Chapter 3
[The warehouse is down, too; orders can't be processed.]
[Customer data access is messed up, and Ms. Pratt is freaking out.]
I set my phone face down on the table and went back to my breakfast.
It was not like I was heartless.
Yesterday, when they pinned me up for everyone to see at the meeting, nobody even bothered to ask why.
At 10 AM, my phone rang again.
It was Kyle Chase, one of the old hands from the tech department.
I picked up.
He sounded hoarse.
"Mr. Howe, it's chaos over here," he croaked.
I pushed my coconut drink aside.
"Just tell me what's going on," I said.
"The system blew up at 3 AM. Someone from outside managed to download a bunch of customer data, the warehouse platform's completely locked up, and nobody can get the security doors to work.
"Jett's been running around with the team all morning, but they still can't even figure out where it started."
I didn't say a word.
Kyle lowered his voice. "They tampered with the security protocols you had sealed off."
My fingers froze for a second.
"Who did it?" I asked.
"Jett Sully," he replied.
That didn't surprise me at all.
He was so eager to prove himself, so of course the first thing he'd do was mess with everything I'd set up.
It was like someone who couldn't swim insisting on throwing away their life jacket just because they thought it looked bad.
There was a commotion on the other end of the line.
Kyle sounded like he'd just moved to a different spot.
"Mr. Howe, Ms. Pratt's looking for you," he said.
"Tell her to talk to the tech lead," I replied.
Kyle went quiet for a moment.
"Jett's too scared to answer his phone right now," he said.
I gave a short laugh.
"All the more reason she should go to him," I said.
With that, I hung up.
The sunlight on the ocean was blinding.
I put on my sunglasses and lounged back in my chair.
Not long after, the hotel front desk sent someone over to find me.
A young server stood by the umbrella, holding the landline receiver, looking cautious.
"Mr. Howe, there's a Ms. Pratt calling for you. She says it's urgent," he said.
I took the receiver.
There was nothing but silence on the other end.
After a few seconds, Cherry's voice cut through the silence. "Hayden."
She still spoke with that commanding tone, but her words sounded even more tense than yesterday.
I chewed on my straw.
"Morning, Ms. Pratt," I said, sounding casual.
She paused for a moment, like being called "Ms. Pratt" stung her a bit.
"Something's wrong with the company system," she said.
"Mm," I replied.
"You knew?" she asked.
"Just heard about it," I said.
I could hear her breathing get tense.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"On vacation."
"Get back here. Now."
She said it like it was nothing, like I was still just next door, always at her beck and call.
I looked down at the sand by my feet.
"I'm not with the company anymore," I said.
"A transfer isn't the same as quitting," she replied, her voice tight.
"I never reported in," I said.
She went quiet for a couple seconds.
When she spoke again, her voice had turned cold.
"Hayden, this isn't the time to act out," Cherry said.
I switched the receiver to my other hand.
"I'm not acting out," I replied.
"Customer data has been leaked, the warehouse is shut down, and access permissions are in chaos. You know exactly what that means."
"I know."
"And you're just out there sunbathing?" she asked coldly.
I just smiled. "Now they finally know?"
"Honestly, it's still better than tearing up paper in the Document Destruction Department," I said.
I heard the sound of a file closing on her end.
She was barely keeping it together.
I could read that moment like a book.
When Cherry got mad, she never yelled—she'd just slam whatever was in her hands onto the table.
"Come back, and I'll restore your position," she said.
"My old position?" I shot back.
"Head of the Tech Center," Cherry said, straight to the point.
I leaned back in my chair, watching surfers get knocked over by the waves, then laughing as they scrambled back up.
"Yesterday, Jett said I was at the bottom of the performance list. Now you want me back in charge? Doesn't that mess with the whole 'rules are rules' thing?" I said.
Cherry stayed silent.
I could hear someone next to her, their voice shaky and rushed as they gave her an update.
She covered the receiver and murmured a reprimand to someone nearby.
When she spoke to me again, her tone was much softer now.
"Let's deal with this first," she said.
"Talk to Jett."
"He can't handle it."
"Then replace him."
She took a deep breath.
"Hayden, are you seriously picking a fight with me right now?" she snapped.
I set my coconut down on the little table.
The bottom of the cup made a soft clink.
"You already made your point when you called out my name in front of two hundred people yesterday," I said.
For a moment, all I could hear was her breathing on the line.
I didn't rub it in.
No need.
She knew exactly how much it stung.
After a moment, Cherry asked, "What do you want?"
I stared at the faint red mark on the back of my hand, left by the sun.
What do I want?
That question was way too late now.
I used to want her trust, a straight answer, and maybe just a little respect in front of everyone.
But what I got instead was that transfer order—and Jett standing next to her, looking all smug.
I kept my tone cool.
"Right now? I just want a vacation," I said.
"What about the company?" she pressed.