THE BADASS BILLIONAIRE'S SURROGATE

CHAPTER 61

Anderson and Key, as instructed by their bosses, meet every evening to run through the accounts. During office hours, they chatted on the phone about new ideas and discussed cool things they could do together. They requested a room in the Valdez Company to work uninterrupted. The room was fixed to their taste. The bed, duvet, and clothing were arranged neatly in a corner. There were toilet facilities. They had their fridge, microwave, and everything to keep them up. Most nights, they slept here. All they did was shower and get dressed for work the next day, with Anders rushing off to his workplace.

This evening, after work, the two nerds sat together on the desk, working on the account again. For some days now, they've been trying to get into the account, but it has been proving difficult. Every day, they tried a different method.

Today, their work was to get the virus Anders had logged into the system already to be active. After several unsuccessful trials, both men gave up. They sat down reluctantly to enjoy their pizza with drinks. As they munch, Anders remembered their last day at the project that had created enmity between their bosses. "I can't forget that day when we closed the deal. I remember your boss, asking me to work with him on launching the code." He smiled, remembering how Jason had treated him like an equal. He was the youngest developer in the country then and the best. He still is.

Working side by side with the man had been such a big deal. He had stylishly placed his web camera to take a selfie of them both while they worked. It was supposed to be a secret but before he could save and go to a blank page, Jason had seen the picture and smirked. For a split second, he had been scared he would get a rebuff or something. Nothing happened. "When he saw the picture, I thought he would say something nasty or even delete it." He told Key

"My boss has always been a kind man. Working with him as been the best." He swallowed hard and asked, "Is your boss nice to you?"

Looking at Key, he shrugged, "He's just there." He looked out the window finding the right word that described Logan Thames. "He's a little crazy. You know. But he's a good man."

"I figured he's be a strict as shit kinda boss."

"Believe me, he is." He chuckled, "I remember he was upset that it took long to do whatever fix us I was doing with your Mr. Valdez." He scoffed, "I had to explain what took so long."

Remembering, Key asked, "What took so long, really? I've always wondered why too. Indeed, you spent a while fixing it."

"The device didn't work. Someone, or something configured it wrong. So we rebuilt the starter." He smiled, "It took us a while to figure that rebuilding the starter was the fix. That was what happened."

"Rebuilding the starter." Key muttered, turning the words around in deep thought. He suddenly jumped off the stool. "I think you may have found the solution, Anders." He said as he moved towards his system. Anders went to his too. As he rebooted, Anders did same. "We can rebuild the virus. We've been trying it all wrong."

"Rebuild and then what?" Anders asked.

"We can rebuild the structure and function of your device. Tweak its duty in the inactive account to stay active even when the account is inactive."

"And we have to stay unnoticed." He looked impressed, "That's one hell of a device."

"Then we better get to work."

Both forgot their snacks and were soon typing away rapidly on the systems suggesting code, deleting figures, trying to rebuild the device's system.

The next morning, Evan and Jason resumed their tour of Paris. Sloane drove them to the Eiffel tower. "It's so high." She exclaimed upon seeing the towel from the ground. Yesterday, it had look like an easy feat from the museum. But looking at it now, she knew she didn't want to climb such a high building. Still, she let herself be persuaded to get to the next floor. Climbing the elevator, they were taken to the first floor

It was a dizzying enough experience. She refused to go for the second level. Jason teased her mercilessly as she opted for a simpler tour round the tower. They walked by the river Seine where they took some couple pictures before leaving the place. Since the river ran through the Notre dame cathedral, they decided to check out the place. But to their surprise, the Cathedral was unavailable for publicity. "There was a fire outbreak and the damage it caused are still being fixed." an attendant apologized to them. He suggested other places they could go. Evan thanked the man and asked Jason to let them visit Sainte-Chapelle as suggested by the assistant.

As they arrived at the chapel, they were just in luck for a classical music concert. The tickets were given to them, which Jason paid for, and they walked in. Evan felt chilly staring out the glass stained windows. It gave the place an eerie look. The shiver wasn't lost on Jason. He removed his suit and draped it over her shoulder. And she smiled her appreciation. The band playing were just finishing a song and the crowd applauded them, albeit solemnly. They found some unoccupied seats at the back and sat down. A young lady walked to the stage and sat down in front of the big piano, struck a cord and let it echo down the chapel. Other instruments followed adding a harmonious effect.

Jason watched raptly as they play. It was a familiar tone. His late wife had loved classical music. She always loved listening to a collection of it while having her bath. He remembered how he enjoyed teasing her about it for being so old at heart. As he listened, images of Ellen flashed through his mind. A tear dropped at her beautiful smile. The smile that had won him over. She was one woman who smiled even in her pain. While on sick bed, he couldn't resist asking her one day the reason for her continuous smile even when in pain.

"I want you to have fond memories of me after I'm gone." She replied.

It killed him to see her covering so much up, "How do I know you're in pain when you won't let me?" he asked. "How do I share your pain when I can't even be sure you're in pain?" He asked holding her hand and crying silently.

"You have shared enough of my pain. I don't want to add to it."

"But I want to see them, keep them." he stared into her eyes, "Treasure them."

"And I'd love that... but I want you to treasure this smile instead. They are my parting gifts to you. Be happy, Jason." Was her stubborn reply. Now thanks to her decision to leave him with fond memories of her dying days, he could remember those times and see her as she had died, smiling. A few tears threatened to drop, and though he tried to be a man and muster up strength, he couldn't avoid two hot drops. Evangeline noticed when he brushed the tear away and asked if he was okay.

"I'm fine." He lied and tried to compose himself not wanting to ruin her mood. She let it pass even though she felt something was going on with him. Later that night, while in bed, he explained the reason for his solemn mood after the concert. "My wife loved classical music." He told her, "Seeing one tonight brought fond memories and the heart wrenching boys."

"You could have said something." She accused, "I didn't know." He looked so sad she wished she could do something to make him forget. But this wasn't a memory she could take. It wasn't something she could fix either. He had to do it for himself. Hating that their day would be ending on this sour note, she climbed out of bed and went to sleep on the couch.

At first, Jason didn't realize what she had done. He was lost in the memories he shared with Ellen that he didn't know she didn't return yet. When he came to, he found her on the couch, staring blankly into space. She looked upset and he had no idea what he did to upset her, he tapped her lightly. "Come to bed." He said.

She ignored him. Her eyes fluttered closed.

"You're awake Evan, why don't you want to come to bed?" He loomed over her, "Something I did?"

She shrugged, "I think we should sleep apart tonight." She said, standing up. He moved back to make room for her. When she tried to walk past him, he held her hand. He wanted to forget everything. He wanted to be made to forget everything. He wanted to be with her again. Even though they had slept cuddling each other last night, he wanted more tonight. She didn't remove his hand; neither did she move away. It was a good sign. Turning to himself, he bent down and kissed her. "I want you so much." He groaned into her mouth.

*****

Later that night, before Anderson and Key called it a night, they successfully built their updated version of the virus. "We just have to wait and let the account be active now." said Anders.

"Yes. I hope it happens soon."

As they packed up for the night, they both checked the account one final time. And, by sheer luck, they were retiring for the night when the account was logged in. It was active. "It's active." they both exclaimed. Someone was moving some cash from the account. It was being done in bits. This sort of made the account stayed online longer. Unlike before, the active stayed open for a while. Happy, the two men worked tirelessly to get the updated virus inside, but the version hadn't been tested yet, so staying in the account, hidden, was a problem.

They tried over and over again, and failed. With heavy heart, they watched as the last bag of money was moved. There was still enough cash in the account but the transaction had stopped. In less than a minute, the account was inactive again. "Shit!" Key groaned as the screen went blank. Both men stood up and started pacing the room, frustrated.

"I bet Logan would skin me if I report this near miss. He's been tense since." Anders complained.

"Jason too. Though he's covering it well. We all could use a big break."

"We can only hope it gets opened again soon." Anders concluded sadly. He rose up to shut the system down. He turned to Key reluctantly. The man was bent down over the table, sad. They had given this their best shot. It was heartbreaking to miss the golden opportunity. Who knew how many months or years it would take to reopen the account? Completely forgetting the system was still on, he moved towards his friend and gently patted his shoulder "It's going to be okay, man. We will figure out another window." He tried to pacify the other man.

The two systems suddenly beeped and blinked. Anders looked at his system wondering what it was this time. Key looked up too to see his system as it came back online, rebooting a page. And both systems came online. Perplexed, both men approached their tool to see what was going on. The account was displaying. They could read everything. No transaction was taking. Nobody was logged in the account. It was supposed to be inactive and they, blinded. But they could see the account. They could read everything going on there. The two computer analysts both stood up and stared at each other, realizing what that meant. "We're in." Key said.

As if not hearing his partner clearly, he repeated what had just been said, "We're in."

Then they both chorused, "We're in!" and hugged each other happily. Their screams could be heard reverberating round the room.

$CHAPTER

CHAPTER 62

Adriana mustered up her most pathetic look and then faced the juror. The standby juror is a 50-something man from the accused's side. Due to the peculiarities of the case, the judge and the two attorneys agreed to have a jury. The jury was composed of 10 members from Miami suburbs: 5 men and 5 women. As the accused lawyer, Adriana had upped her game. If she were to win this case, she had to play smart. Two stand-by jurors had actually been picked, a man and a woman who happened to live in the same neighborhood as the accused. There was to vouch for the woman's credibility, that she had no bad intentions and wasn't dangerous to anyone.

Knowing the other attorney would go for the male stand-by juror, she intentionally called him to the stand first. This way, she could gain the upper hand. If he, in turn, picked the woman stand-by juror, then he had himself to blame. No woman would defend the man in this time of case. Except the really crazy ones. And she hopes Mrs. Handy wasn't among those. "As a man who lived on the same street as the accused, how would you judge her character?"

The stand-by juror shifted forward and leaned his mouth closer to the microphone placed in front of him. He was a short, plump man. Though the microphone had been adjusted for him, it was still farther a bit. To be audible, he'd have to keep leaning forward to speak. "I wouldn't say Mrs. Daniels is a terrible person." He swallowed. The courtroom waited tensely for him to elaborate. Adriana stepped closer, egging him on with quick nods. "She's the kind of neighbor who comes to welcome you to the neighborhood the instant you move in." He said and moved a bit closer. "When I first moved in, she brought lasagna to welcome me, and so many other families. She's a baker, so she's always giving out cookies to the kids. Everyone loved her."

Thank you! Adriana mellowed to herself. It was exactly what she'd hoped he would say. Now, to the harder part. "Did you at any time suspect that she was being violated almost every day by her husband?"

"There were bruises." The stand-by juror attested. "Sometimes a dark eye. Once I saw her hand red beneath the elbow. She's also most times with a swollen mouth. But she hated being asked about it. Most people just ignore it. Add there's the make-up she uses too." Some people in the courtroom laughed at that.

"Order!" Said the clerk. They kept quiet.

"The make-up covers most of these bruises well. My wife only found this out recently and told me about because I thought he'd stopped beating her up. But then no one could hide completely a swollen mouth or face." He said.

To the juror, Adriana said, "Thank you," before turning to the jury. "Please take note of these members of the jury. The accused was constantly walking around with bruises, evidence that she was being hit by her late husband. And she did her best to cover up her pain in spite of it all." she then turned to the judge. "That will be all, my Lord."

The state's attorney stood up and addressed the stand-by juror. "Why do you think the accused covered up her wounds?"

The juror looked lost as he thought about that, "I don't know." He said, "Probably because she loves, loved her husband, maybe?"

"What if she had other intentions?" He asked the man who couldn't say anything to the man. The attorney turned to the jury, "Why would a woman who's being hit go the extra mile to cover it up? Did she do something to get battered? Is there a crime she's trying to cover up and not the bruises?"

From where she sat, Adriana watched the jury members to see if they were buying this. Some were nodding to what was being said. But there was nobody scribbling anything. She hoped they weren't being swayed just yet.

The attorney turned back to the juror, "Has the accused ever shown any trait of being violent in the neighborhood, either to herself or anyone?"

Adriana tensed. She had waited for this. An incident had happened in the area, and the attorney was going to use it to bash her client. She had been hoping that the question would be directed to the woman stand-by juror and not this man. Her colleague was obviously throwing all his punches at once. She smirked, scribbling down a counteract.

"Not particularly." The man said before sparing the accused a quick look. "There was this incident that happened one time. She pushed her husband towards an oncoming vehicle. He was rushed to the hospital." He paused, "But..."

The attorney quickly cut him off.

Adriana knew what was coming. The 'but' was to clear her client. She immediately stood up, "Objection, my Lord," she said, "My colleague should let the juror say what he was about to say."

"Sustained." The judge said, "Proceed."

The attorney nodded and asked the juror to complete his sentence.

"I was going to clarify that she didn't exactly push the husband." He corrected

"But you just said she did." The attorney said.

"They were having an argument. To anyone looking, she just pushed him. But when we asked her what went wrong, she told us they were arguing and that she got angry. She didn't mean to push him towards a car coming full speed."

"So this was hearsay from the accused." The state attorney smiled triumphantly. "Did the victim, I mean the husband that she later brutally stabbed, confirm this?"

"No." He confirmed quietly.

"That would be all, my Lord."

"We shall be going on a short recess." The judge announced, "Let's meet back here in fifteen." He stood up, and everyone did too, while the judge walked out.

CHAPTER 63

Evangeline kissed Jason goodbye and opened the car, intending to step out. She had made him drive them down to her office, promising a little something later. Their weekend wasn't about to end just yet. Before heading home, she pleaded with him to let them stop at LA. That way, she could check in on Audrey and do some office work.

Jason smiled at her obvious ploy to play him. "Two days?"

"Two days." She agreed

"I'll come for you." He said, "In the meantime, Sloane stays here with you."

"And who stays with you?" She asked, closing the door again. She turned to face him squarely, "You can't afford to stay unaccompanied, not now."

"I've called James. He'll be in here shortly. But while I wait for him, I've got a couple of things to do."

She squeezed her face, "I'm not sure that makes me comfortable or relieved."

He pecked her and smiled, "Relax. I can take care of myself."

She didn't doubt he couldn't. She smiled at him and got out, "Bye then." He waved and drove off. The walk to the office was spent greeting everyone.

"Hello." She said to the building cleaners, the one assigned to her office came over. She had always been particularly nice. Every time she cleaned her office, and she was around, she would stop at her desk and ask about her day. Sometimes, they chatted back and forth on petty issues. She was an older woman and always had something to talk about. The few times she could spare her a minute or so, Evan made it a point of duty to listen and talk with the moment. But when she was busy, she gave a few words and a nod while doing her job, and the women knew to just let her be and get on with their merry way.

"It's been a while since I saw you." She said, walking with her to her own office.

"Yes. I've been staying at home doing my job there."

"Okay." She looked her over and smiled

"What?" Evan asked her, partly sure it had everything to do with her body changing. She had caught the woman looking her over.

"You're glowing." She replied, "The boy treating you well?"

She laughed.

"And you look..." She paused, then said, "Fatter?"

Evan refused to say anything to that, just a smile cast to the other woman's side.

"I'll come check you up when I'm through down here." She told her and went the other way, with her mopping things. Evan found herself staring at the woman as she walked away. Just as she stood, Audrey, who was coming down to get something, sighted her and stooped to greet her. Retrieving her boss's bag, she said, "It's been a long time, boss."

Handing her the tote bag, she said, "Thank you." And responding to her comment about being a long time, "We spoke yesterday."

"I meant since you came here. It's been almost a month."

"It couldn't be helped." She responded. They walked into the office, and when she was settled in, Audrey left for her office. She thought about Jason and wondered if he was okay. We should call him, she said as she sat down. She was barely seated when her phone rang. "Hey, Jase. I was just about calling you."

"He,y you!" he replied, "You're settled in?"

Smiling, she told him she had.

"I just wanted to check on you and let you know James is here."

"Better." She replied.

"Talk to you later, babe."

"Bye." She responded.

With Jason safely in good company, she focused on seeing to her company's file. Calling her PA, she asked that the account and record files be brought to her. Audrey brought the files and left her to it. Evangeline scanned the files with a frown. She reviewed the business file and wasn't satisfied with what she found. Then she opened her account files. It was just a reflection of the business account. Audrey had notified her about the Sims withdrawing from their business deal, and she had instructed her to work with the business manager to resolve the issue. It doesn't look like both of them have been able to resolve it. She called both of them to her office and waited impatiently for them.

"Sit." she told the account manager, Mr. Toby. To Audrey, she pointed at the chair beside the man. "Please explain to me what's going on with the Sims." She said to them before staring at the file, "Whatever the issues are." She shrugged, "It doesn't look like they've been resolved."

"The manager insisted on getting a side cut that we couldn't give, considering their budget." Toby, "We had a sit-in with hi,m and it was terrible. He wasn't being reasonable."

Evangeline looked at her account manager weirdly, "When did we start giving cuts?"

Toby squinted uncomfortably in his chair. "He wanted a..."

"Bribe?" Evan turned to Audrey, "When did we start doing this?" She asked her. Audrey looked uncomfortable in her seat, too. She stared at both employees aghast. "Okay, so let me get this straight, he asked for a cut before you got the deal, and like frauds, you had a meeting to sort things out with him?" She stood up angrily, "What are we? Fraudsters? It's not even a political deal. Why would he ask for a cut?" She screamed at them. Realizing she was getting overly worked up, she turned to her PA again. "Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?"

"I did ma'am." She replied meekly, "I informed you the manager wanted his cut."

"I assumed that was the CEO."

"We didn't meet the CEO. The manager blocked us from submitting our quotes to her." Toby added.

"So, our quotes aren't even on..." remembering he had said 'her' rather than 'him' for the CEO, she paused, "Wait a minute, the CEO is a woman?"

"Yes. Mrs. Sullivan is the new CEO. Her father passed away and she's the only child. The new project is to commensurate with her position and show the partners she is up to the task."

Evangeline suddenly realized she's been far too far away from her business. Sitting down, she thought of how best to handle the situation. Her staff waited as she considered a plan. "I need to deal with the manager." She said, more to herself than the two seated in front of her desk. "Audrey?"

"Yes?"

"Do we have Mrs. Sullivan's contact?"

She nodded, "We do."

"Get her on the line, please."

Audrey quickly stood up to get the office's telephone. She checked the file and dialed Mrs. Sullivan's number. It rang a few times before she picked. "Good afternoon, ma'am," she said before passing the phone to her boss.

"Hello, Mrs. Sullivan. This is Evangeline Swiss." She listened to the other woman respond brightly. Unsure if she was going to be easy to talk with, she took her time listening more to her response and tone, "My condolences about your late father's demise. He was a good man." She signaled to Audrey to bring the company's laptop and open the file too. "Yes. I'm calling in respect of the proposal." She listened, "I just got to know you don't have mine yet. It's been submitted to your manager since..." She beckoned to Audrey, who stood and pointed at the date on the file: "Two weeks ago." She told her.

"I am sorry to disturb you over this on the phone. Can we bring another draft and maybe discuss in person?" When the woman agreed, her face brightened up. "Today would be great." She murmured to her PA. Audrey instantly got her notepad and scribbled what was being said. "Cartels, this evening, 5p.m." She repeated so her PA could get the information. "Thank you again ma'am." She smiled at something the woman said, "See you then."

She turned to her staff and informed them, "We have a meeting with her soon. You both are coming with." With a nod, she dismissed them.