That night, the person caught was named Rowan, a distant cousin of Ethan's who, under someone's instigation, attempted to disrupt the opening ceremony of the jewelry exhibition with a group of outsiders he had recruited. Unfortunately for them, they were apprehended as soon as they infiltrated the hotel.
In truth, the incident was not severe. Since they were caught before executing any plans and considering Rowan's familial connection to Ethan, leniency was inevitable before any actual wrongdoing.
Thankfully, the jewelry exhibition, which lasted for half a month, concluded successfully with minimal disturbance from that single incident, bringing in substantial revenue and considerable profit for the Sharpe family.
After the exhibition, the trio returned to their routine work lives, and Vivian compiled a report on the security operation, submitting it to the CEO's office.
Hayden greeted Vivian with a grin, saying, "For all that budget spent on security, we only caught a few rats?"
Unperturbed, Vivian handed him a stack of reports detailing how many cyber-attacks their upgraded security system had thwarted.
Hayden's expression changed as he flipped through the pages.
"Is all this real?"
Vivian replied, "There were plenty who sought to undermine the exhibition. Without the system blocking the intelligence beforehand, physical security alone couldn’t have prevented so many attempts. War begins with information."
Prevention, as per her expertise from her past life, was always better than a cure.
Hayden was silenced, quickly finishing the report before asking, "And what about those caught yesterday? Did they somehow manage to bypass our cybersecurity?"
"No, they were just ignorant fools," Vivian shrugged. Hence, they were caught immediately upon scaling the wall, a true professional wouldn't act blindly without adequate intel.
"You did well," Ethan said somberly after reading the report submitted to him.
He hadn't realized so many wished to sabotage the exhibition, nor how many among them were blood relatives. Despite his parents' passing years ago, they still wouldn't leave him be?
Ethan suddenly felt drained, yet he straightened his back, for no one could bear the weight on his shoulders but himself. He had to stand tall, unyielding to these people and their schemes.
But until when must he endure this path?
Vivian raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?"
"You can discuss rewards for the security department with Hayden. I'll allocate a special budget to thank your team for ensuring the exhibition's safety," Ethan said, his tone business-like, indistinguishable from usual.
Yet, Vivian acutely sensed Ethan's mood and the distance he maintained.
Was he unhappy about the exhibition's success? She had specifically helped facilitate a partnership between Ethan and Mr. Anatoly, which had clearly delighted him. Why was he gloomy after the exhibition ended?
Staring at Ethan for a while, Vivian couldn't decipher the source of his distress.
She glanced again at the security report she had submitted, puzzled as to what could have upset him.
She lingered so long at Ethan's desk that he finally asked, "Anything else?"
Hayden chimed in from his own desk, "Aren't we discussing rewards for the security department? Why aren't you coming over?"
Vivian considered Ethan's face, then turned to Hayden. "You handle the reward for the department. I need to discuss my special reward with the CEO. So, Hayden, if you don't mind, leave us alone."
Special reward? Ethan instinctively frowned.
"What do you want?"
Hayden echoed, "Why can't I know about this special reward?"
His recent budget squabbles with Vivian made him assume she was after more funds.
Working with her had nearly made him forget her other identity.
"Because it's a special request from the Mr. Sharpe's wife," Vivian reminded him with a smile.
Hayden had no say in domestic matters. Sympathetically glancing at Ethan, he gathered pending documents and headed for the door, saying, "Take your time, Mr. & Mrs Sharpe. I'll be back later." He even thoughtfully locked the door behind him.
Ethan glared at Hayden's retreating figure. He's getting less loyal by the day...
Once Hayden was gone, Vivian moved the papers on Ethan's desk aside and commandeered the space, seating herself close to him.
Ethan leaned back, warily eyeing Vivian. What special reward was she after? What scheme was she plotting?
Contrary to his expectations, Vivian didn't make any physical advances but instead picked up the security report and studied it thoroughly.
"See any problem with this report?" Vivian queried, waving the document.
"Eh?" Ethan, caught off guard by her serious question, hesitated before answering, "No, it's well done."
"Then why are you unhappy?"
Ethan instinctively touched his face. Had he shown unhappiness? He prided himself on his impeccable emotional control; how had she detected it?
He looked at Vivian with trepidation. She stared back, awaiting his response.
Why was he so easily flustered around her? Ethan realized that since Vivian's arrival, his every loss of control had involved her. She consistently provoked a range of emotions in him: anger, fear, helplessness... She shattered the meticulously constructed façade he had upheld.
What was she after? Why did she constantly push him like this?
"Heh…" Defeated, he dropped his head, covering his eyes with one hand. "How did you know?"
Why was he so transparent to her?
Why did she so effortlessly ruffle his composure?
"Because..." Vivian shifted and sat closer to Ethan, hovering above him, and pulled down his hand, compelling him to meet her gaze.
"I've been watching you all along."
