Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire
Chapter 120: Line of Code

Chapter 120: Line of Code

There was only silence as they drove along the road until Alexander abruptly steered the wheel to the side and stopped the car.

"Tell me what’s going on with Michael Astor, or do you prefer that I check it with GIS?" Alexander said, his voice calm but his expression dark and intense.

Rain took a deep breath and began recounting everything Brandon had told her. She inwardly bit her cheek, noting how Alexander’s face grew even gloomier with each detail.

"So he’s not crippled," Alexander grunted after hearing the news. Rain replied, "Honestly, we’re not sure. Vania mentioned she was so dizzy and could barely see properly at the time. She had a severe head trauma and had been unconscious for days."

Trying to lighten the mood, Rain smiled and teased him, "Look at you. What’s with that expression? Are you worried about me?"

Her teasing was genuine, but she was also trying to understand his reaction. It was frustrating when he remained unresponsive, simply sighing and frowning.

Alexander turned to face her, his gaze serious. "You’re my wife. What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t protect you while you’re under my roof?" He looked her straight in the eyes and added, "We weren’t raised to be like that by my father."

Rain mumbled to herself, "Was it really that hard to admit you’re worried?"

"Fine," Alexander grunted. "I’m worried. Happy now?" Sighing, he immediately grabbed his phone and made a call.

"Put someone on Michael Astor. I want every move tracked and reported to me immediately. And add extra eyes on Rain," he ordered firmly.

Rain couldn’t help but smile inwardly, feeling reassured by his protectiveness. When Alexander finished the call, he turned to her and said, "You are not going back to the Clayton household. I mean it. Your father and everyone there—aside from your Aunt Melanie—are all crazies!"

She nodded in agreement. "But I still want to see Aunt Melanie and visit her," she voiced out.

"Just be patient for now. We’ll get her soon. Your father will return her mobile phone, so you’ll be able to keep in touch with her," Alexander assured her, making Rain stare at him in awe.

"Rain, are you even listening? Do you understand what I’m saying?" he asked with a frown.

"I understand," she replied, her tone playful. "But Alexander... why do I feel like you’re overdoing it? Don’t be too nice to me, or I might end up falling in love with you. Will you take responsibility if that happens?"

Alexander shot her a serious look. "Rain, stop teasing me. I’m not playing around. We’re talking about your safety, and you’re legally my wife."

Rain’s face scrunched up in annoyance. It would have been so easy for him to answer her question with a simple "yes" or "no." Why was he making things so complicated?

She sighed deeply, trying to calm herself, but inwardly thought, ’Looks like I’ll need a lot more patience with this man before he figures things out. Or...’

Her expression soured at the possibility that Alexander was still waiting for Carla Cartier. Maybe he wanted to see how he felt about his first love before deciding where she—his unexpected wife—fit into the picture.

Her shoulders dropped because she was torturing herself again with her internal monologue.

"Rain, will you please not be stubborn and listen to me? If you do, I might consider extending our marriage so behave and do as I say," he coaxed. Rain’s face quickly lit up. "Alright, I’ll do as you say then but remember your words..."

"I will," he answered before he drove their car back on the road.

******

Clifford sighed in frustration, leaning back in his chair as his laptop screen displayed rows of complicated encryption codes. The files he managed to copy from Meta Doctors Hospital were proving to be a nightmare to crack.

"Damn, what kind of hospital has encryption this tight? It feels like I’m trying to hack into a military system," he muttered, pouting at the seemingly impenetrable wall of digital protection. His fingers ran through his hair, tugging slightly in exasperation.

Yesterday, he thought he was done with the task and ready to send the files to Enigma. But the encryption had taken him by surprise, forcing him to put it aside as he had scheduled a visit to Rain with Sanya. Then last night, instead of making progress, Sanya had convinced him to drink with her.

Now, as he massaged his temple, his mind drifted to Sanya and he could still hear Sanya’s hesitant confession playing in his mind.

Sanya had chickened out of confessing to Rain after overhearing a conversation between Alexander and Tyron. She had come to Clifford, terrified that Rain—who was known for being a strict enforcer of the law—would throw her in jail for what she’d done.

Clifford shook his head and muttered, "I don’t know what to do with you anymore, Sanya."

He was growing increasingly frustrated with her reluctance. Even now, she hadn’t told him the full details of what had really happened, only admitting that she had impersonated Rain and registered her marriage in the first place.

He had tried to reassure her that Rain wouldn’t let her rot in jail. But Sanya’s fear and guilt ran deep. Clifford, caught between his loyalty to Rain and his affection for Sanya, was finding himself more entangled in their mess than he’d ever wanted to be.

His eyes fell back to the screen, the lines of code blurring in his mind. "First this encryption, now Sanya’s problems... when will it end?"

Clifford’s fingers flew across the keyboard as if possessed, his eyes strained and burning from hours of staring at the screen. His heart raced, each line of code bringing him closer to unlocking the elusive files. The frustration was palpable, but he wasn’t about to give up now, not when he was so close.

"Just a few more... come on..." he muttered under his breath, feeling the tension build as the encryption finally began to give way. His screen flickered, and then—success. A loud, triumphant cry echoed in his room. "Yes!!!"

Clifford’s face broke into a grin of relief as the files of Doctor Lambert Russo’s started opening one by one on his screen. The excitement of finally breaking through was overwhelming, but amidst the flood of documents, one name made his blood run cold.

"Rock Liam Lancaster?" he muttered to himself, eyes widening.

Without hesitation, he clicked on the file, curiosity and dread mingling in his gut. As the document loaded and the contents were revealed, Clifford’s face drained of color. His eyes skimmed over the medical records, reports, and notes.

"What the hell...?" Clifford whispered, his voice barely audible as the shocking truth unfolded before him.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.