Chapter 2

2

I walked away from Leo's shouting and headed straight for my cubicle.

But when I arrived, my blood began to boil.

My desk had been completely ransacked, and my belongings were scattered everywhere.

The drawers were pulled out and emptied onto the floor.

My lucky ivy plant, which I had nurtured for three years, had been ripped out by the roots.

Soil was smeared across my documents, and my personal notebooks had shoe prints on them.

"Who did this?" I growled.

Leo and his gang slowly caught up to me, wearing smug expressions.

Leo waved a hand dismissively.

"HR is reconfiguring the workspace. Besides, this is my desk now. I don't need your permission to clean up my own space."

I noticed my computer screen was on and rushed to check it.

Sure enough, someone had gone through my personal emails and cracked my encrypted folders.

"You went into my computer and violated my privacy. Did HR tell you to do that too?"

I turned to glare at him, my teeth clenched.

"Who knows what kind of company secrets you're trying to steal, Sean?"

"I have to protect the firm's interests. I was just doing a thorough security sweep."

Seeing his arrogant posture, I suddenly calmed down.

I didn't say another word. I simply pulled out my phone and started taking high-resolution photos of the scene.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Leo's expression shifted, and he tried to block my camera.

I stepped aside and kept filming, my eyes cold.

"You've illegally accessed my private data. I'm securing evidence. I wonder how many years you'll get for cybercrime?"

Leo's voice wavered, but he tried to play it cool.

"Stop trying to scare me, Sean! You think the cops care about a few deleted files?"

Bill Sterling heard the commotion and walked over, frowning.

"What is it now? Sean, I told you to pack and get out. Why are you still here causing trouble?"

I briefly explained the situation, but Bill just waved his hand impatiently.

"Stop talking nonsense. Everything in this office belongs to the company, including the data on that drive."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice in a threat.

"Just get your crap and leave quietly. Don't make things harder for yourself. If I make one phone call, you'll never work in this industry again."

Leo immediately put on a fake, sympathetic face for Bill.

"Mr. Sterling, don't be angry. Sean is just upset because he's been kicked out."

He turned back to me with a nasty smirk.

"Sean, since we used to work together, let me give you a piece of advice."

"At your age, you're basically obsolete. You won't find a good job anywhere else."

"However... if you get down on your knees and apologize to me right now, I might convince Mr. Sterling to hire you as a security guard."

Riley and the others exploded into laughter.

"Yeah, Sean! Kneel down and thank Leo! He's being so generous, giving you a way to pay your rent!"

"Security isn't bad. You get a uniform and four grand a month. It's enough for a loser like you."

Looking at Leo's disgusting face, I didn't get angry. I smiled.