Chapter 25 Reckless

Without Shirley getting in the way, Emily could finally zero in on finishing the project. Once it was done, she could kiss the Rivera Group goodbye. Just thinking about it made her super happy.

The project soon hit the debugging phase, and Emily was over the moon, almost tasting the freedom she craved. But mixed in with the excitement was a tiny bit of hesitation.

Then, a bug popped up during testing. Emily frowned and tried debugging it over and over, but no luck.

Frustrated, she called David.

"Hey, Dr. Garcia, got a minute? There's a problem with the project testing, and I could really use your help," Emily said, trying to sound respectful.

"I'm out at Innovation Nexus Labs and won't be back for a week. How about I get in touch when I return?" David replied.

"Dr. Garcia, could you maybe give me some advice over the phone?" Emily asked, feeling like even waiting three days was too long.

Emily quickly explained the issue, and David went quiet for a bit. It seemed tricky, but since Patrick had told him to help her, he couldn't just say no.

"Alright, Ms. Thompson, I know a tech expert who just got back from abroad. I'll try to set up a meeting for you," David said.

"That'd be awesome!" Emily said, excited.

Soon, David sent Emily the contact info for Kevin Martinez, the VP of the Cognitive Nexus Institute.

Emily sent the problem to Kevin and got a reply pretty fast.

Kevin: [Ms. Thompson, I've looked over the issue. If you can, bring the relevant materials to my studio, and I'll help you out in person.]

Emily was thrilled and replied right away.

Emily: [Thank you so much, Mr. Martinez.]

Kevin: [I'm at the studio in Willow Creek. You can meet me there.]

Emily: [Great, thanks, Mr. Martinez!]

Emily quickly packed up, grabbed her bag, and headed to Willow Creek. As she drove further out, she felt a bit puzzled but figured research labs were often in the suburbs to avoid distractions, so she didn't worry too much.

Soon, Emily met Kevin and his assistant. The assistant was a young woman in her twenties, and even in oversized work clothes, her curvy figure was noticeable. She moved with a grace that was hard to miss.

Kevin looked to be in his fifties, with slightly thinning hair, black-rimmed glasses, and a pale complexion, but he seemed pretty healthy, probably from regular exercise.

Kevin gave Emily a stern look, furrowing his brows.

Emily glanced down at herself. She was in work clothes, and her chest looked fuller under the tight fabric, with her slim waist, long legs, and perky buttocks perfectly outlined.

Under Kevin's lingering gaze, a moment of awkwardness enveloped Emily, but she was relieved when he quickly shifted his focus and took her laptop. In front of him was a long rectangular desk, and Emily stood politely to the side.

Kevin made swift changes to the code. Emily had a nagging feeling that her original settings were fine, but with all these changes, the code might get messed up.

Kevin said seriously, "If you stick to the general program settings here, you'll definitely run into problems later on!"

Emily leaned in to see where Kevin was pointing on the computer, her chest emphasized more under the tight work clothes.

Her full and enticing chest was perfectly outlined, gently swaying with her movements, unintentionally exuding endless charm. Emily was so focused that she didn't notice the gleam in Susan's eyes, Kevin's assistant.

"Alright, Ms. Thompson, you can start testing again," Kevin said with a smile. Emily couldn't help but be amazed at Kevin's skill! After all that research, she didn't expect the solution to be so simple.

Emily quickly sat down at the computer, fully focused on testing the system. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen, afraid of missing any details. But she didn't notice a pair of eyes behind her watching with malicious intent.

Kevin stood behind Emily with a sinister smile.

His eyes flashed with greed and desire, constantly scanning Emily with ill intentions, finally lingering on her delicate and elastic chest. Kevin slowly extended his right hand, fingers slightly curved, gently pressing on Emily's hand typing on the keyboard. Emily instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Kevin firmly held onto it, not letting her escape.

Startled, Emily exclaimed, while Kevin's other hand quietly wrapped around her shoulder, effortlessly enclosing her in the chair. Emily felt a wave of fear and unease, attempting to stand up, but Kevin forcefully kept her pinned to the chair, unable to move.

"What are you doing!" Emily shouted in fear, her voice trembling. She couldn't believe that the seemingly serious Kevin would make such a shameless move towards her. Emily felt a surge of disgust and anger, struggling with all her might to break free from Kevin's restraint.

However, Kevin's strength was much greater than she imagined. At this moment, Emily felt her dignity and body being severely disrespected and violated, her heart filled with despair and helplessness. Kevin's face inched closer to Emily, his hands boldly trying to reach into her bra.

"Aren't you afraid of making headlines the next day?" Emily forced herself to stay calm. Kevin sneered and said, "Headlines? Who will report it? Me? You?"

Emily looked at Kevin's assistant.

"Her?" Kevin, with undisguised disdain, said, "Susan, come here!" Susan quickly came over and knelt in front of Kevin.

"Remove your clothes, right now!" Kevin said decisively. Susan, expressionless, quickly took off her top, revealing slightly bruised breasts and a flat, tight abdomen.

Emily noticed that, to facilitate Kevin's immediate access to Susan's breasts, Susan hadn't been wearing a bra under her oversized work clothes.

Meanwhile, in the President's office of the Rivera Group.

"Mr. Rivera, here is the list of top technical experts the company plans to hire next. Please have a look," Patrick took a look at the materials of several people, focusing on Kevin's profile. Patrick had some understanding of Kevin before; although he was a top talent in technology, there were rumors of him sexually harassing women around him.

The new secretary saw Patrick staring at Kevin's profile, thinking he was particularly interested in it.

"Mr. Rivera, Kevin graduated from the prestigious Summit Valley University, is currently the Vice Dean of Cognitive Nexus Institute, and he has expressed interest in collaborating with our company several times. He is a great candidate."

"Is this all the information we have on him?" Patrick asked with a furrowed brow.

Shirley happened to pass by and saw the new secretary standing awkwardly in front of Patrick. Wanting to stand out and assert her authority in front of the newcomer, she walked in directly.

"Patrick, I also know this person to some extent. Although there have been some rumors of sexual harassment about him before, his abilities in the field of intelligence are top-notch. If he can come to our company, it will undoubtedly be a great help."

Patrick looked at Shirley with some confusion. He found it a bit hard to understand her now.

Without a doubt, Patrick said, "Shirley, remember, we will not hire such a person in our company now or in the future!"