Chapter 40 What's Wrong with Harper Again?
That night, Ethan hit up Brian and laid out the whole situation.
"Dude, I need a pair of those X-ray nano contacts," Ethan said.
Brian, already clued in, didn't even blink. "Gotcha, Ethan. Stick to the plan."
"Roger that," Ethan replied.
Next morning, James took Harper to the Valencia Group.
As soon as they rolled into the underground parking lot, Harper piped up, "James, I want some milk!"
James, caught off guard, glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Didn't you already have some this morning?"
Harper pouted, clearly annoyed. "So what? I want more, and this time, make it chocolate."
Not wanting to deal with her tantrum, James quickly caved. "Alright, I'll get someone to grab it for you later. Let's head up first."
But Harper wasn't having it. "Nope, I want it now, or I'm not going up! If I'm in a bad mood, I can't pass the level!"
James started sweating bullets. "Okay, okay, I'll go right now. Just wait here!"
He jumped out of the car and sprinted to a nearby convenience store, totally missing the fact that another "Harper" had slipped into the car.
Ethan, now a dead ringer for Harper in a matching princess dress, grinned at her. "Wow, it's like looking in a mirror!"
Ethan quickly shushed her. "Harper, you gotta go now. Michael's waiting in the car behind us!"
Harper nodded eagerly. "Got it! Be careful, Ethan. Don't get caught!"
Ethan smirked. "Don't sweat it."
Harper took off her hairpin and handed it to Ethan, wishing him luck before darting to the car behind them.
Watching Michael's car pull away, Ethan's smile faded, his eyes sharp and unreadable.
Just then, James came back, out of breath, and opened the car door.
"Harper, here's your chocolate milk. Ready to go upstairs now?"
Ethan took the milk with a cold, indifferent look, not bothering to answer.
James, confused and a bit hurt, sighed inwardly but kept quiet.
He led Ethan into the building. As they walked, Ethan glanced around with a hint of disdain.
'So this is Antonio's company? Not impressed,' he thought.
When they reached the CEO's office and saw Antonio, Ethan's eyes darkened. But he kept his cool, knowing he had to stick to the plan. He sat quietly on the sofa, sipping his milk.
Antonio, not hearing Harper's usual chatter, felt a bit uneasy. He looked up from his papers at 'Harper,' only to see a cold, distant expression.
He frowned, sensing something was off.
Just then, Ethan turned and locked eyes with Antonio. No fear, just a cold stare.
'What are you looking at, you jerk?' Ethan thought.
Antonio had bullied Sarah and even tried to bribe Harper. Today, Ethan was gonna give him a taste of his own medicine.
Ethan's icy vibe got even chillier.
Antonio stared at 'Harper,' wondering what he'd done to tick her off this time. Why was she so moody?
Ethan looked away and started scanning the office with his nano contacts. When his gaze hit the wall behind Antonio, he saw something hidden.
A safe. And inside, after a quick scan, the surveillance tape!
Ethan's lips curled into a tiny, almost invisible smile. Brian's tech was top-notch. The tape was right here, making it way easier for Sarah to ditch Antonio's place.
Antonio, clueless about the switch, glanced at James, who handed a tablet to 'Harper.'
"Harper, feeling better after the chocolate milk? We really need you to pass this level. You're the smartest!"
James thought, 'Harper, please, I'm begging you. Don't make this hard for me. If Antonio's deal with BrianTech Solutions Inc. tanks, I'm toast!'
Ethan frowned at James's flattery. The so-called strongest group in Silvercrest couldn't even beat a game and had to rely on Harper.
But he couldn't let Antonio catch on, and he definitely didn't want to be underestimated by this guy.
The real payback would come when Brian faced Antonio. When Antonio met the big boss, he'd be in for a real shock!
With that in mind, Ethan took the tablet, and James finally exhaled, stepping back to let Ethan do his thing.
The office went dead silent. James didn't dare breathe loudly, his hands clenched as he watched the screen. Antonio, too, lost interest in his documents, watching 'Harper' closely.
Meanwhile, Sarah was on her way to the Valencia Group, bringing lunch for Harper.
She was worried about James taking Harper to Antonio's company alone, so she used the lunch delivery as an excuse to check on Harper herself.
Her racing heart signaled a constant sense of unease, a foreboding for the day.
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