Chapter 71 My Sister-in-law Has Disappeared
Cracking the safe turned out to be a Herculean task. Its digital keypad boasted an unusual lock—one that Reese had rarely encountered. But what really threw a wrench in the works was its requirement for facial recognition.
Where in the world was she supposed to get facial recognition? Reese thought, irritated at the thought of smashing the stubborn device to bits.
On the other end of the line, Calvin's voice came through with a sense of urgency, "Boss, you gotta hurry it up. I can't hold them off much longer. They're starting to take measures, and if things don't switch back soon, they'll send someone to check."
Reese's fingers flew over the numeric keys—those she could guess—but the facial recognition was a hurdle she couldn't clear. After three failed attempts, she knew the alarm would blare. And then, Calvin’s efforts would all be for naught.
As if on cue, Alyssa’s call came through at the worst possible moment.
"Sis, please hurry it up. I've got your guy all lined up," came Alyssa's voice.
"Almost done. Just... battling a bit of a stomach bug. Give me a few more minutes," Reese replied, already abandoning the facial recognition feat. Without Malcolm's face, the safe was impenetrable.
Her only option was to dismantle it. From the lining of her jacket, she extracted an array of neatly packed miniature tools—custom-made by Calvin. Small, yes, but ridiculously expensive—each worth the price of a car.
Moments passed with no word from Alyssa, leaving Reese to wonder if she had hung up.
"You still there?"
"Brother, what... what are you doing here?" Reese's voice faltered, now disguised as Alyssa's. "I was just... just asking him about something. We misplaced a document in our department, and I was hoping he could come up and help us look."
A sinking feeling gripped Reese. Alyssa had the worst luck; she seemed to bump into Malcolm everywhere.
She swiftly hung up to quash any suspicion, her movements becoming even more frantic.
Calvin's voice crackled with urgency, "Boss, it looks like Malcolm's heading toward the archive room. You've got to move fast; I can only give you two more minutes."
"Stop nagging me," snapped Reese.
Calvin’s incessant chatter only heightened her irritation. Annoyed, she ripped off her Bluetooth earpiece, sweat gathering on her brow and her complexion turning pale.
If Malcolm caught her, she would have no other option but to leave the Flynn family. She wouldn't just lose her chance to uncover the truth about her grandmother’s death, but she’d likely wind up behind bars, courtesy of Malcolm's charges.
This lock was a beast—the toughest Reese had ever encountered.
But when her stubborn streak kicked in, there was no stopping her. Today, she was determined to crack this thing.
"Welcome, master. Welcome, master," a synthetic robotic voice greeted her.
Reese couldn't help but be slightly amused. This gadget had a few tricks up its sleeve.
She hastily snatched the documents from inside and began to scan them, her hands moving so fast, they were almost a blur.
She paused on one file named "Shoal Bay," bingo, that's what she was after.
However, she couldn't take it with her. It'd be too easy to get caught. She flicked through the pages and committed the gist to memory.
Suddenly, Justin Chabon’s voice erupted from the doorway.
“Mr. Flynn, we've had another system breach that we just contained. No suspicious activity was detected, though.”
“Let’s make sure the files are still there.”
Reese’s face paled as she watched the door to the records room swing open…
“Any trace of who did it?” Malcolm’s handsome brow was marked by a brooding presence.
“Not yet. The timing was meticulous, and it seems the breach was just to disable the cameras on this floor. The tech team tried to restore them, but no luck.”
Justin Chabon and Malcolm entered.
Malcolm surveyed the room with his sharp gaze, finding no sign of intrusion. Justin led him to the desk, where Malcolm bent over to input a series of digits and engage facial recognition. The document cabinet unlocked.
Then, with a frown and an icy tone, he said, “Someone’s been in here.”
Justin looked puzzled. “Really? Everything appears normal. Are we missing any files from the cabinet?”
“We’ll see.” Malcolm began to remove the files, with Justin assisting. Not a single document was missing.
Justin asked, “Mr. Flynn, could someone have copied something from the files?”
“That’s unlikely. This cabinet is specially designed to set off an alarm when it detects electronic devices, like phones, directly alerting our tech department.”
Hidden in the shadows, Reese let out a quiet sigh of relief. Lucky for her, she hadn't used her phone for photos, or she'd be toast.
Malcolm certainly ran a tight ship when it came to security. Breaking through all those layers just to get to the files would be no small feat.
But now, how was she going to get out? The floor's surveillance had been restored; if she walked out in plain sight, the cameras would surely catch her.
Calvin had breached their system once already, and the Flynn Group's tech team would've doubled down on security by now. Another attempt by Calvin could lead to discovery.
Justin appeared to be reassured as well: “Let’s not overthink it, Mr. Flynn. Maybe our intruder came in, saw they couldn't open the cabinet or use their phone to take pictures, and left. It's the most logical explanation.”
"It's not like it could have memorized everything in just a few minutes. I've yet to see anyone with a memory like that, apart from you, Mr. Flynn, right?"
Following Malcolm for so many years, Justin Chabon had his reasons for being ready to walk through fire for him. Malcolm was a rare talent, his decisions often dazzling and bold. He dared to tackle what others shied away from, turning overlooked projects into gold.
Malcolm didn't see it that way, though:
"Don't jump the gun. There's always a bigger fish, and you never know. Have the tech team keep digging and try to restore the surveillance on this floor."
"Got it."
"I need to change clothes—I've got a client meeting."
"Sure."
Hearing Malcolm was about to change, Reese's heart tightened. She was hiding in the very closet he was about to open. What on earth would she say if he found her there?
She couldn’t recall ever being cornered like this. Absolutely ridiculous.
Justin wheeled Malcolm towards the closet. Reese held her breath, her palms slick with sweat as she intently watched the door. If Malcolm pulled it open, her game was up. She braced herself to come clean.
The door slowly inched open with his movement, but then a commotion interrupted, followed by Alyssa's urgent voice.
"Brother, we’ve got trouble..."
Malcolm paused, his brows knitting together.
"Alyssa, how many times? You're a director here. Act like one, okay?"
Sure, it was only a title, but appearances mattered.
Alyssa was frantic: "But, brother, this is serious. You'll be more upset than me. I can't reach your wife, and she's missing."
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