Chapter 12_ Pizza

Maranello's Enterprise

The following day, Arya sat at her desk, gazing at the computer with vacant eyes. Before leaving the house, Alex had assured her that there was nothing to worry about and that he would resolve the issue. 'But he's just a kid! How could he possibly fix this chaos—' Arya mused silently when a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Who is it?" She inquired.

As the door swung open, a familiar voice and the alluring aroma of pizza filled the room. "I have brought a margherita, a marinara, and pepperoni with an abundance of revenge on top." Alex announced with a wide smile, dressed in uniform and holding three pizza boxes.

"Alex... You didn't even notify me when you arrived. How on earth did you bypass security?" Arya exclaimed, taken aback.

"Oh, I looked up a name of a senior manager and an office number in the hallway... Then I informed the personnel that I had pizzas for delivery." Alex explained.

"And they let you in?" Arya questioned.

"Why not? It's just pizza! Besides, none of them wanted to pay in advance. Oh, and you owe me for the pizzas. Now... please vacate the chair and allow me to get to work." Alex declared as he made his way to Arya's desk, plopping down on her chair, grabbing a slice of pizza, and quickly typing away on the keyboard with nimble fingers.

"How long will it take?" Arya asked with anxiety.

"It will take the time it takes... Plus, all the time you will make me waste by asking how long it will take." Alex replied, causing Arya to sigh and apologize under her breath.

"It's alright. Just let me focus on my work and enjoy some pizza." Alex stated and Arya nodded, munching on a slice as she listened to the clicking of the keyboard until...

BLIP

"Et voila! One freaking stupid email retrieved in no time." Alex boasted.

"You did it?" Arya asked hopefully.

"Of course, have a look." Alex remarked and Arya eagerly checked her computer, finding the email right there.

Arya exclaimed, embracing Alex and almost lifting him from the chair in her excitement. "Oh my God! That's it! You are amazing."

"Let's calm down a bit, alright?" Alex remarked, disentangling himself from her hug.

"I can't! Do you realize what this means? I won't lose my job. We still have a future." Arya danced with joy in the room.

Amused by her enthusiasm, Alex chuckled as he read the email. "Oh my God.... Did you really fall for this?"

"Well, yes, but it doesn't matter anymore. Because my little brother is a genius. I need to see my boss, I'll be back, Alex." Arya touched his hair lovingly and headed to Franko's office. She turned and walked towards Franko's office, and as she approached, she saw him in the hallway with a cup of coffee in hand. He noticed her and scowled before entering his office, with Arya following behind.

"Arya, I know why you're here, but my decision stands firm," Franko stated firmly, interrupting her before she could speak.

"Sir, I have proof. I was able to restore the deleted email sent from your account," Arya explained, and Franko nodded with a thoughtful expression.

"You should also be able to retrieve the email that was supposedly sent and deleted from my computer, right?" he asked.

"I believe so. Would that be sufficient proof?" Arya inquired.

"Yes."

"Great. I have an expert who can do it now.... If it's okay for another person to access your computer." Arya suggested.

"Fine, but I'll be closely monitoring the process," Franko agreed. Without delay, Arya called Alex on her phone to update him.

"Of course, I can do it," Alex's voice sounded through the phone.

"I'll be waiting for you on the top floor, take the elevator." Arya stated before ending the call, her eyes following the empty hallway as they waited for Alex's arrival.

In mere minutes, Alex strode into the office, pushing the door open. Franko's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to Arya, "Is that... your expert?" He asked skeptically.

"Sir, this is my younger brother, Alex. Appearance-wise, he may not seem like it, but he's incredibly adept with technology and computers." Arya explained, earning a nod from Franko.

Without wasting any time, Alex made his way to the desk and in front of Franko's impressed gaze, he successfully restored the email. "There you have it, sir." Alex said with a touch of jest.

"Very impressive. How old are you, kid?" Franko inquired.

"I'm 14." Alex replied confidently, causing Franko to nod in approval before turning to Arya with a regretful expression.

"I have a major mistake to make up for. I'm truly sorry, Arya." Franko sincerely apologized.

"Sir, thank you. I understand the difficult position you were in." Arya graciously commented.

"I appreciate your understanding... and you can be certain that I won't doubt you again in the future. Now, let's find out who's responsible for this mess." Franko said, reaching for his phone to call his secretary.

A female voice answered on the other end, "May I help you, sir?"

"Linda, who accessed my office on the day of the event?" Franko questioned.

"Well, I... I'm not sure what you mean, sir." Linda stumbled over her words.

"If you don't want to lose your job, speak up now!" Franko threatened.

"Sir, your son Kane stopped by. He said he wanted to surprise you." Linda revealed, causing Franko to nod solemnly and take a deep breath as he hung up the phone.

"Let's pay a little visit to your office." Franko declared, and Arya turned to Alex and told him to go home and to call her when he arrived safely.

Arya planted a quick kiss on his forehead before escorting him outside and putting him in a cab. She then turned to Franko with an apologetic expression and followed him to the office. As they walked in silence, Arya could sense Franko's seething anger emanating from him.

'Oh boy, I hope Kane knows what's coming for him.' Arya thought silently.

With fists clenched, Franko barged into the office, interrupting Kane who had been watching something on his phone. The younger man quickly stood up, ready to speak before being cut off by a sharp slap.

Franko's hand connected hard with Kane's face, causing him to stumble and lose his balance. "Shut up, you little brat! Your reckless behavior nearly cost someone their job. What the hell were you thinking?" Franko yelled, his anger evident on his face as Kane lowered his head in guilt.

"Dad, I–" Kane stammered, only to have Franko silence him once again.

"You're nothing but a spoiled, foolish child who refuses to grow up. You bring shame to our family," Franko growled, raising his hand again to strike Kane. But this time, Kane's eyes burned with anger as he grabbed his father's wrist.

"This is what happens when you resort to insults and violence instead of being there for your family. Slap me again, and I'll make you feel what it's like," Kane responded sternly, the two men locked in a heated stare, on the brink of a physical altercation.