Chapter 2

I told them, "The CCTV footage proves I didn't say a word when Chester was promoting his tracking program. Hence, the loss has nothing to do with me. I'm resigning now."

Nancy snatched the resignation letter and tore it to pieces.

"If that money isn't recovered, no one can leave! Fine. We'll sit here and drag it out. Let's see who the bank will penalize first when their people show up!"

She glared at me through clenched teeth. I barely recognized her at that moment.

Three years ago, a similar incident happened at the bank.

We all thought we were about to be saddled with compensation when she stepped forward and told the bank, "I'll take responsibility for this alone. Even if it means going to prison, I'm going to protect my boyfriend."

Three years passed, and our relationship moved one step closer, from her boyfriend to her fiancé.

Yet our hearts drifted farther and farther apart.

Nancy came up to my workstation, lifted a USB holding the code, and fixed me with a threatening look.

The firewall alarms kept shrilling, but her voice was colder than the noise.

"Whether the money can be recovered or not, someone has to take the fall. Sign the liability agreement. This USB drive contains photos of your parents, right? They are elite hackers. If I release their photos to the public…"

She stopped short on purpose, flashing a menacing smile.

I clenched my fists as I met her gaze coldly.

My parents were once elite hackers who took on more than a few jobs that put them at odds with powerful tycoons. For years, they lived under assumed names and were constantly hunted.

Only in recent years did they finally walk away from that life for good and retire, living in seclusion.

The USB drive contained all the information about my parents. I was planning to destroy it in one go.

I couldn't even imagine the consequences if it ever got out!

"I can trace the money back. There are a few terms I need to negotiate with the bank's person in charge, so get them here first."

This time, I would never repeat the mistakes from my last lifetime. I would never save a dog that would betray me again.

Nancy only had eyes for Chester and could sacrifice everything for him. If so, I would grant them happiness.

Hearing that, Chester immediately dug his phone out to call the bank manager, Gary Smith.

As soon as Gary stepped into the IT department, Chester immediately pointed at me and complained, "Mr. Smith, Spencer really messed up this time! When the account money got stolen, he used my program to test things instead of figuring out how to track it back.

"He's the type who is always trying to piggyback on other people's work. He thought he could recover the money with my program, but…"

My colleagues couldn't stand it anymore and tried to speak up for me, but Nancy gave them a cold glare.

She cut in with a warning edge to her voice, "Mr. Smith, it's all Spencer's fault. Chester's just an intern. Spencer has pushed his team around more than once, but this time, he finally bit off more than he could chew!"

They echoed each other, twisting everything around. The blame was all pinned on me.

Gary walked over to me, his face serious. "You're Spencer Quill, the one managing the encryption keys all along?"

I nodded calmly. "Yes, that's me."

Gary glanced at everyone before barking, "Come to the office with me! I need to talk to you!"

Chester raised his head high and shot me a smug look, mouthing, "You're done."

I merely glanced at him before shutting the door.

The next second, Gary dropped to his knees in front of me with a thud.

"Spencer, you're the only one who can recover the money for the bank now. The money belongs to Felix Watch, the richest man in Cantfield! You must've heard the rumors about him. He loves money more than anything. If we can't get the money back, we're done for. You're our only hope!

I told Gary slowly, "I can recover the money, but I have a condition. When Felix asks about this, I want you to tell him honestly that the breach was caused by Chester's program, and Nancy approved it."

There was no room for negotiation in my tone.

Gary hesitated for a long time before he agreed.

As we stepped out of the office, Chester folded his arms and shot me a smug look. Lowering his voice, he said, "Mr. Smith probably pinned all the blame on you. Serves you right! If you had signed the agreement earlier, Mr. Smith wouldn't have had to come all the way to get things done."

I said flatly, "Get out of my way. Do you want to be held responsible if your action slows down the hunt for the thieves?"