After Ariel and Chad left, Cecilia paused before getting into her car and cast a nce in the direction they had gone.
When Samson came out, he noticed her thoughtful expression.
He approached. “No one expected her identity. Now that it’s public, she’s bound to get attention from the government. Petty tricks won’t work on her anymore.”
He walked toward his own car. Before leaving, he said casually, “Don’t think Jayson won’t figure out what you did that day.<b>” </b>
Cecilia finally nced at him. A faint smile touched her lips, but there was little warmth behind it.
Nancy had never imagined she would find herself under a national investigation.
Afteryer uponyer of questioning, sweat had soaked through her cor.
The
process dragged on for nearly two hours. Since this involved top–level ssified information, the procedure was unusually strict.
She couldn’t possibly confess, and each denial only served to prolong the investigation.
When she finally emerged, the sun was setting.
Not once had she received a call from Jayson. He hadn’t evene to pick her up. 1
As Nancy stared at the empty intersection, her already pale face grew even more sallow. She pressed her lips tight, forcing down her unease.
There was still more investigation to cooperate with, and she would be ced under temporary surveince.
It was clear just how serious the consequences would be.
Her heart sank at that thought.
When the federal investigative agency’s car dropped her off at her home, Sarah was already waiting for
her.
The news was already out, spreading online with rming speed and intensity.
The moment Nancy entered, she copsed onto the couch.
“Is this some kind of mistake? How could Ariel be this capable? She’s just a rookie!” Sarah’s hands and feet were icy. She nearly lost her mind.
Ariel was actually connected to U.N2? That former housewife who had once just stirred pots in the
kitchen?
Nancy’s lips turned white. She drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know! If I don’t handle this properly, I could be charged with leaking state secrets. That’s a serious crime, and it touches the interests of the government. If they hold me responsible, I…”
She would be done for.
Such a charge was one that nearly everyone would condemn, and she could forget ever continuing in this field she once took pride in.
Even Sarah, who had weathered many storms, was unnerved. She slumped onto the couch, but her mind raced. “Why didn’t Cedric tell you the code wasn’t his? This is way too coincidental!”
Nancy’s thoughts were a tangled mess.
Ariel was actually the developer of U.N2. Nancy still found it hard to believe and ept.
She knew just how terrifying this achievement was.
Ariel had been only 20 at the time.
In just one night, the gap between her and Ariel became cosmic. She was the one left in the dust. All her life, she had considered herself a genius, a leading figure in her field. She had always carried herself with such arrogance in front of Ariel.
But in the end, she was told that she had nevere close to matching Ariel’s level, let alone being considered her equal.
The revtion hit like a fiery p, shattering all of Nancy’s pride.
At that moment, disbelief was apanied by a strange, creeping anger.
Her mind was consumed with the thought of going to prison, possibly for many years. Everything she had worked for in this field could be destroyed in an instant, leaving her future in ruins.
A dark thought even crossed her mind. It would have been better if she had been charged back when she and Ariel shed over the defamation case.
At least she could have served her sentence and been out within a year without it harming her career. prospects. Veyo Solutions wouldn’t have been in jeopardy, and she would still be collecting dividends. None of this catastrophe would have happened.
Nancy pulled out her phone and found Jayson’s number, but she paused just as she was about to make the call.