“No wonder he hasn’t returned my calls. Is it really that difficult to resolve this?” Nancy asked.


    Matt let out a low sigh before replying slowly, “It’s not easy to keep everyone who knows the truth from talking. You know how important thispetition is.


    “If you ce in the top three, your chances of joining the national esearch team are very high. Jayson will do everything he can


    to support you.


    “And don’t forget, the Larkin family has been unhappy ever since you and your mom got dragged into those scandals. If you don’t seize this chance and win, there may not be another like it anytime soon.


    “Once you’re on the national research team, nobody will have any grounds to criticize you.”


    Nancy fell into deep thought.


    Truthfully, Jayson’s silence was making her uneasy. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty. Still<b>, </b>Matt’s reassuring words gave her a slight sense of relief.


    “I understand. I caused all this trouble, and now Jayson has to clean it up,” Nancy said, her voice tinged with gloom. Evelyn would probably kick up a big fuss if she found out about it, which would only add to Jayson’s burden.


    “Exactly. That’s why you need to stay calm and do your best so you don’t let Jayson down,” Matt said, his tone light yet sincere.


    “Alright. You should rest now. Let’s meet up for a meal another time,” Nancy said, rubbing her brow. Mixed emotions churned inside her–anxiety and relief at once.


    “Sure,” Matt replied casually, then ended the call.


    He spoke to her just like before, with no judgment or distance. Nancy exhaled softly.


    Matt was one of Jayson’s closest friends. Unlike the employees at Veyo Solutions, who quickly sided with Ariel, Matt truly understood Jayson and knew how he felt about Nancy. It didn’t matter what others thought of her anymore.


    As for being ousted from thepany…


    Nancy sat in her car for a long while, staring at the office building before her. Her hands sped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    Matt was right. She couldn’t afford any mistakes in theingpetition. She had already lost too much. Now, winning was the only way forward.


    Making it into the national research team would elevate her status Her background might still fall shortpared to the Larkins, but being part of a prestigious government research team would prove her worth.


    It wouldn’t just bring fame and recognition–it wouldy the foundation for a sessful career, and, finally, silence the Larkins ‘criticisms.


    Even if their opinions didn’t matter to her, Nancy knew she had to ight hard to seize this opportunity. It was herst chance to set things right.


    Resolved, she decided to keep a low profile and spend more time with Cedric in theing days to learn all she could from him.


    Turning away, Nancy headed toward Jayson’s newly renovated metal home.


    Several months had passed; the renovations should be nearlyplete. From what she gathered, Jayson mostly stayed there andmuted to work from there.


    She figured he might be home right now.


    Stepping out of her car, Nancy noticed the yard lights were on.


    As she approached the front door, the digital lock caught her eye. enter, she needed to input the password or unlock it via iris or fingerprint scan.


    Nancy froze. She didn’t know the password. Jayson had never shared it with her.


    Taking out her phone, she sent Renee another WhatsApp message


    “Renee, I forgot the password for Jayson’s house. Can you send it to me?”


    This time, Renee saw her message.


    After a short while, Nancy received a series of numbers.