Reborn as the Villainess

Chapter26

As soon as those words left Oscar's mouth, everyone in the room instinctively straightened up and got on high alert.

Sitting at the head of the table, Stephen rhythmically tapped his long and slender fingers on the surface, the soft thud cutting through the tense silence of the conference room. No one dared to make a sound. They sat upright, barely breathing, terrified that even the slightest wrong move might bring disaster their way.

After what felt like an eternity, Stephen finally spoke, his voice crisp but restrained, carrying an undeniable pressure. "There are four issues to address today. I expect all of them to be resolved as soon as possible. Don't waste my time."

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. They thought, 'Since Mr. Lloyd's this pissed, things must be pretty serious.

"Yes, sir," they all mumbled in unison while hastily flipping open their laptops, their fingers poised to type.

Stephen's eyes scanned the room, and he continued, "First, there's a post on the Aloria High School's forum slandering my fiancée. I want every detail on the slander's IP within a minute."

Everyone present froze for a second. Their hands that had just started typing faltered in the air, and they screamed inwardly, Wait, what? Did I hear that right? Mr. Lloyd has a fiancée?'

Oscar also widened his eyes, and he nearly fell off his chair. 'Hold up. Is Mr. Lloyd this riled up over some online drama about his fiancée? That's why we're here?' Oscar wondered.

But Stephen didn't give them any time to process the bombshell. Glancing at his watch, his lips barely moved as he added, Time starts now."

The IT team in the company was the best of the best. Digging up information on a single IP was like child's play. Within thirty seconds, they collected everything.

"Mr. Lloyd," the manager of the IT department spoke up, "we traced the post's origin to Aloria High School. More specifically, it came from Class D. Cross-referencing phone data, we pinpointed the culprit as a student named Janet. We've also pulled her profile from the school's database and emailed it to you. Oh, and the post trashing Mrs. Lloyd is already deleted."

Hearing the manager say "Mrs. Lloyd", the icy chill surrounding Stephen seemed to thaw just a little, and he put on a faint smile. "Your bonuses are up 30% this month. Pick it up from the finance office."

The IT manager blinked his eyes and was totally stunned. He had barely broken a sweat, and now he got a fat bonus? Guess sucking up to the boss in the right way would pay off big time.

Stephen's expression remained icy as he swiftly opened his email. In seconds, a detailed profile popped up on his screen, complete with an ID photo. The profile read Janet Hall, daughter of Hall Group.

After skimming through the report, he spoke again, "Second issue, you've got three minutes. I want a full breakdown of Hall Group's operations in Aloria and all their trade relations with other companies."

The room was suddenly filled with the rapid clacking of keyboards. Two minutes later, another detailed report landed in Stephen's inbox. He tapped his fingers on the table as his eyes scanned the information. Without missing a beat, he turned to Oscar and ordered, "I don't want to see Hall Group around anymore. You've got a week to deal with that."

Oscar nodded frantically and replied, "Yes, sir." But inside, he was sweating bullets, and he thought, 'Mr. Lloyd is so terrifying.

Lloyd Group was the biggest conglomerate in the country, and no one dared mess with them. Yet Stephen wasn't usually one to crush other companies. He had a reputation for helping smaller businesses stay afloat when they were on the brink of collapse. But this time, Hall Group had crossed a line they shouldn't have.

III

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3

Then Stephen, in the most casual tone, added, "Whoever figures this out gets a year off with full pay, and your annual bonus... multiplied by ten."

63

0

Every pair of eyes lit up instantly. Even Oscar felt the pull of such an irresistible reward. He was already itching to throw in some suggestions himself.