Page 88 of My Secret Snowflake
“Really interesting.” Jazmine leans forward and stares at Sebastian. “I’d never heard of Essex Market until I went there with Iris. How did you hear of it?”
Sebastian flushes, but he does manage not to look my way. “I needed to buy coffee, and Iris recommended Porto at Essex Market.”
“Oh, you were there to buy coffee too?” Jazmine says sweetly to Sebastian but glares at me.
“I heard it’s very good coffee,” Sebastian says weakly.
“I hear their process reveals hidden flavors other coffee beans can’t be trusted to have,” Jazmine says.
“It’s not that they can’t be trusted,” I say quickly. “It’s just a confidential secret they don’t want to share yet.”
Suddenly the door opens, and Xavier enters with Colby, Bob, and Kevin, the latter all in dark-blue suits. And all have grim faces.
“Iris, can we talk to you for a moment?”
This looks very serious. Is there something more to the hack?
“Of course.” I get up and follow them into Xavier’s office.
The office is crowded, and Bob elects to stand next to Xavier. It feels like a meeting with the FBI.
“You can have my chair,” I say.
“No,” Bob says. His mouth is set in a straight line, different from his usually cheerful demeanor.
“Colby says you were the one he asked to hack into the New Mexico system and retrieve that PowerPoint," Xavier says. "And you tripped that trap to make sure it didn’t seem like you.”
Chapter twenty-four
Iris
Mymouthdropsopen.I stare at them in disbelief.
“I did not hack into New Mexico’s IT system and exfiltrate that PowerPoint,” I say. “That’s a ridiculous accusation.”
“You can come clean now,” Colby says. “I’ve told them all the truth. And I’m stepping down. But I feel it’s only right that you step down too.”
Have I entered an alternate reality?
“We don’t blame you,” Xavier says. “I know that Colby told you to do it and so you had to listen. But I wish you had come to me or at least confessed when I caught you in the closet.”
“Kevin showed us that your credentials were the ones used,” Bob says.
My credentials?
No way.
My heartrate accelerates—and not in a good way.
I stare at Colby. I have no idea why he’s fabricated this story, but it’s a complete lie. Is he trying to save Kevin?
“I didn’t do it. And my credentials were not used.” I stare at Xavier and Bob because they’ve got to be the sane ones still here. My hands shake. I stick them between my legs and bend forward.
“Colby?” Xavier asks, looking at his brother.
“I’m your brother,” Colby says. “You’re going to believe her over me?”
“I’m not resigning,” I say, my voice low and hoarse. It doesn’t sound like me. “I didn’t do it. You can fire me, and I’ll sue you for wrongful termination. There’s no way you’ll win.”
