“I have to go. Breaks over. I love you, Dad.”
“Love you too, angel. Take care of yourself.”
“Will do. Bye.”
Lottie disconnects, and I sink back into my chair.
I miss every hair on her head. This is the longest we’ve been apart since the day she was born. From the moment I held her in my arms, I was a goner.
I pinch the bridge of my nose before returning my gaze to the data on my screen. Stomach acid hits the back of my throat, and I run to the private bathroom off my office and empty what’s left of my breakfast into the toilet pan.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror over the sink.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
Returning to my desk, I stare at the log on my screen, my throat tightening as a heaviness settles in my chest and stomach.
Fuck!
Not a glitch.
Fuck!
My login has been compromised, and someone has tried to cover it up!
Pages and pages of code changes!
I scroll through the backup file I have downloaded from the server.
Fuck!
I pick up my phone and dial, weighing up the pros and cons of what I’m about to do.
“Todd, can you pop in?” I say, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Right away.”
Within five minutes, there’s a knock at my door and Todd, my head of technology and second in command, appears.
“What do you need?” he asks, his voice decidedly chipper.
“The latest release…”
His shoulders tense, making me pause and rethink my next statement.
Todd’s been with me from the beginning. He was on my university course and is an exceptional coder. He’s unusually outgoing for our field, this has proved helpful over the years,especially during our initial meetings with investors and clients. And then later with staff.
I force a smile, a line of sweat breaking out along my spine. “I wanted an update on the latest changes. Where are we with testing?”
A frown mars his brow. “Did you not receive the latest report? I sent it to you this morning.”
Shit, he had.
Breathe! Smile!
“I wanted to check if there was anything I was missing,” I add quickly.
His shoulders relax, although his frown remains.
