"Maybe you''re just being sensitive," James remarked with a teasing grin.


    Mirabe shrugged, "Maybe."


    She didn''t dwell on it. With only a couple of weeks left until school let out for the holidays, she could sort it all out then.


    James had caught snippets of Mirabe''s phone conversation and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. "So, you''re heading off as soon as school''s out?"


    "Yep," Mirabe replied, not even ncing up from what she was doing.


    James reached over and yfully tousled her curly hair. "No other ns at all?"


    Mirabe ducked away from his hand, her response as sharp as ever. "Nope."


    James clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment. "You''re so heartless."


    Mirabe pocketed her phone and shot him a sly smile. "Why don''t youe home with me?"


    James thought about her intimidating brothers, and a look of mock dread crossed his face. "I feel like I''d be in trouble before I even set foot inside."


    Mirabeughed, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat. "You charmed my dad; my brothers should be a piece of cake."


    James sighed dramatically, taking her hand off his shoulder and holding it. "There''s an old saying-old ginger is spicier. Are you sure your dad''s a pushover?"


    Shawn might seem easygoing at first, but the moment someone got ideas about his daughter, they''d hit a brick wall. The path to winning his favor was anything but smooth.


    Hearing James''s concerns, Mirabe thought of her clever brother Zach, who always ended up outsmarted by their dad. She nodded in agreement. Her dad was no pushover-more like a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    Meanwhile, at the medical school...


    An urgent meeting was underway. The hot topic? The recent theft of valuable data.


    The institute had lost a trove of critical information, and keeping it under wraps was no longer feasible. The day after the incident, the National Security Agency stepped in to help with the investigation.


    Today, the NSA had uncovered some leads, prompting this emergency gathering.


    Dr. Ray looked over at Agent Brack from the NSA, his expression tense. "There must be some mistake. Mirabe had neither the chance nor the motive for this."


    Brack took off his cap, setting it aside. In his forties, with a square jaw and amanding presence, he gave a nod to the person beside him.


    The person, in turn, pulled a document from a briefcase and handed it to Dr. Ray.


    "From what we''ve found, this individual only showed up on the final day of the overseas conference. For the first four days, he was off the radar, giving him plenty of time toe back, swipe the data, and return," Brack exined in a measured tone.


    Dr. Ray skimmed through the document and then looked up, conceding that Brack''s theory had merit. However, he countered, "If he returned to the country, there''d be immigration records. This document doesn''t have that, does it?"


    Dr. Ray wasn''t overly trusting of Nick; he just wanted to ensure they had solid evidence. Going after someone unlikely, while the real culprit was still out there, would be a major oversight.


    Reeling in a research scientist for the institute was no small feat, after all.


    "I''ve checked into Nick''s background. He''s from the T5 Research Institute and has been abroad. If he''s a spy sent by another nation, bypassing immigration records wouldn''t be hard. Plus, identity info can be faked," Brack added, a hint of a smile ying on his lips.