Chapter 40
When Sofia saw Dominic, her eyes brightened. “Professor Her voice was
tinged with a little hurt, but then she noticed Alan and another guy standing behind him, and confusion flickered across her face.
Why would Dominic show up with Alan? ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ
It hit her that Dominic probably hadn’t heard about everything that happened lately, since he’d been away from Bridger Lake. Sofia moved closer and quietly filled him in on the situation.
“So you’re saying Reese took our institute’s research to BlackOak, and now BlackOak’s new scheduling system overlaps with our data?” Dominic asked, his eyes searching her face for answers.
Sofia nodded and handed him her tablet, showing him the two sets of data and algorithms side by side. “I’m not saying BlackOak copied our system, but there’s definitely some overlap in the data, so
Dominic had been at a military base for a while, working on top-secret projects at the request of the higher-ups. He’d only just returned for this conference, and the noise at the entrance was his first clue that something was off.
Now, after hearing Sofia’s explanation, his expression shifted-something complicated passed through his eyes.
“Reese, do you have anything you want to say?” he asked.
“What could she possibly say?” Elijah cut in with a mocking tone.
He had stopped by to say hi to Clever Cloud after their recent partnership. He couldn’t help but jump in. “Dominic, you probably missed it, but Reese actually claimed Clever Cloud stole BlackOak’s data. Now that you’re here, do you think she’ll keep saying that?”
Dominic turned and searched for Reese in the crowd. She stood off to the side, nervously twisting the fabric at her waist, but she didn’t even try to defend herself.
Sofia’s lips curled into a small, satisfied smile. She snuck a glance at Sebastian, who was watching her and Dominic, never once looking at Reese.
Sofia couldn’t help but feel a sense of victory. With Dominic here, Reese’s plagiarism was basically a done deal.
A heavy sigh broke the tension. Dominic’s disappointment was almost written all over his face.
“Reese, I expected better from you.” His voice was quiet but sharp. “Someone takes your research, and you just stand there and let it happen? You can’t even speak up for yourself? I thought you were stronger than this.”
Reese finally looked up. She met Dominic’s eyes, opened her mouth, but only a faint, breathless sound came out her throat felt like it was stuck with cotton.
Elijah, still catching up, asked, “Dominic, what do you mean?”
Dominic looked around the room, his voice low and steady. “The core algorithm for this scheduling system was Reese’s product seven years ago. I only started researching this area after seeing her work. But after she left the institute, the project was put on hold.”
The whole room erupted in whispers.
“So Clever Cloud really did copy BlackOak’s data?”
“Ms. Meyer used Reese’s research from seven years ago? But Mr. Ratcliff just said ”
“Shh, men can’t always resist a pretty face. But who is Reese anyway? She did all that seven years ago? Never even heard of her.”
Everyone’s attention snapped to Reese. She instinctively searched for Sebastian, only to find him finally returning her gaze—his eyes cold and unreadable.
Sofia forced a stiff smile. “Professor, I know Clever Cloud and BlackOak have always worked together. You just didn’t want Alan to be embarrassed in front of everyone, right?”