Chapter 145  The meeting room was expressly quiet.  It wasn’t just Lemira who was shell shocked, Orion hadn’t expected to see her there either.  Thaddeus cleared his throat purposely, “Well, isn’t this a full house? Heard there was a snag with the firewall, so I thought I’d pop in to check.”  His initial plan was to stir up some trouble, but he hadn’t banked on Lemira being the one to crack the code. That put a wrench in his plans.  The manager stood up, offering a respectful reply, “Indeed, just a moment ago, Ms. Langston here ran some tests on the software. Everything’s ticking along nicely now. Anything else you reckon needs looking at?”  Thaddeus, feigning interest, grabbed the report and flipped through it without really seeing anything.  ter all, the firewall fiasco was nothing but a fabricated flaw, a strategic move to put the Langston Group in the hot seat.  After a cursory glance, Thaddeus turned to Orion, “What’s your take on this?”  It all hinged on Orion’s verdict now.  Orion took the report and shot a surprised look at Lemira, “You sorted this out on your own?”  She nodded, “Yeah, it’s a piece of cake, really.”  What threw her for a loop was discovering this company was Thaddeus‘. So, all those late nights they’d been griping about were due to this software’s firewall?  The firewall issue wasn’t rocket science; it was more of a mental block. In her past life, she’d spent a good chunk of time pinpointing the crux of the issue, which was why she could fix it in a snap this time around.  Orion’s tone was laced with casualty, “If it  was such a simple fix, why couldn’t your team handle it, instead of asking a high school grad to bail you out?” His words dripped with sarcasm.  Lucian’s face fell on spot. He hadn’t  Lucian’s tone wasn’t warm, “Because Lemmy  Orion to be in the mix, looking every bit the silent partner if not the boss himself.  Was  part of the original project team. She was in charge of the firewall.”  Truth be told, he’d never pegged Lemira as the solution to their problem.  Thaddeus couldn’t resist a dig, “So, she’s that pivotal, huh? Young as she is, dabbling in software development, you should’ve nurtured that talent. How did you end up burying such potential after just one project?”  Lucian was stumped. Right, why had he overlooked Lemira’s prowess?  He glanced at Hogan, seeking answers. Hogan replied in a low voice, “Because later Ms. Sterling wanted in too, but frankly, she was- out of her depth, just slowing things down. You sidelined Lemira in the name of fairness.”  Lucian went quiet upon hearing it. To cover his awkwardness, he reached for a glass of water, but accidentally choked on a gulp. He had never thought things would turn like that, unable to face Lemira.  Thaddeus caught the words; seizing the moment, he launched into a tirade, “Wow, talk about fairness! To accommodate a clueless outsider, you hamstrung your own flesh and blood, a truly gifted sister. Try selling that story.”  Lucian’s grip on his glass faltered. His voice was hoarse, “I–I didn’t think it much that time.”  “Oh, didn’t think it much? Seems to me you’ve thought plenty. What you did would make others think you’re the good guy, adopting without favoritism. You’re seemingly acting someone good, but at what cost? You sacrificed Sweet Lemon’s interest!”  Thaddeus had a knack for hitting where it hurt, his frustration boiling over.  Orion, now privy to the full story, felt a heavy weight in his chest. He turned to Lemira, “It’s not too late to start over. There are other projects, perfect for you.”  He was determined to make up for what she had missed since young. He owed her.  Lemira’s lips curled up, “I’m up for it.”  “Lemmy,” Lucian interjected unwittingly, looking at Lemira in panic, “you could have spoken up if you were against it back then.”  If Lemira had voiced her concerns, he would have chosen differently.  1/1