My Best Friend's Dad

Breadcrumb

Tristan's POV

I sat at my desk as I stare at the laptop screen in front of me that was displaying a line of codes. The recent cyberattack on my company had thrust me into a position I hadn't anticipated. I took a sip of my lukewarm coffee, the bitter taste matching the bitterness that had settled within me since the breach.

There was a knock on the door and I looked up from the screen "Mr Crane, any progress on the investigation?" Stan, my IT specialist asked as he approached my desk, concern etched on his face.

I rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of my responsibility. "Not yet. They are good, Stan. Really good. But I won't rest until I find who is behind this."

Stan nodded, "As you should. We will find this person," he said, and then he walked out of my office, back to his workstation.

I looked at the laptop screen again and then my phone rang. I averted my gaze at my phone. Maggie's name appeared on the screen. It was like all the air had been sucked out of me. My heart tightened, and a mix of emotions surged within me. Anger, guilt, and regret. I ignored her.

I couldn't allow any kind of distraction, not even Elona right now, because my main mission was to get this hacker. I cannot afford to lose more than what this person has stolen. I refocused on the laptop screen, analyzing the intricate web of code. Every second counts, the longer our systems were compromised, the more damage could be done, but Stan was brilliant at containing anything. I just wanted to make sure that assh^le doesn't find a way to do this again to me.

The IT team worked tirelessly in restoring the security. But my mind was not at ease. My phone rang again with Maggie's name appearing on the screen. She was being persistent. I continued to ignore it, my jaw clenching as frustration mounted. My priority was my company, the employees who depended on its stability, and the livelihoods at stake.

"Mr Crane," Stan called again, his voice urgent, "I found a trace. It might lead us to the source."

I shot out of the chair, my weariness momentarily forgotten, but winced due to the fall that I had from climbing out of Elona's window yesterday, I landed on my back. "Where? What did you find?" I asked.

Taking my phone, I followed Stan to his workstation, I took a seat in the chair next to him. Stan's fingers danced across the keyboard, navigating through lines of code with practiced precision. I leaned in, my eyes narrowing at the screen, eager to grasp any lead that could unveil the perpetrators behind the cyberattack.

"Mr Crane, check this out," Stan pointed to a specific section of the code. "This is where they breached our firewall. But look here, it's not just a straightforward attack. They have left a breadcrumb, a trace intentionally meant for us to find."

I squinted at the screen, trying to decipher the intricate patterns of code. "So, they want us to follow this trail?"

"Exactly," Stan confirmed. "It's like they are taunting us, leading us down a rabbit hole. But the thing is, this might be a diversion. While we are busy chasing this, they could be exploiting another vulnerability."

My frustration deepened. The attackers weren't just skilled, they were strategic and playing a psychological game. "How do we know this trace is legitimate and not another layer of deception?"

Stan nodded, acknowledging the challenge. "That is the tricky part. But I have cross-referenced it with multiple systems, and the anomaly is consistent. It's a risk, but if we follow it cautiously, we might get a lead."

I sighed, grappling with the decision. "Let's do it. We need to take that risk. I want to know who is behind this, and I want to know now."

Stan nodded and started initiating the trace, his fingers flying across the keyboard with a focused determination. As the progress bar on the screen filled slowly, the tension in the room palpable, I couldn't shake the feeling that every second counted.

Amid the concentrated silence, Maggie's calls persisted in the background, a nagging reminder of a personal storm brewing alongside the professional one. But in this moment, my focus narrowed to the relentless pursuit of justice for the company.

Finally, the screen flickered, displaying a series of IP addresses. Stan turned to me, a mix of excitement and caution in his eyes. "Mr Crane, we have got a lead. The source seems to be originating from an offshore server, but it's a starting point."

I clenched my jaw, the nameless adversaries now having a faint identity. "Let's track them down. I want to know who thinks they can threaten what I have built."

As we delved deeper into the digital labyrinth, the office became a battlefield of data, each keystroke a strategic move. The relentless pursuit of justice had begun, and I was determined to emerge victorious, both for the sake of the company and for the semblance of control slipping through my fingers.

The incessant ringing of my phone cut through the focused hum of the workstation. Irritation simmered beneath my skin as I glanced at the caller ID, it was Maggie again. The timing couldn't have been worse, and my patience had worn thin.

I excused myself from the bustling activity of the IT room and retreated to my office. The muted glow of city lights filtered through the windows, casting a somber hue over the space. I answered the call, the tension in my voice palpable.

"What do you want, Maggie?" I snapped, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

"Tristan, we need to talk. It's important," Maggie's voice held a hint of urgency.

I clenched my jaw, my tone curt. "Now is not a good time. I'm dealing with a crisis at the company."

Her voice persisted, undeterred. "Tristan, it can't wait. We have unfinished business."

I took a deep breath, my patience hanging by a thread. "Maggie, I have moved on. I have a girlfriend now. Whatever 'business' you think we have is over. Don't call me again."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, the weight of my words sinking in. The silence stretched until I could almost hear Maggie processing the reality of the situation.

Finally, she stammered, "You... you moved on?"

I nodded, forgetting she couldn't see the gesture. "Yes, Maggie. It's time for both of us to move on. Goodbye."

Without waiting for a response, I ended the call, my hand gripping the phone tightly. The air in the office felt heavy with the unresolved tension, but I refused to let the ghosts of the past disrupt the fragile balance I was desperately trying to maintain.

As I returned to the IT room, the glow of the computer screen awaited, the digital battlefield demanding my attention once more. The unfinished business with Maggie had no place in the present, not when the company's survival hung in the balance.

If this doesn't get solved, then I will just leave it and work hard on securing everything so that hackers cannot do this again. I know for sure that I do not have any business rivals or enemies that I can think of. But I will get my finances back that I have worked so hard for. This stress is just becoming too much for me now, and it does play a role in my health. So, I won't let it get to that extent.