?Chapter 944:


    “The hack targeted you specifically,” Paul continued. “There was no way around it.”


    “Mr. Hoffman…”


    Her heart sank. If she was the target… that meant the fallout was still on her. No matter how he framed it.


    “Stop it,” Paul said firmly. “This isn’t just your cross to bear. We all got hit. What matters now is fixing it. ming yourself won’t undo what’s done.”


    He was calm. Measured. Just like always. But the weight in his words wasn’t lost on her.


    “What do the partners say?” she asked, forcing her voice steady.


    Ste figured he had a point, so she reined in her headspace quick, zeroing in on solutions instead.


    Paul’s jaw tightened. “They’re furious. They want fullpensation. After that, they’re pulling out. Deal’s dead.”


    The words hit her like a p. Even though she’d expected it… hearing it out loud made it real.


    Her throat tightened. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is all because of me.”


    Even with Paul cutting her ck, Ste couldn’t just shrug it off like it was someone else’s mistake.


    Paul shook his head, the edge in his voice softening. “Just go. I’ll handle the partners.”


    Ste hesitated, but she knew he was right. She couldn’t fix this by standing here. She turned and walked out, her chest aching with every step.


    But the moment her feet hit the stairs, the noise downstairs hit her like a thunderp. Voices. usations. Her name—spat like venom. And leading the charge? Nina.


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    “Well, well. Look who finally came back down.” Nina’s voice rang out with icy satisfaction. “Sylvia, youpletely wrecked this. Don’t you think it’s time to leave the institute? Or do you really n to stick around and pretend nothing happened?”


    Ste’s brows furrowed. Her jaw tightened. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but the crowd wasn’t interested in what she had to say.


    “She’s right. Why are you still here? You brought this whole ce down!”


    “Think your connection with William’s gonna save you now?”


    And just like that, the whispers turned into something uglier. Dragging William into it was a low blow. The message was clear: the only reason Ste hadsted this long was favoritism—not skill, not merit.


    Even if she didn’t want to leave, she was no longer one of them.


    Sandra’s face tightened the second she heard those words. Standing firmly by Ste’s side, she snapped, “That’s enough already! Are you seriously going to ignore everything Sylvia’s done for us? Haven’t you seen how much she’s contributed to this institute?”


    Honestly, the institute’s reputation had a lot to do with Ste’s hard work—including the gear they got from Rutherford, which wouldn’t have happened without her.


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