Chapter16 Miranda Wins the Bet
Miranda didn't even look up. Her fingers flew across the keyboard so fast they almost left afterimages.
"There's still ten minutes left in the hour. Did you come over now because you're afraid I'll find the bug and beat you? Trying to mess with my concentration?"
Ariana felt a tightness in her chest from that one sentence. She nearly choked.
She rolled her eyes dramatically, crossed her arms, and stepped back, sneering inwardly.
Ten minutes left. What could she possibly pull off? Just putting on a show!
Just as Ariana was certain she'd won, Miranda pressed the final enter key.
She picked up her pen and began writing rapidly on the blank paper in front of her.
The instant the ten minute countdown ended, Miranda set down her pen with the final stroke.
Lisa picked up Miranda's paper. With just one glance, her pupils contracted sharply. For the first time, shock appeared on her face.
She looked up, gave Miranda a long look, then turned to everyone, her voice clear and decisive.
"I'm announcing the winner of this competition is Miss Miranda."
"What?!" Ariana shrieked in disbelief. "Impossible! I found seven bugs. She only wrote a few words on that paper! Director Lisa, did you make a mistake?"
Lisa shot her a cold glance and showed Miranda's paper to the core team members.
"Miss Dalton's seven were just routine risk points. Not that difficult to avoid. But the one Miranda found is the true fatal flaw in Project Starlight."
She paused, her tone carrying some admiration. "This bug is a trap I deliberately planted today for internal team training. It looks logically sound with no problems, but once put into actual operation, it would instantly cause the entire data chain to collapse completely."
As soon as she finished, several technical leads immediately crowded around. After looking at it, they all gasped.
"Holy crap! That's where it was! During simulation testing, I kept feeling something was off with the data flow, but I just couldn't find the problem!"
"Miranda's incredible! She found such a deep logic trap in just an hour?"
"This ability is insane! With you leading Project Starlight, we're all on board!"
Hearing the undisguised praise and admiration around her, Miranda's lips curved slightly.
She turned toward Dominic, whose face had gone pale as paper, smiling brightly and pointedly.
"Dad, thanks so much for the golf course. I'll have my lawyer draft the transfer agreement right now. Don't forget to sign it."
In front of so many company executives and core employees, Dominic's face alternated between red and pale, like he'd been slapped dozens of times.
He ground his back teeth, squeezing out a single word from between them. "...Fine."
Only then did Miranda spare a glance at Ariana, her eyes full of undisguised contempt and mockery.
"Ariana Dalton, Project Starlight is not something you can touch."
Outside the project department, through a transparent glass wall, Harrison had seen everything that happened inside.
He watched Miranda surrounded by everyone like stars around the moon, confidently discussing complex technical issues, and felt momentarily dazed.
Was that woman really the Miranda he'd known for three years?
Confident, composed, radiant.
In Harrison's mind, images suddenly surfaced from the past three years. Her wearing an apron bustling in the kitchen, or quietly doing housework. Those scenes were docile, blurry, even somewhat... dull.
Only now did he realize he'd never truly known her. He'd never noticed that without the apron, in her own arena, Miranda was so dazzling.
"Harrison!"
Ariana ran crying out of the project department and threw herself into his arms, trembling with grievance. "You saw everything! She... she and the others ganged up to bully me! That bug was definitely planted ahead of time. It's not fair!"
Harrison came back to himself and gently patted her back, comforting her warmly. "I heard. Director Lisa said it was a training bug she happened to set up today. It's normal you didn't find it. But you were able to identify seven other risk points in such a short time. That's already pretty impressive."
Ariana's body suddenly stiffened. All her crying complaints stuck in her throat.
She'd called Harrison here wanting him to see with his own eyes how excellent she was and how incompetent Miranda was.
But now, his words of comfort sounded like the sharpest mockery in her ears.
A bug that happened to be set up?
In other words, the seven she'd found weren't worth mentioning at all!
Not only had she failed to climb up by stepping on Miranda, she'd become a stepping stone highlighting Miranda's abilities!
Harrison didn't notice her reaction and continued comforting her. "If you really want to work on new projects and gain experience, you can come to my company."
"No need." Ariana immediately refused.
She knew Harrison admired capable, career driven independent women.
If she went to Whitmore now, wouldn't that be admitting she was useless and needed a man's protection? That would only make him look down on her more.
She had to prove herself at Lancaster Corporation!
Harrison nodded. "Then go wait in my office. I have something I want to talk to Miranda about."
Ariana was completely unwilling inside, but could only bite her lip and walk away, looking back every few steps.
Miranda had just finished giving Lisa instructions and came out to see Harrison standing at the end of the hallway.
Her brow furrowed. She instinctively wanted to go around the other way.
"Miranda."
But Harrison quickly stepped forward, blocking her path.
Seeing curious glances from employees passing by, Miranda didn't want to make a scene here and look bad.
She followed him to a secluded stairwell, her tone cold and distant. "Say what you need to say. I'm in a hurry."
"I..." Harrison looked at her ice cold face, that inexplicable irritation surging up inside him again. "I saw everything just now. You did great."
This was the first time he'd genuinely praised her.
But Miranda laughed like she'd heard a joke. "And? You went out of your way to stop me just to say that?"
She frowned impatiently. "Done talking? Then I'm leaving."
"Wait!" Seeing her about to leave, Harrison quickly spoke. "There are still some of your things at the house. When do you have time to pick them up?"
"No need." Miranda's response held not a trace of hesitation. "Just throw them out. I don't need them anymore."
Those so called "things" were just the remnants of her humble love from the past three years. She found them disgusting now.
Harrison's chest felt like something had stabbed it hard. It ached dully.
He thought about last night at the bar, how she'd left without hesitation behind Clifton. Inexplicably, he wanted to say something more.
But just then, Lisa came chasing out with a document.
"Miranda! About that data model optimization plan from earlier, I have some new ideas I'd like to discuss with you!"
"Sure, let's talk in the conference room."
Miranda immediately turned around. The impatience on her face was instantly replaced by focus and seriousness.
She took the document and walked side by side with Lisa, discussing intensely, not sparing Harrison another glance.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the hallway windows, scattering in fragments on her. It gilded her entire form with a dazzling golden edge.
She frowned slightly, listening to Lisa's explanation, occasionally offering her own insights, her eyes bright and spirited.
Harrison stood there watching her profile bathed in light, suddenly lost in thought.