Page 81 of Code of Heart
But nothing haunted him more than the meeting he had on his first day back in the office—a conversation that played on an endless, anxiety-fueled loop in his mind.
“I’m extremely concerned about the changes made to Project DL’s underlying code,” Isaac said grimly, sitting across from Levi’s desk.
Ivy stood nearby, arms crossed, nodding in agreement. “We didn’t tell you last week because we knew you’d postpone the wedding and throw yourself into this,” she admitted. “It’s contained for now, but...barely.”
Levi’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the armrests of his chair. His voice was tight. “Start from the beginning.”
Isaac shifted in his seat, angling his body closer. “There was a scheduled release to QA for data collection and security evaluation. Everything was stable…until it wasn’t. The test PII dataset behaved erratically—data was being storedimproperly, violating every documented security policy. None of it matched our approved code. That’s when we discovered the changes.”
“Unauthorized changes,” Ivy added, her jaw clenched. “Made by Harris Wilkerson. He wasn’t even assigned to that part of the project.”
Levi exhaled slowly through his nose, temper on a razor’s edge.
“And that’s not the worst part,” Ivy continued. “Harris was the same employee Tyler cornered outside the elevator the day of the security breach. Last Friday, we pulled him into a meeting. He’s been terminated.”
Isaac recounted every agonizing second of that meeting.
“Thank you for joining us, Harris,” Diana began, her tone calm but unyielding as she folded her hands neatly on the table. “Let’s get straight to the point. After a thorough review, we’ve determined your recent changes to Project DL’s code were unauthorized, well outside the scope of your role, and a direct violation of company policy.”
Harris leaned back in his chair, arms crossed tight against his chest. “Are we seriously making a federal case out of this? The changes were meant to improve performance and data collection. They worked, didn’t they?” His voice rose defensively, his arms dropping to grip the chair’s armrests.
Isaac sat forward, his voice low and sharp. “This isn’t about whether they worked—which, incidentally, they didn’t. QA flagged them immediately. The only reason we even found out about this is because your changes caused catastrophic failures in the test environment. You bypassed every review process,ignored CI/CD safeguards, and pushed code straight to QA. Do you even understand the kind of risk you created for this company?”
Harris’s jaw tightened. “I understand the risks, but I also have a vision for what this product should be. I took initiative. The project’s behind schedule, and while everyone else sat on their hands, I did something about it. Frankly, no one else around here—including you, Isaac—seems to have the guts or imagination to see what’s possible.”
Isaac’s eyes narrowed, his voice sharply carving through the tension. “It’s not your job to make those calls, Harris. There’s a structured process for a reason: to protect this company from exactly this kind of reckless behavior. And let’s not pretend this is your first offense. You’ve already been warned after you violated security protocols and let a Board member into a restricted development area without clearance.” His eyes locked with Harris’s, hard and uncompromising. “The real question is whether this vision you’re so proud of is yours…or Tyler Faulkner’s.”
Diana stepped in smoothly before Harris could lash out again. “This wasn’t a decision we made lightly,” she said, her voice cool and even. “But your actions have undermined trust, created operational and legal risks, and compromised the integrity of this team. Senior leadership has agreed…your employment is terminated, effective immediately.”
For a moment, Harris stared at them, his face a mask of disbelief. “You’re…firing me? Just like that? After everything I’ve done for this company?” His voice cracked on the last word, hands gripping the arms of the chair like he might snap them off.
Isaac’s response was blunt. “We value innovation, Harris, but only within the boundaries of authority and accountability. Your actions did more than put the project at risk—it put thisentire company in jeopardy. This isn’t about your talent. It’s about the trust you destroyed.”
Diana slid a folder across the table toward him. “This outlines your severance package, the return of company property, and next steps for transitioning out. We’ve also included resources to support your job search. Do you have any questions about the logistics?”
Harris stared at the folder like it might catch fire. His voice dropped to a low, bitter rasp. “I guess I don’t have a choice, do I? You already had this all worked out before you dragged me in here.”
Isaac’s expression didn’t waver. “You made your choices, Harris. Actions have consequences. I sincerely hope you learn something from this because the next company won’t be as forgiving.”
Diana stood, signaling the meeting’s end. “You’re free to take a moment before you leave. Security is waiting to escort you out.”
For a long moment, Harris didn’t move. Then, slowly, he stood, scooping up the folder with shaking hands. But right as he turned to leave, he paused, casting one final look at Isaac.
A bitter, almost crazed smile stretched across his face. “You’re going to regret this,” he promised in a low, venomous growl. “Firing me. Dismissing my vision. Just wait…you’ll see.”
With that, he stalked out of the room, his shoulders squared against the humiliation waiting beyond the door.
There was nothing Levi wanted to do more in that moment than punch a hole in the wall—or desk—anything really.
Levi’s anger churned like a storm behind a cracking dam. And when he thought he had heard the worst of it, the door to his office slammed open.
Like a demon summoned by pure rage, Tyler Faulkner crossed the threshold, eyes wild and filled with fury.
“You,” he snarled, jabbing a finger in Levi’s face. “You’re costing me money with your incompetence! The scandal with your wife—if that’s what we’re calling the pretty little whore—is tanking our stock, and you’re doing nothing about it!”
Levi moved faster than anyone could stop him. One second, he was seated; the next, he was inches from Tyler, gripping his collar and lifting him off the floor like a sack of feathers. His voice was a low, dangerous growl.
“Call her that again,” Levi warned in a menacing whisper, “and you’ll be leaving this building in a body bag.”
