"What''s gone wrong?"


    No sooner had M asked than she realized her mistake. She quickly backtracked, "Forget I said anything."


    She knew about the project-at least part of its underlying code. But given its ties


    to the agency, confidentiality was paramount. This wasn''t something one could casually ask about. She should''ve kept quiet.


    Forrest nodded.


    "Sorry. I really can''t talk about it."


    He''d signed a non-disclosure agreement, after all. The Federal Security Bureau project embedding the CN algorithm was his responsibility. It wasn''t just about system security, but also aboutrge-scale data processing-closely linked to the intelligence division.


    Even the slightest leak would be dangerous.


    This time, although there''d been an external cyberattack, the defenses had held; the system even managed to trace the signal back. There was no actual loss. Still, the fact that the organization had been targeted at all was a grave matter. Such an incident would not be tolerated, and a full investigation would be an international affair-discretion was everything.


    The signal had been tracked overseas, but its exact source was still unknown. The attackers hadyered their encryption well.


    As the project''s chief engineer, Forrest couldn''t just walk away now. He needed to stay and steer things. At a time like this, his presence was essential.


    M might not know the details, but she understood anything tied to the agency was serious. She bit her lip, worry in her eyes. "Will the engagement get in your way? If it''s too much, we can postpone until everything''s settled."


    She knew how to distinguish the important from the trivial.


    Her own safety, as significant as it seemed, paled inparison to matters of national security. Besides, she''d been in charge of part of the algorithm''s source code herself; she knew its power, and she knew the Bureau''s jurisdiction. She could guess what had happened—almost certainly something with the information systems.


    This was big.


    If it came to it, she''d step aside for the greater good. Priorities had to be set. "It''s alright. Don''t stress."


    Forrest''s fingers curled, and he gently tapped her forehead, grinning. "Come on, have a little faith in your fiancé. Besides, I''m just ying a supporting role this time. It won''t interfere."


    "Oh. Okay."


    Fiancé. Fiancée. M found the words strange and new, rolling through her mind.


    She''d never been engaged before.


    For a moment, she was lost in thought.


    No matter what, their engagement was settled.


    Both of them were quick to act, and


    with the clock ticking-whether it


    was M''s desire to make their rtionship public, or Forrest''s wish to throw a grand


    Hver


    Λ


    celebration-neither was willing to wait.


    s?novel


    That very night, neither of them slept.


    They worked through the night, calling up specialists they knew, hammering out


    every detail of the engagement party. Even Howard, busy across town, was summoned to help.


    The venue, menu, décor, and theme were decided in record time.


    It was only then that M realized:


    Forrest had been nning this for ages. He''d even envisioned the entire wedding, designs and all, with a full set of ns ready to go.


    Though it all seemed rushed every nothing


    detail was in ce usht


    overlooked. They could use it as-is.


    M was stunned.