Chapter 6 Black Ice Project
Sophia finally turned to face him, their faces close enough to feel each other's breath.
"I took a few elective courses," she said flatly, as if discussing something utterly trivial.
Henry chuckled, his voice tinged with amusement. "Which university? Who was your professor? I might know them."
Sophia returned her attention to the computer, fingers resuming their dance across the keyboard. "That's none of your business."
With a final decisive keystroke, Sophia broke through. The seemingly impenetrable encrypted file shattered like crystal on the screen, its core contents instantly unfurling before them.
Her eyes darted across the complex project descriptions and financial flows, until they locked onto the final line—an electronic signature so distinctive, so impossible, that it stopped her cold.
Her pupils contracted sharply as her breathing hitched. The color drained from her face, leaving nothing but raw, disbelieving shock.
This signature. How could it possibly be here?
Everything she'd theorized was suddenly turned on its head.
Without warning, the document began to disintegrate. Characters twisted and dissolved as pixel-black flames ignited along the edges of the screen.
"Too late," Sophia said coldly, her fingers becoming a blur on the keyboard as she attempted to halt the process.
But the black flames spread with alarming speed, devouring half the screen in an instant.
"Impossible! How was it triggered?" Henry's brow furrowed deeply.
With ice in her eyes, Sophia yanked out the security key. The screen went black immediately, the computer tower emitting one low, ominous hum before falling completely silent.
The devouring flames froze in their final frame, then vanished with the darkness of the dead screen.
"It wasn't an external attack," Sophia's voice was arctic. "It was a bomb your father planted. The fuse is connected to the entire Caldwell Corporation."
She stood up, her voice urgent and commanding. "You only have one option left. Take me to your father's study. Now. Every second wasted brings the Caldwell Corporation one step closer to oblivion."
The moment she finished speaking, the CEO's office door was violently thrown open, slamming against the wall with a thunderous crash.
A middle-aged woman burst in—expensively suited, well-maintained, but with a face like thunder and eyes sharp as daggers. Her gaze swept over Henry first, then locked onto the now-decrypted file displayed on the screen with laser precision.
"Henry!" Her voice carried the shrill edge of fury and shock. "Too late again! Are your people completely useless? How could anyone access this file—"
Her words cut off abruptly. Before Henry could respond, a smaller figure had risen from behind the massive desk.
Sophia casually popped a piece of pink strawberry gum into her mouth, her cheek bulging slightly as she blew a perfectly round bubble.
"Pop."
The bubble burst, leaving a sticky residue on the tip of her small nose. She nonchalantly wiped it away before lifting her eyes—still harboring aftershocks of her earlier discovery but now deliberately glazed with indifference—to look at the formidable woman at the door.
"I did it," Sophia announced with a crisp, drawling tone, pointing lazily at herself.
The air in the office seemed to crystallize.
The woman who had stormed in was clearly Henry's mother, Megan Grant.
At Sophia's words, she froze as if someone had hit her pause button.
Those shrewd eyes scrutinized Sophia from head to toe—her petite frame, barely 5'3"; her makeup-free doll face with large eyes and that tiny spot of bubble gum still on her nose; her oversized hoodie and faded jeans; the well-worn canvas sneakers; her hair casually pulled into a messy bun with wisps framing her face.
She looked, for all the world, like a high school student playing hooky.
The shock and rage on Megan's face transformed instantly into supreme disdain. Her perfectly maintained eyebrows arched high, and words dripped from her precisely lipsticked mouth like icicles laced with venom.
"You?" She scoffed with undisguised contempt, turning her gaze to Henry's grim face. "Henry! What is this?"
"Since when did the Caldwell Corporation's executive suite become a daycare center? Where did this underage girl come from? Where's security? Get this girl out of here before she stains the carpet with something she can't afford to replace!"
Underage girl?
Sophia rolled these words around in her mind but didn't erupt in anger. Instead, she sauntered forward a few steps, meeting Megan's gaze with cool detachment.
"Your son wasn't complaining about my age when he was begging for my help earlier," Sophia said softly but distinctly, her jaw working as she continued to chew her gum.
"You! How dare you speak! Ill-mannered little pest!" Megan's face darkened. "Security! Remove this uncouth—"
Before she could finish, Henry had smoothly positioned himself between Sophia and his mother, his tone level but brooking no argument. "Mother. Miss Bennett is a professional consultant I've engaged. Please show her respect."
"Her? This girl?" Mrs. Caldwell jabbed a finger toward Sophia, incredulous, her voice rising. "Henry, has she cast some spell on you? She—"
"I said, she is the only one," Henry cut her off, meeting his mother's glare with steely resolve.
Though he didn't look back at the still-seething Sophia, his body angled slightly, creating a silent shield of protection.
He spoke up, "The file has been decrypted. What matters now is its contents, not pointless arguments. Mom, you rushed here with such urgency—clearly you understand the significance of this document."
"Damn it! That file belongs to your father! To the Caldwell family!" Megan exploded, her furious voice nearly carrying beyond the office walls. "Are you defying your own mother for some girl? Henry, have you no conscience at all?"
Her words fell into a sudden, tense silence.
Henry stood speechless, until Sophia's cold voice came from behind him. "Mr. Caldwell, it seems our partnership is over."
As Sophia turned to leave, Henry caught her wrist—not roughly, but firmly enough to prevent her escape.
"Who said that?" he challenged.