Page 9 of Stuck With A Billionaire Bad Boy

I was stunned by her perceptiveness. “Yes,” I replied, still feeling the weight of my loss.

Mia’s next question was delicate, “Who was it? I mean, if you don’t mind sharing.”

I nodded my head, appreciating her tactful approach.

“My father’s passing when I was just a child was an earth-shattering event. He was not just my father but my role model, my best friend, my everything. His sudden and unexpected death brought my world crashing down around me. Despite my uncountable wealth, I cannot bring him back,” I explained, struggling to maintain my composure.

Mia’s curiosity got the better of her, and she tried to probe further. But her incessant questioning only served to exacerbate my frustration. I couldn’t believe she was trying to dig up memories I had buried deep within me for years. As my irritation grew, I suddenly put my fork down, signaling the end of our meal. “If you have finished, we can go,” I said, getting up from my chair.

Mia followed me closely, but I could see the surprise in her eyes. She was taken aback by my sudden change in behavior.

I couldn’t blame her, though; my emotions were still raw from the painful memories I had just shared with her.

The next day, as I concluded a virtual meeting with Boris, Mia strode into the room with an urgent expression etched on her face. “The files are missing,” she blurted out without hesitation.

I was caught off guard and immediately stood up from my chair in shock. “What do you mean? How can the files be missing? I personally placed them in the cupboard in my library where I keep all the confidential information,” I exclaimed in disbelief.

Mia’s response only added to my distress. “I have looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find anything,” she replied, her voice tinged with concern.

Feeling exasperated, I asked, “Did you even look properly? These files are of utmost importance, containing crucial information on corporate espionage. I have spent countless hours with my team gathering photographs, CCTV footage, and fingerprints related to the case. It is imperative that we locate them as soon as possible.”

As I spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of unease wash over me. The possibility of such sensitive information falling into the wrong hands was not something to be taken lightly. Every minute was critical, and the clock was ticking.

Despite searching high and low, I couldn’t locate them anywhere. Frustration and anger boiled inside me, and I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Fucking hell!”

Turning to Mia, I implored her to use her expertise to gather any possible information that could lead to the recovery of the files. “Try to find any fingerprints or evidence that may give us a lead. Mike, with his experience, can assist you in this task,” I instructed her firmly. Mia nodded her head in agreement, ready to tackle the challenge at hand. As I exited the office building, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair and confusion. How could someone have stolen such crucial files from a private and secure location? It only strengthened my suspicion that someone within our own office was working with our target in the case. But who could it be? I pondered the possibilities as I drove down the road, determined to get to the bottom of this alarming situation.

8

MIA

“Ethan,”I said, approaching him with a sense of urgency. As I entered Ethan's office, a sight greeted me that left me taken aback. He was sitting on his chair, looking utterly despondent and lifeless. It was as if the weight of the world was upon his shoulders, and he had given up all hope. As I drew closer, I placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him in any way I could. “Don’t worry, Ethan. We can work together to gather all the information again.”

But Ethan’s response was heavy with despair. “No, Mia. My team members are working very hard, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to recover all the same information,” he said, his voice laced with uncertainty and frustration.

I understood the gravity of the situation, and I knew I had to act quickly. “Let’s make some notes of all the important points of the case,” I suggested, “and we can add any new information from our recent progress. With our combined efforts, we can solve this.”

“In the course of our operations, I would routinely share a draft file with Jim once I had amassed a significant amount of data on a given case. This practice ensured that Jim created a reliable backup file that could replace the hard copy in case of any loss. I couldn’t complete the file, leaving several crucial pieces of information unfinished and only available in hard copy form.” Ethan provided me with a comprehensive explanation of the situation.

Working on Ethan’s important case brought us together and helped establish a healthy working relationship, despite our previous strained interactions. Many of my concerns were allayed upon learning about Ethan’s sincere friendship with Emma. He was deeply distressed when he found out about the lost files related to the case, and I could understand his frustration. He had invested countless hours into gathering all the information needed to solve this unsolvable mystery and had taken this case as a personal challenge.

I recall Jack mentioning that Ethan had even missed an important meeting related to his other business ventures while working on this case, which was a testament to his dedication and commitment. It was difficult to comprehend how someone could steal such crucial documents from a secure location, and it left us all wondering who could have done such a thing.

Despite the setback, Ethan remained resolute and continued to work tirelessly to make progress on the case. It was clear to me that his passion for solving challenging cases was what motivated him to keep going, and I felt privileged to be working alongside such a driven individual.

Ethan gestured towards the scattered files on his desk and explained, “Here is all the information we have, but it needs to be organized.” I nodded, grabbed a file, and settled into a chair across from him.

“Mia,” he continued, “I heard that you and Mike couldn’t find anything useful in the library. Is that true?”

I replied, “Yes, unfortunately. It seems like whoever took the files was very careful to erase all possible fingerprints.”

Ethan’s expression turned grim as he muttered, “My suspicions were right. Someone within our firm is working against me. And it’s clear that they’re close to me, knowing exactly where I keep my important case files. I will catch them, and they will pay for their deceit.”

He clenched his fists tightly, clearly agitated. “Calm down, Ethan,” I said, trying to reassure him. “I believe in you. We can work together to solve this case.” He looked at me with gratitude in his eyes, and I felt a sense of trust and camaraderie between us.

As Ethan rose from his chair, he turned to me and held my hands. He said, “You’re my moment of peace in times of chaos, Mia. Your company provides me some kind of solace.” I was taken aback by his words. I wasn’t expecting such a clear expression from a man like him. My cheeks flushed red. He gently touched my face and whispered in my ear, “Really, beautiful.” I lost my words at this sudden expression. I only took a deep breath to hide my confusion. He smiled and after a moment, he said with a purposeful gaze, “I need to attend an important meeting with Jim. You have to stay here and try to organize as much information as possible.”

I nodded, still reeling from his words. He turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, feeling flustered and confused.

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