BREWING DANGER

INSIDE the office of the CEO of the Cheng Shipping Lines, Howie Cheng was fuming upon learning that their top-secret data had been breached.

"Why didn't you tell me about this? Do you even realize that this will stir our investors?" Howie scowled at his son, Hyrum.

"I thought it wasn't a big deal, Dad." Hyrum averted his gaze. He knew it would come to this. Perhaps the past few months were enough to stall his father's wrath.

"Someone saw the list of people in our organization. And you think it wasn't a big deal?" Howie's eyes widened in disbelief. "If Bien hadn't told me about the embezzlement case the company filed against that employee, I wouldn't know!"

"Dad, Shari never intended to do that. She probably accessed it accidentally and didn't know about those lists. And I advised the legal department to file that case as a warning."

"So, you know her. Is she one of your whores? You deliberately disobeyed the protocol, Hyrum. She must be silenced! That girl is surely a spy!"

Hyrum was horrified, but he didn't say a word. "Let me handle this, Dad. I won't disappoint you. And please, Shari is not a spy. She is just an ordinary employee."

Howie pointed his finger at his son. "No, Bien will handle this. I'm so disappointed in you, son. How can you make me believe you won't betray us when the time comes?"

"Dad, come on. I would never do that. I admit my mistake about our cyber security breach and take responsibility, didn't I?"

"Get out!" Howie's face was red. And both his fists were clenched hard, suppressing his anger at venting more on his son. This piece of bad news made him agitated. What if that girl had sold the information already? Being complacent at this moment would worsen the situation. It had been months since that employee left; now, she even applied to be a police officer!

"Dad…" Hyrum tried to appease his father's rage.

"I said out!" The old man's monolid eyes gave a death stare to Hyrum. If his looks could kill, Hyrum might have fallen dead due to his glare.

"I'll make amends, I promise." He bowed down before going out of the room.

Hyrum loosened his gray tie when he exited his father's office. He exhaled sharply and shook his head. He owned his mistake of not taking the issue seriously. He'd meet Bien to confirm his plan regarding this matter. Knowing his cousin, he could be ruthless.

Damn. Hyrum cussed hard as he strolled, going to his office. Bien was the Chief Operating Officer of the Cheng Shipping Lines, while Hyrum was the newly appointed Chief Technology Officer.

Hyrum knew Shariah Ford being the brilliant IT expert in the company. He hired her personally, and he knew her potential. She was well compensated, but when he discovered a breach in their secret files, Hyrum knew that Shari had accidentally accessed it. And to avoid the worst possible scenario, he had to act immediately after her resignation to show that he was doing his job for the organization. He urged their legal team to file an embezzlement case.

And now that the verdict would come anytime soon, he knew it would be dismissed because Shari's lawyer was great. Aside from he didn't act like it matters. If he wanted to harm her, she'd be dead by now.

Shari was somehow his close acquaintance, and he knew she was a good person. She was just being entangled in his family's secret organization in which everything was illegal.

Hyrum Cheng didn't want the life he had. Despite all the money and fame, he knew their wealth came from other people's misery. But since he was born with it, his fate was already sealed to be the heir of Cheng's business empire—A bloody empire.

"What brought you here?" Bien's stern face greeted him as he entered his office.

"Bien, can we talk?" Hyrum sat on the vacant receiving chair.

Bien signed a few documents before looking at him. A female secretary stood beside him. He motioned his hand to his secretary to go out, and she immediately obeyed.

"If this is about the mess you created, go ahead. I can't believe you'd jeopardize our family." Bien was serious. He was three years older than him. He lost his parents in an ambush when he was ten. Fifteen years later, he became his father's favorite after adopting him.

"I filed a case, didn't I? Isn't it enough for her to be in jail?" Hyrum tried to reason despite sounding stupid.

"An Estafa case without a basis? The case is about to be dismissed, Hyrum!" Bien hardly tapped his table and stood up. "You could've silenced her! But you were so lenient. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, take it easy. I'm not like you, Bien. I never kill without reason—"

"That girl knew about our operations and the list of people involved! Do you even know she is a police officer now? How can you be so sure she won't sell us to the authority?"

Hyrum giggled to lighten the mood. "What do you take me for? The police are under my grasp, Bien. If she had spilled the information, I would know."

Bien sat back in his swivel chair. "I have a plan, and better stay out of it."

Hyrum shook his shoulder as if not interested. "Do whatever you please. If you need my help, I'm just here."

"Your dad entrusted me with this. I won't let him down. That girl's life is nothing compared to our investors and us."

"Fine, I'm out of this." He stood up and studied his cousin's face. Bien wasn't joking about ending Shari's life. What must he do to prevent it? Because doing so would put his life at risk as well. His father couldn't shield him if the organization wanted him dead just because he protected their target.

"Great, just continue your happy-go-lucky life, Hyrum. Leave all the dirty things to me." Bien gazed back again at the pile of papers on his desk and grasped his gold fountain pen.

"Thanks then," he smiled before turning his back.

He had to create a thorough plan to help Shari in every possible way. However, how could he do it with all the prying eyes around him?

Hyrum shook his head hard. He remembered the girl's bright smile. If only she were single back then, he'd pursue her despite the vast difference in their status. He learned she also came from a well-off family and wanted to be independent, so her parents supported her in getting the job she wanted. And now she finally got her badge.

Shari, please be careful. He silently uttered.