Chapter 270

“She won’t show up again, at least not anytime soon.” Sebastian peeled off a disposable glove as he spoke.

Abigail thought the same. Cosmetic surgery needed time to heal, after all.

“So you really think she’ll come back? I don’t see the point. Why take the risk?”

If it were her, she would’ve stayed away. Coming back now was reckless. If the truth ever came to light, it wouldn’t just be the fifteen years she served a time.

“She grew up here. Never really emigrated, at least not through the proper channels. In the end, she’s still a rat bred in the….”

“No matter how far she runs, she’ll always try to crawl her way back and prove she never belonged down there?” Sebastian’s tone was dry, his words cutting.

“An illegal resident, huh?” Abigail said with a crooked smile.

“More or less. Sure, you can take an identity, but those things don’t hold up to real scrutiny. And anyway, where out there could ever be better than here?” A faint, knowing curve touched the corner of Sebastian’s lips.

Abigail found herself nodding in agreement.

The country was evolving at an astonishing pace. Everything was efficient, accessible, and constantly improving.

But overseas was too unstable and too far behind.

After dinner, she stayed on at Sebastian’s place. The two of them settled in to watch a film.

James and Warren had gone home by then.

“Did you ask Warren to help look into that apartment yet?” Sebastian asked, holding the cat loosely in his arms. They were both seated politely on the sofa, maintaining a careful kind of distance.

“Not yet. I’ve been swamped with my current project. I need to get it wrapped up fast; if I don’t, the remaining clients will walk. Our R&D department is falling apart. Clients have strict timelines, and we keep missing every single one of them,” Abigail replied with a sigh.

“Let me take a look.” Sebastian paused the movie.

Abigail rose immediately, fetched her bag, and returned to his side with her tablet.

She powered it on and began explaining. “The client refuses to upgrade the chip. They want all the improvements to come from the system alone. But R&D says it’s just not possible."

“I’ve tested it again and again. Any system that runs well enough ends up overloading the chip. It crashes constantly.”

“You’re trying to race a Ferrari down a dirt road,” Sebastian muttered as he skimmed through the specs.

“What does that mean?” Abigail blinked at him, not quite following.

“I mean, you’ve built something brilliant, but it’s running on ancient hardware. It’s a waste,” he said, a short laugh escaping him.

She thought about it, and then it clicked. The metaphor hit.

She chuckled. “That’s actually kind of spot-on.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your code. The problem is that your client insists on keeping a chip that’s way too outdated. They want the benefits of innovation without actually investing in it."

“But no matter how clean your code is, it won’t compete with what others are doing with new gen hardware,” Sebastian calmly stated.

“So that means we have to push for a chip upgrade?” Abigail frowned, clearly troubled.

Her client had made it clear they wouldn’t consider that. She’d already brought it up several times.

“In that case,” Sebastian said, handing the tablet back to her, “I’d suggest you sell the software to a smart home company that is willing to upgrade the chips.”

She stared at him. “Wait, what?”

“Tell your current client: either they agree to upgrade the hardware, or the partnership’s over. Then take the code and shop it to someone else, someone who knows what it’s worth. You’ll make more that way, even if the negotiation’s tougher.”

Abigail held the tablet, her brow furrowed in thought.

It wasn’t a bad idea, not at all.

“I’ll give it a try,” she said softly.

“What else are you dealing with?” Sebastian asked.

“The other client’s easier, just some game optimization. More time-consuming than anything, not really a technical challenge.” Her tone was calm now, more relaxed.

Sebastian nodded and resumed the film.

Abigail shifted closer, her voice low. “By the way, how did you deal with the Prescotts this time?”

“You haven’t checked the trending topics?” He looked at her, almost surprised.

“I’ve barely had time to breathe. Between Jeremiah and my assistant, we’ve been running non-stop,” she said.

“Fair enough. Coders are always drowning in work.” Sebastian spoke evenly, as if all of it were routine. “I leaked their private dealings. They’ve got their hands full just trying to survive the backlash."

“Once your case is over, I’ll make sure Marcus is blacklisted in the industry. If the Prescotts so much as try to defend him, keep leaking more…”

“More what?” Abigail asked, already unlocking her phone out of reflex.

Sebastian reached out and gently stopped her. “Why not hear it from me instead? The Prescotts have been eyeing a plot of land in Chesterwick for years. The land’s under strict regulation, but they pulled every string they could to get it.

“I hacked their phones, exposed exactly how they acquired it, and now everyone who helped them is in deep trouble.”

“And what are people saying online?” Abigail was reaching for her phone again, clearly intrigued.

“They’re calling for a full investigation into the Prescotts, and into the official who helped them,” Sebastian said, a faint smile playing at his lips.

Abigail turned to look at him, her gaze laced with concern. “And you? Aren’t you worried they’ll come after you?”

“I don’t run a company. And you know the kinds of projects I’ve taken on over the years,” he said without hesitation, not the slightest trace of fear in his tone.

“But what about everything you’ve done under Clark’s identity?” she pressed. That was what truly worried her.