“Very well, I’ll try to figure out the truth,” Nelson said, casting one last icy glance at Lorelai’s computer screen before turning and walking away.
Lorelai shivered as she watched him leave, recalling the cold look in his eyes. Panic began to rise.
What did Nelson mean by that? Did Nelson know something? Had Callie told him everything?
No, it couldn’t be. Callie’s computer was broken, and she had no concrete evidence. Nelson wouldn’t believe her.
Lorelai paced anxiously around her office. Despite the careful facade she maintained, she couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at her.
Meanwhile, Nelson headed straight for Callie’s desk. She was still buried in paperwork, looking as timid and docile.
He frowned and rapped his fingers on her desk. “Bring your computer and come to my office.”
Callie looked up in confusion, but Nelson had turned away, leaving her with a cold, stern expression. If she hadn’t been mistaken, he seemed quite upset.
As soon as Nelson left, the design department buzzed with speculation, all eyes turning to Callie.
“Why is Mr. Oconnor suddenly looking for Callie?”
“She hasn’t been on any major projects recently…”
Litzy, worried, leaned in close to Callie and whispered, “Do you think Lorelai said something to Mr. Oconnor to get you fired?”
“Good grief,” Callie muttered, though she doubted she’d be fired. “I’ll go find out.”
She grabbed her computer and hurried after Nelson, feeling like she was marching to her doom.
At the top floor of Oconnor Group, Nelson placed Callie’s computer on his desk, opened it, and tapped on the keyboard. The screen was filled with blue error messages and code.
He paused and looked up at Callie, who was standing nervously.
She fumbled for words, “Mr. Oconnor, my computer has a virus. The IT department has tried fixing it several times, but no luck…”
Callie couldn’t fathom why Nelson would want her broken computer. Surely, he didn’t need to use hers.
Nelson had expected this. He rubbed his brow, frustrated by Lorelai’s brazen confidence and Callie’s silent endurance.
“Are you a punching bag?” he asked.
“What?”
He didn’t answer her. Instead, he pulled out his phone and made a call. Whatever was said on the other end, he responded curtly, “Come to my office now. You have ten minutes.”
Callie was bewildered. “Mr. Oconnor?”
Nelson ignored her.
“Nelson!”
He shot her a look.
Callie quickly forced a smile. “Mr. Oconnor, I mean, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. I have a lot of work to finish.”
“Stay here and wait.”
Callie was helpless.
Ten minutes later, a casually dressed man strolled into the office, grinning. “Nelson, even you need my help sometimes.”
Nelson pointed to the computer. “This. Can you fix it?”
The man leaned over, examining it seriously for a moment before his grin widened. “Easy. Give me half an hour.”
Fixing her computer? Callie perked up, excited. “The IT department said this virus is the toughest from overseas. Very few people can crack it.”
The man chuckled, giving her a glance. “Watch and learn. I’m one of those few.”
Wow, Nelson’s friend sure had a lot of confidence.
Half an hour later, after typing the last command, the computer sprang back to life. The man handed it to Nelson. “Check the files. Everything should be intact.”
Before Nelson could, Callie snatched it up eagerly, immediately searching for her design files. When she saw they were all there, she nearly cried with joy. “This is amazing! I can finally prove I didn’t plagiarize…”
The man’s grin faded to confusion as he looked at Nelson, who, to his surprise, was smiling at the sight of the elated Callie.
How incredible.