Novel Square
Chapter 2
After dinner, Jessica drove them to their hotel. Just as they arrived, Audrey received a text message on her phone, which read, [Ms. Hernandez, have you arrived? Please come. to my house for a meal tomorrow.]
Audrey replied, [No need, I will come the day after tomorrow in the morning.]
The response read, [Okay, then. Rest well, Ms. Hernandez. See you the day after tomorrow.]
Audrey had just finished replying to the message when the doorbell rang. The hotel manager stood respectfully outside. “Ms. Hernandez, someone just sent this for you.”
Thank you, Audrey said as she accepted the package and glanced at it.
“Audrey; is this from Mr. Davis?” Brian asked, coming out of the bathroom and noticing the invitation on the table.
Audrey nodded and sent a message to Jason Davis before turning to Brian. “We’ll go to Silvandel Auction House tomorrow night.”
Brian obediently nodded. “Got it. I’ll go chat with Lucas now.”
The presidential suite featured a bedroom and two living rooms. After Brian returned to his room, he promptly retrieved his laptop from his backpack to video chat with Lucas. On the other end, Lucas, with his stern little face, appeared older and more mature than his years.
“Lucas, I’m here,” Brian said.
Lucas had been waiting for a while. “Brian, is Mom asleep?”
“Not yet. Mr. Davis just sent an invitation. Audrey is taking me to the Silvandel Auction House tomorrow,” Brian replied.
Lucas nodded, not forgetting to remind him, “Keep your card safe. If Mom likes something, make sure to buy it for her.”
“Got it. I have money too.” Brian nodded. “Let’s get started.”
“Okay,” Lucas agreed. The twins‘ faces turned serious as Brian’s chubby fingers began typing swiftly. Lines of code flashed on the screen, followed by red alert signals as his attack was blocked.
Brian’s expression hardened with determination. The bad guy’s company’s firewall is tougher than I expected, he thought.
Without a word, Brian focused, his small, chubby hands moving quickly over the keyboard. After a while, his serious face broke into a triumphant smile. “Done! Haha, I even planted a virus to make their system crash.”
Lucas, maintaining his stern demeanor, reminded him, “Make sure to clean up any traces so they can’t track us.”
“Don’t worry. They won’t.” Brian chuckled. Then he was surprised when he saw the face. of the bad guy. “Lucas, Lucas, the bad guy looks just like you!”
“Oh. I’m going to sleep,” Lucas replied coolly and ended the video call. In the video, his stern little face indeed resembled the photo on the screen, just a smaller version. Shortly after, Lucas sent a message, saying, [Send me the picture of that bad guy.]
Brian sent the photo to Lucas, saved it on his phone, and encrypted it to prevent Audrey from discovering it.
Meanwhile, the entire system had crashed at Clifford Group headquarters in Northville. The IT team worked through the night to fix it. Even Dylan had been called from Clifford Mansion to the company.
“Have you found out who attacked us?” Dylan’s cold voice carried a dangerous undertone.
“Not yet, but we found this,” Richard showed Dylan the footage from the IT department. On the black screen were the words “Big Bad Guy” in blue, with a colorful lollipop and the letter “R” in the right corner.
It seemed like a prank, but who would dare to play such a trick on Clifford Group, the Dylan, the heir to most powerful company in Northville? Plus, everyone knew th Group, the Clifford Group, held the reins. Dylan was known for his ruthlessness and cunning, even sending his fiancée to prison.
“Bring in Patrick Murphy for an investigation Dylan ordered, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint.
“Mr. Clifford, the source appears to be from the Grandview Hotel. However, the hacker’s skills are impressive, nearly on par with mine,” Patrick reported half an hour later.
Richard frowned, pondering, ‘If the hacker is as skilled as Patrick, they must be formidable. Who in Northville could pose such a threat?‘
“Monitor Grandview Hotel closely and report any suspicious activity,” Dylan ordered.
After resolving the crisis, Dylan and Richard departed. As they settled into the car, Shawn’s call came in. “Mr. Clifford, please come to Northville Hospital the day after tomorrow. My grandfather’s teacher is arriving to perform surgery on Samuel Roscente.”
“Got it.” Dylan agreed.
The Longman family held a prestigious position in the medical community, and Shawn’s grandfather, Aaron Longman, was widely recognized as a prominent figure in the field of medicine across the nation, particularly in the realm of surgery.
Dylan had been under Aaron’s treatment for headaches for the past seven years. Unfortunately, the condition persisted without a cure and had only worsened over time.
At Silvandel Auction House the next day, the biggest auction venue in Northville, the elites gathered.
At half past six, a black car pulled up at the entrance, catching the attention of onlookers. “Isn’t that the Hernandez family’s car?” someone remarked, noting the distinctive license plate. Before long, the car door swung open, and a trio stepped out with poise.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
A middle–aged man in a silver–gray suit, looking remarkably spry for his age, accompanied by a graceful woman in a rose–red evening gown, her demeanor exuding elegance. Between them walked a young woman in a white dress, radiating both elegance and gracefulness.
Their arrival caused quite a commotion. “It’s indeed the Hernandez family. I didn’t anticipate seeing them here.”
“I heard that Mr. Dylan Clifford is also attending. It makes sense for the Hernandez family to be here. They’re supposed to get engaged soon.”
“With Miss Audrey Hernandez in prison, I thought the engagement was off. But it seems they’ve just replaced her with a younger Miss Hernandez.”