Chapter 1503

Besides a few spam emails, an unexpected message arrived from Benedict Tanner—a name Lily hadn't seen in a long time. She was stunned, not because she'd forgotten him, but because she hadn't expected a reply. She'd emailed Benedict when she suspected something was wrong at the institute, after destroying all the research data (data Austin later recovered).

Austin's words at Dominic's house had lingered: if a hacker could recover the data once, they could again. A crucial encrypted database remained inaccessible to her. Professor Thompson, the only person with access, cited confidential internal information as the reason for denying her entry. He offered to retrieve any information she needed, however.

Later events fueled her doubts, bringing her back to that encrypted database. 'If a top hacker could access it, they wouldn't see everything inside, right?' Finding a trustworthy hacker proved challenging. She needed skill and absolute discretion.

Then she remembered Benedict. He wasn't a top hacker himself, but he knew one—a chance encounter while traveling, searching for rare woods, where he'd saved the hacker's life. Lily recalled this detail from their past conversations. She trusted Benedict implicitly.

Since taking over Tanner Corporation, he'd worked tirelessly, the company thriving. He'd sacrificed his hobbies, a necessary compromise. Lily opened his email. It was brief: his friend had accepted the job and would contact her with updates.

"Thanks!" Lily replied, but her eyes fell. Thoughts of the institute—of the recently deceased Professor Thompson and the missing Austin (likely with Rhea)—clouded her mind. She didn't know his location, only that Mike claimed he was safe, a reassurance offering little comfort.

'Where are they keeping Austin, and what is Mike's role? What does he want?' Her headache intensified. Thankfully, Alexander was returning to Kingsland. Despite a recent plague infection, his return offered a measure of relief; his presence always calmed her anxieties. She longed for tomorrow, for their reunion. She had so much to tell him, so much to discuss.