The meeting room hung heavy with silence. Noelle and Cedric exchanged surprised glances. Alfred cleared his throat. "Everyone's here. Firewall's fixed, I hear. Came to take a look."

Bobby stood, respectful. "Ms. Liddell tested the software; no issues. Anything else?"

Alfred casually flipped through the documents, a smirk playing on his lips. This “firewall issue” had been their handiwork. He glanced at Cedric. "Your thoughts?"

Cedric, the decision now his, studied the papers, then stared at Noelle. "You solved this… yourself?"

Noelle nodded. "Simple problem." She was secretly astonished Alfred ran the show. All those late nights… for this? It had been a mental block, one she'd cracked in a past life.

Cedric scoffed. "Simple? Liddell couldn't solve it, but a high school grad can? Amazing."

Frank's face paled. Cedric's presence suggested power. He straightened. "Noelle worked on the firewall." He hadn't believed she could do it.

Alfred's sarcasm dripped. "Oh, so that important? A young woman in software development… your company should nurture her! Why bury her after one project?"

Frank froze. He'd overlooked Noelle's talent. He shot a look at James.

James murmured, "Ms. Quigley wanted on the project. She knew nothing and would've slowed things down. For fairness, you didn't let Ms. Liddell participate."

Frank choked on his water, guilt evident. He couldn't meet Noelle's eyes.

Alfred pounced. "Fairness? You sidelined your talented sister for some outsider! You pretended to be kind, but sacrificed Noelle’s career!"

Frank's voice was hoarse. "I… I didn't think…"

Cedric, weighed down by the revelation, looked at Noelle. "It's not too late. We have projects perfect for you." He’d make amends.

Noelle smiled slightly. "Alright."

Frank's panic flared. "You could have told me!" he blurted. "Noelle!"

If she'd spoken up… he wouldn't have done it.