Jayson’s eyes narrowed before his gaze drifted toward Samson.


    Meanwhile, Samson had walked over to stand beside Ariel. With his brows furrowed, he looked at Gary.


    “I don’t believe Ariel is someone who would knowingly break the rules. As Mr. Larkin mentioned earlier, even if there’s a discrepancy between the two sets of data, the quality of his materials is still on par.


    “There are plenty of ways Ariel could help boost Mr. Larkin’spany’s sales and reputation. She wouldn’t need to take such a risky approach, especially with a major project like this.”


    Samson spoke up on Ariel’s behalf.


    He then nced at her and offered a reassuring look. “It’ll be alright. I’m sure the agencies involved will conduct a thorough investigation.”


    Gary, too, believed Ariel wouldn’t do such a thing. She was one of the few students Carlos both favored and approved of. That alone should have been enough to show her character and professional ethics were sound.


    “You were responsible for handling this task. You checked all the data yourself, didn’t you?”


    “That’s right. I personally recorded the data, while my team memberspiled it. I also reviewed the final report before we concluded our work,” Ariel exined honestly.


    Gary knitted his brows.


    “It’s alright. I’ll cooperate with the investigation,” Ariel continued calmly.


    Instead of looking flustered or anxious, she remainedposed.


    Gary gave a slight nod. “Given what’s happened, everyone involved will be subjected to careful questioning. Based on the findings of the investigation, the higher–ups will decide what to do next.”


    Falsifying data was considered gross misconduct in their field, and such mistakes were never tolerated.


    “Ms. Walker has always been cool–headed in her work. She wouldn’t naively make these mistakes to help her partner’s business. I trust her,” Cecilia remarked as she exited the observation area, her tone light and casual.


    Ariel fixed Cecilia with a piercing gaze.


    Jayson lowered his head.


    “Don’t worry,” he whispered to Ariel.


    It wasn’t just Ariel facing questioning; Jayson would have to as well.


    After all, they were legally married, and any form of dishonesty was strictly prohibited in governmental affairs, no matter how small. If proven guilty, the consequences could be dire.


    Ariel could tell something had clearly gone wrong to cause this mishap. She gave a slight nod.


    Soon, she and Jayson were separated and escorted to different rooms for questioning.


    Gary frowned as he watched them get escorted away. The situation didn’t sit right with him. Ariel had always struck him as prudent and sensible. It was unlike her to make such a slip.


    Samson stared at Ariel’s receding figure for a long moment before asking thoughtfully, “Mr. Quinton, what happens if foul y is proven? Will Ariel be suspended if she’s found guilty of falsifying data?”


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Gary’s frown deepened. His expression turned grim as he nodded. “If there’s enough evidence, she’ll be suspended temporarily while further investigations are conducted.”


    Though the mishap hadn’t caused direct harm, the reliability of past testing would now be questioned, as problems with the data had surfaced.


    The results might turn out fine if tests were redone, but Jayson’spany’s materials would remain under suspicion until everything was verified.


    Only once the details were confirmed could the materials be put to use.


    Unfortunately, the process would significantly dy progress.


    Even if Ariel had simply been careless and recorded the wrong data, her mistake would still have slowed the project and createdplications.


    Ultimately, someone would have to take responsibility. Most likely, that person would be Ariel. She might even be suspended. <fnc2be> Newest update provided by find?novel</fnc2be>


    A fleeting expression crossed Samson’s eyes. At the same time, Cecilia cast him a meaningful nce.


    Neither of them said anything further.


    Ariel and Jayson were questioned separately.


    By the time Ariel’s questioning ended, Chad had already heard the news and rushed over to pick her up, intending to take her to the Hockney residence.


    Since Jayson hadn’te out yet, Ariel left with Chad and got into his car.


    Not long after, she received a call from Carlos.


    “I know you wouldn’t make such a careless mistake. But the government is very strict in these matters. <i>If </i>you’ve done nothing wrong, it’s only a matter of time before the agencies find the evidence to clear your name. Still<b>, </b>there’s one thing you must be mindful of.


    “This incident directly concerns yourpetence, ethics, and credibility. If the officials find it hard to trust you, they may hesitate to assign you important responsibilities in the future.”


    The severity of the situation depended on the investigation’s oue. For now, there was no evidence to prove anything, but the mere spection was enough to cause damage to Ariel’s career and reputation..


    23


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