Chapter 114
Lucinda stepped into the Ridgeway Tech building, her brow furrowing slightly.
The lobby was packed with over a dozen people, voices raised in chaos.
She didn't slow her pace, heading straight for the elevator. As she passed the crowd, a shrill voice cut through the noise.
"Gaia, what do you have to say for yourself? The competitor company has already sent a formal letter saying you plagiarized their core data! This is corporate espionage—you could go to prison!"
Lucinda stopped in her tracks.
She turned, her gaze cutting through the crowd and landing on the slender figure at the center.
Gaia stood there, face deathly pale, eyes so red they looked ready to bleed.
She opened her mouth, her voice trembling. "I didn't... I didn't plagiarize... That data was my own work. Ms. Wipere can vouch for me..."
"Ms. Wipere?" Joseph let out a cold laugh and stepped closer. "Ms. Wipere can barely protect herself right now, and you think she'll vouch for you? Who do you think you are?"
He looked around, his voice rising several notches, dripping with schadenfreude. "Headquarters is already demanding accountability! Our new product has been forced to halt production, our partners are pulling out en masse—the losses are incalculable! And all of this—"
He jabbed his finger toward Gaia, nearly touching her nose. "—is because of you!"
Tears spilled down Gaia's cheeks. "I didn't... I really didn't... That data was based on Ms. Wipere's guidance. I checked every single number..."
"Still making excuses!" Joseph slammed his hand on the reception desk nearby, veins bulging at his temple. "The competitor company already sent over the evidence! Timestamps, data models, code structure—identical! And you're saying you didn't copy? You think a judge will believe that?"
He took another step forward. Gaia instinctively backed up until her back hit the cold glass wall. Nowhere left to go.
"Get ready for prison!" Joseph's voice was like a poisoned blade, stabbing at her heart. "Twenty-something years old, and your life's already over. What a shame. Should've picked better people to follow."
Gaia's tears fell in heavy drops onto the floor, but she bit her lip, refusing to sob aloud.
Joseph watched her pitiful state, the curve of his lips growing wider.
"Mr. Miller."
Just then, a cool voice came from behind the crowd.
Everyone turned. Eyes locked onto that figure in white.
Lucinda stood there, black briefcase in hand, the sleeves of her white blouse rolled up to her forearms, revealing slender wrists.
Her expression was calm, but the light in her eyes was frighteningly cold.
Joseph's smile froze on his face.
He turned, watching as Lucinda walked toward him step by step—each one feeling like it landed on his chest.
"Ms. Wipere." His voice faltered, but he quickly stiffened his neck. "You're just in time. This matter—"
"This matter, I'm aware of." Lucinda cut him off, her voice carrying an undeniable authority.
She walked to Gaia's side and stopped, her gaze falling on the younger woman's face.
Gaia's eyes were red and swollen, tears still streaking her cheeks. But the moment she saw Lucinda, her eyes brightened.
"Ms. Wipere..." Her voice trembled, choked with tears. "I really didn't copy... That data was based on your guidance. I verified every single number..."
Lucinda looked at her. Her lips curved slightly.
The arc was faint, but it carried a reassuring strength. "I know."
Gaia's tears spilled over again.
Ms. Wipere... believed her?
Lucinda withdrew her gaze and turned to Joseph.
That faint smile still lingered on her lips, but the temperature in her eyes had dropped to freezing. "Mr. Miller, in such a hurry to find a scapegoat?"
Joseph's expression shifted. His fingers unconsciously tightened against his pant leg. "Ms. Wipere, what are you implying? I'm thinking of the company—"
"Thinking of the company?" Lucinda laughed—a sound that sent chills down spines. "Or thinking of yourself?"
Joseph's lips trembled. He wanted to argue back, but meeting those eyes, all his words stuck in his throat.
Those eyes were too calm—calm enough to see through everything.
He instinctively took half a step back. His leather shoes slipped slightly on the floor. He nearly lost his balance.
"Ms. Wipere, don't slander me!" His voice rose several pitches, sharp with false bravado. "Headquarters is already demanding accountability! Production halted, partners withdrawing—the losses are incalculable! Instead of wasting time on this nonsense, you should be figuring out how to solve the problem!"
He looked around as if seeking support, but everyone around him kept their heads down. No one dared back him up.
"Solve the problem?" Lucinda took a step forward. Joseph instinctively took another step back.
"I have my methods." Her words fell with finality. She turned to face everyone from the tech department. "Ten minutes. Main conference room. Everyone."
Joseph froze for a moment, then laughed aloud. "A meeting? What's the point of a meeting now? Ms. Wipere, you're not planning to shift blame in there, are you?"
Lucinda glanced at him, her lips curling into a cold smile. She said nothing and turned toward the conference room.
The conference room quickly filled up.
Lucinda stood at the head of the table, both hands braced against the edge, her gaze sweeping over every face present.
Gaia sat in the corner, eyes red and swollen, fingers still trembling. But she bit her lip hard, refusing to make a sound.
Joseph sat in the first seat to Lucinda's left, legs crossed, twirling a pen in his hand, wearing an expression like he was watching a show.
"I'm aware of what happened today." Lucinda began, her voice calm. "I personally reviewed Gaia's data. Every number, every curve—it's her original work. The claim that she plagiarized from the competitor company? I don't believe it."
Joseph's pen stopped spinning. The curve of his lips flattened. "Ms. Wipere, what does it matter if you don't believe it? The competitor company shoved the evidence right in our faces. You say Gaia's work is original—then how is their data identical to hers?"
"That's exactly what I intend to investigate." Lucinda's gaze moved from Joseph's face to the surveillance camera in the corner of the conference room. "Last night, someone from inside the company sent encrypted files externally. The recipient was that company in Phoenixia. I've already intercepted that file. And—"
She paused, her voice dropping a few degrees colder. "I need to review the company's surveillance records to confirm who was working late in the tech department last night."