Chapter 12

Find the truth? How? To prove she wasn't Audrey but someone pretending to be her? Either way, she had to move fast and reclaim the shares of Valtros Group before Marcus dug up the truth. Even if there wasn't solid proof, better safe than sorry. Elaine was still sprawled out on his ridiculously comfy bed, deep in thought. Marcus glanced at her relaxed look and frowned, his tone not exactly friendly. "You can go to sleep now." Even she got the hint. She shuffled toward the door, but halfway there, she spun around with a sheepish grin and said, "Mr. Sinclair, I have a tiny favor to ask." Marcus looked annoyed as hell but still managed to grind out, "Say it." Elaine went straight in with her plan. Swallowing some pride, she asked, "Could you let me intern at your company?" Marcus's expression darkened in a flash. Elaine figured he might've misunderstood, so she quickly added, "It's not what you think. I just wanna pick up a skill." "Oh? Gave up on being a teacher?" Audrey used to teach college English, but she quit half a year ago—wanted to settle down and start a family. First thing on her list? Have a kid. Too bad Marcus never planned on letting that happen. Elaine tried again, gently: "I just wanna learn something useful, that's all." To Marcus, it all sounded like nonsense. As if the real reason wasn't just wanting to keep tabs on him at work. She probably thought all the women around him were after something. This wasn't new—Audrey had pulled this card before. Was she planning to replay the same game? Still, Marcus was curious how she'd go about it this time. After a long pause, he gave a flat, "I'll think about it." Elaine, all smiles and flattery, nodded and backed out of the room. At the door, something else clicked in her mind. She turned around again and asked, "Also... can I use the computer in your study for a bit?" Marcus was about to say no, but after thinking for a second, he said, "Go ahead." "Thank you!" Elaine beamed, giving him a big, grateful bow. Since returning to the country, she hadn't reached out to her dear mentor. Her old phone was long gone, and her USB containing her code was still at the Foster house—not a place she could visit anymore. So yeah, she was gonna have to call in a favor from her brilliant hacker mentor. She'd known Milton Carter for over a decade now. When she first moved abroad, not knowing anyone or anything, he basically took her under his wing. Later, she found out he wasn't just some tech geek—he was one of the top hackers in the world. No joke. So while she hadn't mastered much else, her hacking skills were the real deal. She powered up the computer and opened a hidden chat channel with Milton using her personal code. "Paging Master! Urgent call!" Elaine typed, hoping he'd show fast. Three minutes later, a message popped up: 'Incoming video call request.' She slammed the 'decline' button and fired off a reply: "Can't video right now. Things are a bit touchy here." Did that stop him? Nope. He kept trying and added, "I just wanna see your face." After like five more declines, he finally gave up and sent, "So you really not coming back? Planning to ghost me into the grave?"