The Invention Left By A Little Stark | Book 2

19) An Infiltration

Hope had been watching the mayor's livestream right until it ended and flipped to a San Francisco news station.

The presenters were discussing the livestream and the memorial plans, relaying all the information for those had missed it. They seemed to love talking about how Tony had shut down Jameson, recounting their opinions on his questions and arguments.

It soon became background noise to Hope as she reclined in her chair and let her gaze drift to the misted window of her office. Although it seemed clear at the moment, the rumble of thunder in the distance was getting closer with every passing minute. There had been reports of flooding in the further districts of the city so most of the employees from those areas had gone home early to prevent themselves from being stuck away from home.

The only ones remaining were security, dedicated workers, Darren Cross, and Hope herself.

Hope was still thinking about the livestream, specifically about the fact that Tony Stark was doing it all for his kid. Despite the rumors that he was a narcissistic and arrogant man, he seemed to have a soft spot.

Hope had met you only once. You were young, maybe ten or eleven at the time - though she was quite a bit older than you - and there had been a meeting between the Stark and Cross companies. She remembered the two of you hiding away in one of the server rooms and messing about as the boredom struck. You were a smart kid and she'd always admired that. When she heard that you'd gone missing and then your death a few years later, it was shocking.

She thought about your dad and what he was willing to do to keep your memory alive and almost felt jealous, wondering what it must've been like to have a dad so dedicated to you. She began to miss her mom, thinking back to when she lost her at age seven, and how much it had affected both herself and her dad.

She'd had a rough childhood after her mom died, being sent to boarding school mere days after the accident, becoming estranged with her dad, and all the fights and arguments they'd had. These particular thoughts quickly turned her sadness into anger and she turned off her tablet with a sharp tap, putting it face-down on the table.

"Don't waste your thoughts on him, Hope." She told herself. "He's not worth it."

A knock then sounded at her door.

"You're not talking about me, are you?" A muffled voice said from behind the door, apparently having heard her angry mutters. "Hope?"

The woman startled slightly, standing from her seat and making her way to the door. She pulled it open to see Darren Cross himself waiting on the other side.

"Oh." Was all she said, evidently surprised. "Darren, hi."

"Hey." He replied with a lazy smile. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I? You sound mad."

"No... No, it's not you." She assured him with a weak attempt at a returning smile. "You did scare the crap out of me just then, though."

He chuckled. "Sorry about that."

"You say that every time yet you still manage to surprise me everyday."

With a rare apologetic look, he let himself into the office. "It's completely unintentional, I promise."

"I'm sure." She closed the door behind him and went back to her desk, leaning against the side of it. "How did the meeting go?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "The usual. They complain, I reassure them. Everyone goes home happy in the end. But what about you? Who got you mad?"

"It's nothing."

"If someone pissed you off, it's not nothing, Hope."

She smiled at that. "I was thinking about someone in the past. He's not important."