Chapter 173

“I’ve known Leslie for years. I trust her. She’s just not the type to leak classified info.
“I can vouch for her. She’s solid.
“So, if you don’t have any proof, can we go now?”
The three officials traded uneasy looks, clearly on the fence. With Sebastian stepping in and no hard evidence against Leslie, they really didn’t have a leg to stand on.
Finally, one of the interrogators stood up and handed Sebastian a form. “Mr. Ratcliff, we don’t have evidence tying Leslie to Lyla, but she’s still under suspicion. If you want to bail her out, you’ll need to sign this guarantee. Please think it through.”
Sebastian could tell the guy was trying to be helpful, basically warning him not to drag Ratcliff Global into this mess. But he knew Leslie. Maybe she had her own agenda, but she’d never cross the line. He’d stake his reputation on that.
And after risking her health to save his life back then, there was no way he could just leave her here to suffer.
He took the papers, skimmed them, and signed his name without hesitating.
The official took the signed document and turned to Leslie. “You’re free to go for now, but you can’t leave the country until the investigation is over. We’ll need your full cooperation.”
“Also, because of internal issues at Big X, your collaboration with BlackOak is on hold for now.”
Leslie’s face tightened for a second, but she forced herself to stay calm and nodded. “Understood. I’ll cooperate.”
As soon as they stepped out of the security building, Leslie kept her head down, her voice soft. “Sebastian, I’m really sorry. This is all my fault. I never meant for you to get dragged into it.”
Sebastian sounded cool and distant. “It’s fine. Let’s just get in the car.”
In the car, Leslie’s exhaustion showed, but inside, she was seething at Lyla. That useless bitch didn’t manage to steal the Blade system’s core data, failed to set Reese up, and now she’d gotten Leslie herself tangled up in all this. Their partnership was dead, and her reputation was in ruins.
No point pretending anymore. Everyone in the Bridger Lake Al world was probably gossiping about her already.
Worse, if she couldn’t deliver Blade’s core data, headquarters would never let her off the hook.
The pressure made her chest feel tight.
She glanced at Sebastian, a calculating look flickering in her eyes. Right now, Sebastian was all she had left.
She bit her lip, lowering her voice. “Sebastian, there’s a business gala in a couple days. Would you go with me?”
With Sebastian at her side, she could strengthen their connection, and just showing up together would quiet most of the rumors.
Plus, the Blade project was a joint venture between Ratcliff Global and BlackOak. She needed to find a way to get her hands on Blade’s core data, and Sebastian was her best shot.
Sebastian frowned, about to say no. All he wanted was to fix things with Reese and avoid a messy divorce. The last thing he needed was more misunderstandings, especially if Reese found out.
But when he saw how pale and desperate Leslie looked, he just couldn’t bring himself to turn her down.
“All right. I’ll go with you.”
A small smile tugged at Leslie’s lips. She knew he wouldn’t refuse her.
She’d definitely underestimated Reese-thought she’d be an easy target. She never expected Reese to dodge Lyla’s scheme and expose Lyla as the real leak.
But that was fine. There was still time. As long as she could stay close to Sebastian, she still had a chance to get her hands on Blade’s core data—and to take Reese down.
There might not have been any evidence against Leslie, but at least the investigation forced Big X to end. their partnership with Blackoak, which meant less risk of another data leak.
Reese stopped worrying about everyone else’s moves. Right now, all that mattered was getting the Blade system ready. Read full story at (.)net
That afternoon, Matthew walked into the lab and found Reese at her computer, totally absorbed in her work. His normally sharp eyes softened a little.
“Reese, Mr. Sanchez wants me to go to the base and report on the data breach. “And I need to update them on Blade’s progress. I’ll be gone about two weeks. “You know how strict security is on base. I have to hand over all my electronics and can’t contact anyone outside. So if you can’t reach me, that’s why.”
“Okay.”
Reese nodded, eyes still glued to her screen. It was clear she barely heard him. She replied absently, “What about Annie? Do you need me to help take care of her while you’re gone?”