Chapter 66

At the Cobridge Future Tech Exchange Center, Abigail had been lingering in the lobby for four hours, barred from the exhibition area. She watched as Sebastian stepped out of the exhibit hall, surrounded by a cluster of people. While everyone else wore crisp suits and serious expressions, he’d unbuttoned the top of his shirt, looking relaxed and carefree as if he’d wandered into a nightclub rather than a tech conference.

Abigail quickly stepped forward. “Mr. Robinson,” she called out.

Sebastian eyed her like a stranger. After a beat, recognition dawned, and he arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “Didn’t I tell you to wait at the hotel?”

The professionals around him, all serious researchers, coughed awkwardly at his remark.

Abigail’s eyelid twitched, but she kept her tone formal. “The bright, open space here feels more ceremonial for discussing partnerships.”

Sebastian gave her a skeptical look, his voice dropping. “Who said this was a business meeting? What do you think we’d be doing at a hotel? Don’t play innocent.”

The onlookers’ stares turned suggestive. Sebastian had a reputation, and she was clearly being pegged as his latest fling. Even Abigail, usually unflappable, felt the heat of their gazes like a flame. But she couldn’t leave, no matter how humiliating it was. It was worse than a physical insult. Her cheeks flushed. “I really don’t know,” she insisted.

Sebastian didn’t respond. He shouldered past her, ready to walk away. Just then, Jeremiah emerged from the exhibit area and approached him. “About the surveillance eye scanning tech, the team’s hit a dead end. We’ve been trying to find Iris for weeks, but he has an eccentric temperament and is notoriously elusive. We don’t even have a way to contact him.”

At the mention of Iris, Abigail turned to look at Jeremiah sharply.

Sebastian’s expression turned glacial. “The center opens to the public tomorrow. Are you telling me we’re showcasing a faulty prototype if we can’t track him down?”

Jeremiah swallowed nervously. “The lead engineer quit suddenly. The rest of the team is scrambling to fix the issues.”

“Get it done by 8 a.m. tomorrow,” Sebastian barked, storming off with a dark look.

After listening to their conversation, she followed Sebastian and stepped in his way. “Mr. Robinson,” she said, “why not let me have a try?”

Sebastian stood in front of her, chin lifted slightly, body completely relaxed yet radiating an intensity that made Abigail feel uneasy. She avoided his gaze and turned to Jeremiah. “Can you take me to see your product?”

Even the normally patient Jeremiah showed rare irritation. “Ms. Gibson, this isn’t the time to mess around. Please do what you’re supposed to.”

Abigail clicked her tongue quietly but spoke politely. “The surveillance eye scanning technology works by scanning people’s basic vitals, cross-referencing medical data, and quickly assessing their health to ease the burden on healthcare, right?”

Jeremiah looked startled and instinctively glanced at Sebastian, who wore a fierce expression but didn’t look back at him.

Abigail pressed on. “Actually, this tech is pretty straightforward. If I get it working, you’ll come with me to tomorrow’s Celestial Group investment conference.”

Before waiting for a reply, she headed straight for the exhibition area. Jeremiah didn’t stop her, glancing at Sebastian for directions, but Sebastian stayed silent.

She walked in and went straight to a robot with medical markings, motioning for the technicians to move aside. Taking over the control panel, she ran her fingers along the keyboard. “The robot isn’t sensitive enough. The original code is too bloated.”

As Sebastian and Jeremiah entered, they heard her comment.

Standing at the console, Abigail deleted the robot’s entire code in one bold move. The technicians nearby stared, dumbfounded.

Leaning against the railing, Sebastian watched her back with casual eyes. Next to the huge control panel, she looked tiny, but her hands flew over the keyboard like a pianist’s – graceful and sure.

“Invincible Mr. Robinson, can you give me a chance?” Suddenly, the robot chirped in a cute electronic voice.

This soft, playful tone clashed sharply with Abigail’s usual distant demeanor.

Abigail turned and stole a glance at Sebastian. Their eyes met, and she quickly averted her gaze. She’d exhausted all options. If he still said no, she’d have to figure out another way.

Sebastian smirked, the smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Everyone in the room froze, taken aback.

As she typed the final line of code, she pressed the execute button. The once-stiff robot sprang to life, moving faster and more smoothly. It cheekily did a little spin before scanning the nearby technician. “Darren Cruz, 28. Current status: fatigued. Condition: hair loss…”

It listed the technician’s issues one by one, leaving the onlookers speechless.

Abigail turned to Sebastian, her eyes pleading. “Mr. Robinson, would you consider discussing our partnership somewhere, not a hotel?”

“Hmm?” Sebastian pulled his gaze from the robot, straightened up, and met Abigail’s steady stare.