the tech team this instant.”
When she mentioned the tech team, Lucas remembered something.
“What about the investigation?”
“Concerning the surveillance of NightBay Street, Ivan from the tech department found some virus while trying to retrieve the footage. From the looks of it, someone has intentionally wiped out the footage.”
“Then clean the virus! Tell him to be fast.
Amanda nodded vigorously and fled the office.
Lucas twirled a pen in his fingers, his narrowed eyes fixed on the computer screen.
Someone had tampered with the reports?
What was their intention?
Clearly, they polished the reports Amanda sent him into a better version.