Chapter 115
Joseph's expression flickered, but he quickly recovered.
He let out a laugh. "Ms. Wipere, you might not know this yet, but the company's surveillance system mysteriously malfunctioned last night. No records left at all. What a coincidence, right?"
He spread his hands, his tone dripping with mock regret. "See? Now the surveillance is broken, the evidence is gone. Even if you intercepted that file, what does it prove? Who knows who sent it? For all we know, Gaia plagiarized the data herself, then tried to sell it to the competitor company. When that didn't work out, she's now trying to pin it on someone else."
Gaia's head snapped up, tears welling in her eyes again.
Lucinda pressed a hand on her shoulder, her gaze turning even colder as she looked at Joseph. "Mr. Miller, you seem quite well-informed about the surveillance malfunction."
Joseph's smile froze for a moment. "Security told me when I came in this morning. What's the problem with that? Ms. Wipere, now isn't the time to worry about surveillance. The real issue is that our product can't be manufactured anymore. Tens of millions in upfront investment down the drain, and our partners won't let this slide either. If you're really capable, stop wasting time investigating surveillance footage and figure out how to salvage this situation."
He leaned back in his chair, that smug smile returning to his lips. "Otherwise, when headquarters comes down on us, neither of us will walk away unscathed."
The conference room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone's eyes were on Lucinda.
She stood there, backlit by the window, her expression hard to read. "What makes you think I haven't already solved it?"
Joseph's smile froze completely.
Lucinda's lips curved slightly—a smile so faint it sent chills down spines. "Mr. Miller, you don't need to worry. The product issue has been handled. As for the rest... I won't trouble you to concern yourself. Meeting adjourned."
"Ms. Wipere, you..." Joseph tried to say more, but Lucinda's glare cut him off.
"Meeting adjourned." With those final words, the others in the conference room didn't dare linger. They filed out in twos and threes.
Lucinda withdrew her gaze, picked up her handbag, and turned toward the door.
Gaia hurried to catch up, walking beside her, eyes still red.
"Ms. Wipere..." Her voice trembled, hoarse from crying.
Lucinda stopped and turned around.
"I didn't plagiarize... I really didn't..." Her voice broke. "They took my data... I did all the work on my own computer. How did it become theirs..."
Lucinda looked at her, her gaze calm. "I know. I believe you."
Gaia froze.
Her lips trembled. Tears finally spilled over, falling in heavy drops onto her folder.
"Ms. Wipere..." Her voice shook with the kind of choked relief that comes after surviving disaster. "You really believe me?"
"Yes." Lucinda stepped forward and lightly pressed her shoulder. "Don't worry. The truth will come out soon."
Gaia's shoulders relaxed, like a mountain finally unburdened.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and nodded hard.
"But..." She suddenly looked up again, eyes still red but flickering with worry. "Our product... all the research the company worked so hard on... will it all go to waste?"
Her voice dropped, tinged with indescribable pain. "All that data, those experiments... everyone pulled countless all-nighters..."
"It won't." Lucinda cut her off, her voice colder. "The entire company will continue as usual. Research, production—business as usual. Don't worry."
She paused, her lips curving slightly, her tone resolute. "The competitor company will pay the price."
Gaia looked at her, the worry in her eyes gradually fading.
She nodded firmly, clutched her folder tightly, and turned toward the tech department.
Lucinda watched her silhouette disappear around the corner of the hallway. The curve of her lips slowly faded.
She turned and headed toward the server room.
Lucinda sat at the main console, her fingers tapping a few keys. The screen lit up, displaying the surveillance system interface.
Her gaze fell on last night's records.
Blank.
Not a malfunction. Manually deleted.
Deleted cleanly—even the backups had been wiped. Like someone had deliberately erased their tracks.
Lucinda's brow furrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
Data recovery was one of her specialties.
Her fingers paused on the keyboard for a moment, then descended, moving faster and faster.
Strings of code scrolled rapidly across the screen. Her gaze was focused and calm, like a precision instrument in operation.
Joseph.
The name flashed through her mind.
The way he'd slumped in his chair after the meeting. The viciousness in his eyes. The rhythm of his fingers tapping on the table.
Too hasty.
Too eager to pin the blame on Gaia, too eager to make her resign, too eager to end this farce.
Why the rush?
Because he was afraid.
Afraid she'd investigate further. Afraid the truth would surface. Afraid his shady dealings would be dragged into the light.
Lucinda's lips curved slightly—a smile devoid of warmth.
Her fingers struck the final command on the keyboard. The progress bar on the screen began to move slowly.
The deleted surveillance footage was being pieced back together bit by bit.
A video clip appeared on the screen.
2:17 AM. Joseph's figure appeared in the hallway.
He wore a dark coat, hat pulled low, and walked quickly to Gaia's office door. He pulled a card from his pocket and swiped it across the access panel.
The door opened.
He slipped inside. Less than ten minutes later, he hurried back out.
Lucinda's gaze lingered on the screen, coldness rising in her eyes bit by bit.