No Strings Attached

Chapter 434

Ian’s dark eyes were stormy with concern. He was well aware of the significance of the chip technology data for Hayes Corporation.

It had taken him five years and a fortune to develop this chip technology, which was pivotal in countering the monopoly in the chip industry. The loss of this data could cripple their upcoming product launches and lead to substantial financial hits. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Without hesitation, Ian set his phone aside, strode into his study, and dove into the computer system to track down the missing data.

When Chase and Sasha entered, they found Ian. his brow furrowed, staring intently at the screen, his fingers flying over the keyboard, without so much as a glance their way.

Chase sensed trouble immediately. He walked over and asked, “Something up with the company?”

Ian’s voice was deep and slightly hoarse as he responded, “Firewall’s been breached. We’ve lost the chip tech data.”

Chase couldn’t help but curse, “Damn! They’re trying to bury you, man. Whoever did this is dead meat if I catch them. They won’t know what hit ‘em.”

He promptly grabbed a laptop, settled into the couch, and his slender fingers began their rapid dance across the keys.

Sasha, puzzled, looked at him. “What are you doing? Stirring up chaos? We should be out there looking for Clara.”

Chase had never looked so serious. His eyes were glued to the code on his laptop screen, and his fingers were tapping away. He said, “Hayes Corp has too many secrets to protect. I’ve got to get this firewall up to snuff, or we’re going to face even bigger losses.”

Sasha stared at him incredulously. “You know how to hack?”

“What do you think? That I’m just good with a scalpel? I’m only a notch below this guy when it comes to hacking.”

Sasha was genuinely taken aback. She’d never pegged the carefree, notorious playboy Chase as a tech whiz. She sat quietly beside him, watching the stream of code being fed into the computer.

After what felt like an eternity, Chase’s shoulder began to ache, and only then did he notice Sasha had dozed off, resting against him.

Spotting the puffiness around her eyes, he stopped what he was doing, gently laid Sasha down on the couch, resting her head on his thigh, and draped his jacket over her.

Just then, a call came through for Ian. He hit the answer button without delay. “Mr. Hayes, we’ve located the ship’s owner. He says there were twenty life rings on board, but we’ve only recovered nineteen. It’s possible Mrs. Hayes took one and jumped ship. If that’s the case, her chances of survival just went up.”

Ian’s usually furrowed brow relaxed at the news. A glimmer of hope passed across his face. He knew Clara was resourceful enough to save herself when it mattered most.

Ian stood up and ordered, “Track the sea current patterns from that day and search along the coast. It’s been six days – the upper limit for survival at sea.”

“On it. We’ll set out immediately.”

Pacing the balcony, Ian felt a surge of hope for Clara’s survival.

Chase suggested, “Leave this to me. Take a crew and go find her. She might have drifted to some small fishing village and been rescued.”

Ian clapped Chase on the shoulder. His voice was grave. “I’ve tracked down the hacker – it’s zore, ranked sixth. I’ve pinpointed his location and sent people after him. What’s left is to recover the lost files.”

Chase flashed a roguish smile. “This bastard won’t know what hit him. Go on. I’ll have your data back within a day.”

Ian trusted Chase’s skills implicitly. He wouldn’t dare leave the company amidst such turmoil otherwise.

As dusk fell, the only sound in the room was the steady clicking of the keyboard. And amidst the rhythm of keystrokes, Sasha stirred in her sleep, cursing softly in annoyance. “Chase, for the love of peace, can you quit gaming? You’re killing my sleep here.”