Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Handing Over the Murder Weapon
’She’d hidden something so important from him. He would never be able to accept it. Besides, their relationship was built purely on physical attraction—passion without affection.’
’Was she going to lose him?’
Despair washed over Claire Sinclair. She shut down her laptop and put it back in its bag.
She checked her phone again. She hadn’t replied to his message, and he hadn’t sent another.
’It’s so chaotic out there. He must be incredibly busy. He wouldn’t have time for tender moments with me...’
The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt. ’If I’d known it would end like this, I never should have let him bewitch me. Now I know what it feels like to hurt. And it hurts so much.’
...
Under Aiden Howkins’s command, the team successfully secured The Fragrant Bean Cafe and rescued the hostages.
Unfortunately, God K escaped. Only two of his accomplices were captured; the rest were killed on site.
During the operation, Aiden Howkins recovered several high-end computers, including the one belonging to God K.
With God K’s computer in their possession, the Network Security Center quickly unraveled the conspiracy behind the cyberwar. They managed to thwart a more heinous plot and also identified several of Aridia’s top hackers who had been coerced into participating.
The hacker collective, who called themselves the "Prankster Hacker Alliance," had dubbed the event "Sinful Rhapsody." It was later officially designated "The Rise of Sin" by international law enforcement.
The cyberwar affected a total of 78 countries, causing catastrophic losses and resulting in over a thousand deaths worldwide.
Fortunately, Aridia was the first nation to win this cyberwar. The incident began in the morning and was resolved by the afternoon.
Rumor had it that other countries couldn’t defeat the alliance’s hackers. To cut their losses, they resorted to ending the conflict by imposing city-wide blackouts. But that was a story for later.
Claire Sinclair waited at the police station until she drifted off to sleep. Eventually, she was led to a car bound for Quincy Manor.
There were several people in the car, none of whom Claire Sinclair recognized, so she didn’t dare to speak.
’She felt like a criminal being escorted to her sentencing.’
’Would Adrian Quincy lock her up?’
’If he did, would it be for life?’
’Even if it wasn’t for life, he’d probably keep me locked up until I completely forgot how to use a computer, wouldn’t he?’
’How pathetic...’
’I’m only twenty-two, and I’m about to lose my freedom. What will I do with the rest of my life?’
Claire Sinclair’s mind raced with unanswerable questions.
When they arrived at Quincy Manor, someone led her to the door of Adrian Quincy’s office. The men who had escorted her remained standing outside, not leaving right away.
Claire Sinclair took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Adrian Quincy was sitting at his desk. He didn’t even look up when she came in.
Claire Sinclair’s heart sank. She stopped a few feet from his desk, not daring to go any closer or sit down.
"Mr. Quincy..."
"Sit." Adrian Quincy’s lips barely moved, his eyes still fixed on his work.
Claire Sinclair hesitated for a moment before taking a couple of steps forward and sitting down.
"Mr. Quincy, I..."
"Who taught you?"
"I’m self-taught."
Adrian Quincy slowly looked up. Seeing the girl’s utterly listless expression, the corner of his mouth twitched upward. "I’m not going to yell at you. You don’t have to worry."
"Huh? Aren’t you going to lock me up?"
Adrian Quincy raised an eyebrow. "Why would I lock you up?"
"I... I’m a hacker..."
"Who told you that hackers who don’t commit crimes get locked up?"
Claire Sinclair was at a loss for words.
’This wasn’t how she’d imagined this going at all...’
Adrian Quincy set down the file in his hands and met the girl’s captivating, tear-filled eyes. "You’re pardoned. But I’m confiscating your work tools."
’What?!’
