It was a hot summer night in New York City. The kind of night that makes you want to stay indoors and never leave. But for Jack, it was just another night on the job.
He had been working as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for years, and he knew every inch of the building like the back of his hand. But tonight, something was different.
As he was patrolling the galleries, he noticed that one of the paintings was missing. It was a priceless masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci, and it had been stolen right under his nose.
Jack immediately called the police and reported the theft. The police arrived at the scene and started investigating the case.
They found no signs of forced entry, which meant that the thief must have had inside help. Jack knew that he was the only one who could have helped the thief.
He had been approached by a group of criminals who offered him a large sum of money to help them steal the painting. Jack had refused at first, but they had threatened to harm his family if he didn’t comply.
Jack knew that he had made a terrible mistake. He had betrayed his colleagues, his employer, and himself. But he also knew that he had to make things right.
He contacted the criminals and told them that he would help them steal another painting instead. They agreed to his proposal and gave him a new target: a rare painting by Vincent van Gogh that was on loan from a private collector.
Jack knew that this would be his chance to redeem himself. He contacted the police and told them about his plan. They agreed to help him catch the criminals in the act.
On the night of the heist, Jack met with the criminals at a nearby cafe. They gave him the details of their plan and told him what he needed to do.
Jack then went to the museum and waited for them to arrive. When they did, he led them to the gallery where the painting was kept.
But instead of helping them steal it, he activated an alarm that alerted the police. The criminals were caught red-handed, and Jack was hailed as a hero.
The stolen painting was recovered, and Jack’s name was cleared. He knew that he had made a terrible mistake, but he also knew that he had done everything in his power to make things right.
The end.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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