The Night I Left, He Turned Grey

That was a very strange question.

’Who else could Leila Jennings be?’

Sean Sinclair looked puzzled. When the police officer saw his expression, he understood and didn’t press the matter.

Sean Sinclair asked aloud, "What did you mean by that just now?"

"President Sinclair, we are the ones asking the questions right now. We need you to fully disclose all contact and dealings between you and Sarah Lynch."

"Sarah didn’t leak any secrets to me." Sean Sinclair wasn’t worried on this point. Sarah Lynch had repeatedly tried to tell him research data, but he had refused each time.

He was worried not only that Sarah would be investigated, but also that he would get dragged into it.

He couldn’t afford to get into trouble at a time like this.

He never, ever expected to be checkmated by Nathaniel Cole today.

Nathaniel Cole had not only secretly investigated him and Sarah Lynch, but had also obtained concrete evidence.

’I wonder if Nathaniel Cole will tell Leila Jennings.’

’The tens of millions in research funds I can still explain away as an investment. But the car, the house, the jewelry—how am I supposed to explain those to Leila Jennings?’

’And what if the media photographed me being taken away by the police today? If they blow the story up, what then?’

’Charles Jordan is experienced. He’ll handle it.’

’But the Forrester Crown Prince was also there. What if Liam Forrester decides to kick me while I’m down to seize power at Stellaxis Technologies?’

’Chairman Forrester probably wouldn’t allow it. After all, he has to consider the Forrester reputation and the future of Stellaxis Technologies.’

’But... because of me, Stellaxis Technologies lost the bid.’

’Chairman Forrester won’t let me off the hook.’

Sean Sinclair was on pins and needles. Whenever he felt anxious, he would subconsciously reach to touch the ring on his ring finger. It always brought him a sense of comfort.

It was like coming home from work and seeing Leila Jennings bustling in the kitchen, then bringing out plate after plate of his favorite dishes... It always made him feel secure.

This time, his fingers met only air.

His father had made him take the ring off last night.

Sean Sinclair stared at his ring finger, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

Sarah Lynch was also fidgeting restlessly. Under the officers’ repeated questioning, her temper began to flare.

"Don’t look at me like that! I’m not the other woman! Leila Jennings is! Sean and I were supposed to be together. She’s the one who took advantage of the situation to become Sean’s wife. Sean doesn’t even love her, so of course he spends his money on me. What’s so strange about that?"

"The one who isn’t loved is the real other woman. Don’t you understand that simple truth?"

"I have professional ethics, and Sean is an upright person. I never told him any classified data, and he never once asked. Besides, I don’t even know any classified data."

"I’ve said this over and over again. If you don’t believe me, go ask Leila Jennings! Ask any of the researchers on the project team. I joined late, and they never let me participate in anything. Aside from some basic data, I don’t know anything. How could I possibly leak classified information?"

In contrast, Mr. Jacobs, who had seen it all, was quite calm, sipping his water leisurely.

He only had three things to say.

"I was not aware of any financial transactions between Sarah and President Sinclair of Stellaxis Technologies."

"Sarah never had access to core data. How could she have leaked anything?"

"Sarah’s admission to the project team followed all proper procedures. You are free to investigate."

The regular officers couldn’t get anything out of him.

Eventually, they brought someone else in to question him.

That man placed Sarah Lynch’s file and the selection criteria for the self-developed chip project from that year in front of Mr. Jacobs.

"Elder Jacobs, Sarah Lynch’s entry into the project team may have followed procedure, but her start date was awfully late."

"The project ran into a small problem and needed to hire an external expert who had studied abroad to assist. Is there an issue with that?"

"No issue, but I’ve already made some calls. That ’small problem’ you mentioned was ultimately solved by Chief Engineer Jennings herself. It had nothing to do with Sarah Lynch."

"That’s because Leila Jennings doesn’t trust anyone. What does that have to do with Sarah?"

No matter what the other party said, Mr. Jacobs handled it with composure.

The officer smiled and added, "Sarah Lynch only met the minimum selection criteria for that year."

"Are the minimum standards not standards?" Mr. Jacobs said sternly. "If you can’t produce conclusive evidence that Sarah leaked classified information, then let us go. We have finished cooperating with your investigation."

"Mr. Jacobs, you are free to go. Sarah Lynch and Sean Sinclair are not." The lead officer motioned for his subordinates to let Mr. Jacobs leave.

Mr. Jacobs had only come to cooperate with the investigation and was genuinely unaware of the affair between his granddaughter and Sean Sinclair.

As for him pulling strings to get his granddaughter in, that wasn’t under their jurisdiction.

Any punishment would be a matter for the research institute.

But...

"Elder Jacobs, we just sent someone over," the officer said. "Due to Sarah Lynch’s late entry into the project, her lack of any contribution, and the suspicion of her leaking state secrets, the institute’s leadership has conferred and decided to remove Sarah Lynch from the self-developed chip project team."

She had been kicked out.

Mr. Jacobs trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief.

’I laid the groundwork for four years to finally get my granddaughter into the self-developed chip project team. She was just one step away from the goal, and now it’s all gone, just like that?’

Years of planning, ruined in an instant.

Mr. Jacobs couldn’t catch his breath and passed out.

WEE-WOO WEE-WOO. The ambulance carried him away.

...

「The Bidding Center.」

During the lunch break, Professor Cheney found Leila Jennings, clutching the documents Nathaniel Cole had printed. They were severely crumpled, obviously having been manhandled in anger.

"Do you... want to take a look?" Professor Cheney asked cautiously.

Chloe, standing to the side, didn’t quite understand what was going on. Curious, she reached for the papers after Leila nodded. One look was all it took to shock her.

Chloe exclaimed, "So that’s why Ms. Lynch has an endless supply of designer bags, clothes, and shoes! She has President Sinclair as her sugar daddy. But wait, isn’t President Sinclair already married? For four years... Leila, you’ve also been married for four years, right...?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Mm-hmm." Leila Jennings nodded. "My ex-husband is Sean Sinclair."

FLUTTER.

The documents in Chloe’s hand fell to the floor.

She was at once shocked, then panicked.

"Leila, I-I-I didn’t mean it."

"It’s okay. He’s an ex-husband now."

"But didn’t you just get divorced?"

"Yep, just got divorced." Leila Jennings bent down to pick up the documents from the floor. She gave them a quick glance; this stack was much thicker than the one Nathaniel Cole had given her.

"Don’t look at that." Professor Cheney’s expression was grim. They reached over, took the papers, and casually tossed them into the trash can.

Leila Jennings gave a wry smile. "I was the one who told Nathaniel Cole about him giving Sarah Lynch three million a month. That’s also why I got divorced."

Sean Sinclair’s lavish spending on Sarah Lynch had now become the blade that would sever his own future.

Leila Jennings thought to herself: ’He deserves it.’

Professor Cheney’s face was tight with anger.

Chloe, on the other hand, burst into a tirade, cursing Sarah Lynch first and then Sean Sinclair.

Her vocabulary of insults revolved around "shameless," "animal," and "complete scumbag," but she hurled them with gusto, spittle flying.

Leila Jennings was worried she’d get thirsty and poured her a glass of water.

Professor Cheney said, "Stellaxis Technologies is out of the running for our project. As for Sarah Lynch, the leadership just conferred and decided to kick her off the project team. Her name will no longer be associated with this project."

"Really!" Chloe’s eyes lit up.

A hint of a smile touched Leila Jennings’s eyes as well.

Chloe pressed on, "What about her leaking secrets? Is there any news on that?"

Professor Cheney had just started to shake their head when a police officer came looking for Leila Jennings.

"Dr. Jennings, we have a few questions we’d like to confirm with you."

"Of course."

"You never allowed Sarah Lynch to access the core data, is that correct?"

Leila Jennings’s eyes flickered. She quickly understood why the officer was asking this. Sarah Lynch was trying to use this point to prove her innocence.

"No, I didn’t." After shaking her head, Leila Jennings’s tone shifted. "But that doesn’t mean Sarah Lynch never accessed the core data. I have a video recording of Sarah Lynch attempting to steal data in the lab when no one was around."