Chapter 19
Meanwhile, Roderick got the reply
reply and was totally relaxed.
He thought he would get no response since Ruby had been offline for so long. But the response was so quick.
Seeing Roderick glued to his phone with a poker face, Hadley felt uneasy. “Sir, should I still arrange for someone else to look into it?” he asked cautiously.
Roderick put away his phone, his voice cool. “No need. I’ve reached out to an international hacker. She’ll do it.”
“An international hacker? Is she good? Hadley was curious.
“An insider at
at Anonymity, you tell me.”
“Anonymity The Anonymity? That’s top–tier globally! You know their insiders!” Hadley’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Before he could finish, he thought of something and cautiously asked, “Sir, with such connections, why not ask them to look into what happened back then…
“Not yet,” Roderick cut him off, knowing what he meant.
Back when he was in Yalaria, he could have asked Ruby to investigate the truth behind the car crash. But Ruby seemed crazy busy since five years ago, hardly ever online, and his messages went unanswered.
Now that they reconnected, he didn’t know what was up with Ruby’s situation; it wasn’t the right time to ask.
Plus, among
the overseas forces repeatedly blocking his investigation, there seemed to be people from Anonymity.
Without confirming Ruby’s stance, he didn’t want to ring the alarm.
After all, he couldn’t figure out who Ruby was, but as a top hacker, Ruby could easily uncover him. Asking Ruby to look into Laurel was also a probe.
Little did Roderick know, Ruby, or Laurel, hadn’t even considered digging into Stryker’s info.
Stryker was just an online buddy to her, but she admired him and considered him a friend. And friends didn’t snoop on each other’s privacy unless given permission
Laurel agreed to Stryker’s request because she guessed the client was Roderick and wanted to check his abilities out.
Just as Hadley was about to say more, he saw Laurel heading their way and immediately shut up
When Laurel got back in the car, Roderick was on his phone reading economic news again, all chill.
She got the situation and stifled a laugh, thinking, Cute combo, these two.
She saw them chatting in the car from a distance, yet now that she was back, they were pretending nothing happened.
It didn’t take a genius to know they must be discussing about investigating her.
“Since they’re so eager, I definitely have to give them a big surprise, too! With this thought, Laurel put her suitcase in between the leather seats. playing along with them.
She was not afraid of Roderick’s people finding out anything, because her real info would stay hidden unless she revealed it herself.
Of course, she never thought Roderick would suspect she was Ruby. First, Stryker might not tell her. Second, even if he knew, he wouldn’t think
that way
After all, to outsiders, she was the well–educated, virtuous eldest daughter of the Lambert family. Her proficiency in arts would seem normal. But suggesting she was adept at hacking would just be taken as a joke, cause it just didn’t go with her identity at all
Actually, she had been into computers since she was young and even brought it up with her parents to study that major.
But Bill only wanted to cultivate her as the perfect pawn for a political marriage, urging her to focus on arts and etiquette.
Computers had no use in a political marriage. Plus, he thought computers weren’t for girls
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#21 PM d
Chapter 19
Not only did he refuse her request, but strictly forbade her from touching anything techy, urging her
on arts an
and etiquette.
As a result, she had to self–teach in secret.
During her study abroad, she not only kept it a secret from the Lambert family to pursue a double major in computer science but also, with her outstanding talent, won the championship in the individual category of the international CTF competition, making a name for herself.
That was why she was recruited into the top international hacker organization, Anonymity.
Even her parents, who raised her since childhood, were unaware of this identity, let alone Roderick, who she’d just met two days before.
So, Laurel felt confident and unafraid,
Roderick glanced at the briefcase blocking the space between them, asking casually, “What’s this?”
Laurel tilted her head, offering a smile. “Isn’t Mr. Lynch uninterested?”
Roderick choked, his face darkening as he continued to read the news.
Not long after. Hadley suddenly spoke up. “Sir, we’re here”
As Laurel turned her head to look out the window, the car just passed through a marble–built archway, in front of which were rows of colorful roses.
As they passed the archway, a traditional garden came into view.
The car drove along a path flanked by elm trees, the distant garden gradually coming into focus.
Pavilions, towers, and overhanging eaves with upturned corners–everything radiated an ancient, classic charm.
It
almost felt like stepping back in time to a distant era.
The car smoothly stopped at the garden’s entrance, and two security guards immediately stepped forward to open the doors.
Laurel nodded her thanks to the security guard who opened her door, ready to step inside, when Roderick called her back. “Be careful with what you say there.
Laurel narrowed her eyes, smiling. “Mr. Lynch, I know this place better than you.”
Roderick chuckled, “In the chess game of the Lynch family, you used to be a mere spectator. Now that you’re in the thick of it. Every small misstep could cost you dearly”
Hearing this, Laurel slowly wiped the smile off her face. “Even if it’s a snake’s nest, I have to give it a try.”
Seeing her determined look, Roderick felt a bit puzzled.
Logically, even though Laurel found out about George cheating with Regina and learned she wasn’t the biological daughter of her parents, it shouldn’t have boiled over to all–out war yet.
But everything she was doing now felt like deliberate revenge on the Lambert family and George as if they were tied by an unbreakable bond of deep–seated hatred.
“Mr. Lynch, just find a good spot to watch the show later, Laurel started, implying he didn’t need to worry.
Seeing her so confident, Roderick didn’t say more.
With a small wooden box in hand, Laurel waved her hand and strode into the mansion first.
Hadley watched her disappear into the entrance, his eyes dripping with admiration.
Everyone knew the Lynch Mansion was like the imperial palace of ancient times–not just anyone could or dared to enter.
Once inside, ordinary people might get devoured, leaving no t
no trace
Yet Laurel walked in with such ease. One way or another, she must have possessed the calm assurance of either individual competence commanding backing.
Thinking of the paper he obtained after a painstaking investigation, Hadley had a bold guess. “Sir, I think Ms. Lambert might be a skilled hacker. We can’t find her info because she’s hidden it with hacking…
Does she look like a hacker!” Roderick glanced at him.
Hadley frowned. “Well, she doesn’t, but I just feel like…
Roderick ignored him and stepped into the mansion, too.
Hadley followed up awkwardly. It sounded so far fetched even to hi
him when he said it
The Lambert family’s young lady and a hacker! That doesn’t fit at all! he thought. But soon, a new idea popped into his head.
