Jaxen was certain he had heard the name “Katelyn Bailey” before. His memory was hazy, though, and he couldn’t quite recall where.
He gazed at Katelyn intently, rubbing his chin. “Have we perhaps met before? Could you give me a hint?”
Feeling somewhat helpless, Katelyn glanced toward Vincent. Their contrasting personalities—one fiery, the other icy—made it puzzling how they had ever become friends.
Suddenly, Vincent’s stern voice broke the silence. “Jaxen, remember our purpose here.”
His words jolted Jaxen to attention, and meeting Vincent’s chilling stare sent a shiver down his spine. Was it his imagination, or was there a hidden threat in this ordinary office setting?
Jaxen quickly dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m invaluable. Plus, with a beautiful colleague like Katelyn, our productivity will double.”
Vincent’s expression hardened, and he tapped his knee lightly. His voice carried a veiled threat as he said, “If you don’t meet my expectations, I’ll have to reveal your secret to your family.”
Jaxen protested loudly, “We’re supposed to be friends. Isn’t this a bit underhanded?”
Vincent ignored him, turning instead to lock eyes with Katelyn.
“Once the firewall is up, I’ll pay you double the estimate.”
Katelyn slowly shook her head, pretending confusion. She was puzzled. Shouldn’t Vincent have been more discreet if he harbored suspicions about her identity?
gaν.kn – ? ?
Vincent looked at her calmly and asked plainly, “Are you capable of coding?”
Katelyn’s eyes widened in surprise. “Mr. Adams, are you asking me to code? Aren’t you aware that I’m solely a designer?”
Jaxen, puzzled by the exchange, looked from Katelyn to Vincent. “Wait, are you sure you have the right person?”
Vincent sat stoically, his gaze locked on Katelyn. “Just yesterday, TS thwarted an impersonator shortly after you left. Doesn’t that seem too coincidental?”
Katelyn was momentarily silent, contemplating. Could Vincent really be basing his suspicions on such trivial observations? How astutely observant he must be!
Facing him squarely, her eyes earnest, she replied, “Mr. Adams, you’re overestimating me. I’m merely a designer. Perhaps it’s simply as coincidental as it seems.”
Vincent mused, his expression becoming more inscrutable. He seemed unconvinced.
The company’s firewall had started receiving anonymous protection exactly when Katelyn would have reached home from the Adams Group.
“In this world, true coincidences are one in a million. Most are man-made,” Vincent remarked, his words heavy with implication.
Jaxen paced around Katelyn, his expression troubled, before stopping to face Vincent.
“TS’s coding is incredibly refined, almost like a work of art. Isn’t she too young for such expertise?” he questioned. In his view, TS should have decades of experience to craft such flawless code.
Vincent remained silent, his intense gaze fixed on Katelyn as if trying to discern the truth through her demeanor. Despite his scrutiny, Katelyn showed no sign of panic, only genuine bewilderment.
She brushed back a lock of hair and said with a touch of frustration, “If I possessed TS’s skills, why would I hide it? If I had such talent, I would proudly acknowledge it.”
Her statement, intended to deflect, only intensified Vincent’s scrutiny. He found no concrete reason to believe Katelyn would deny such a claim either.
Jaxen, trying to lighten the mood, placed a hand on Vincent’s shoulder and said, “You might be reading too much into this.”
Vincent stayed quiet, torn between his suspicions and the possibility that Katelyn was merely concealing her true capabilities.
Katelyn, with a gesture of resignation, spread her hands and explained, “I understand the company is under threat, but I’m not the programmer you need. My expertise is in design, not coding.”
Vincent, with a thoughtful look, slightly smiled and conceded, “Perhaps I was mistaken.”
Just as he relaxed, his phone rang. The caller ID made his expression turn grave instantly.
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