Callie, standing beside her, let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, the handover is complete."

"Callie, you should take a week off," Eleanor told him. The lab's brain-computer interface equipment needed to be packed up and sent to the facility. Once the lab was cleared out, Eleanor would need to draw up a list of new equipment to purchase.

"Alright, I'll take a week-long trip then. Call me if anything comes up," Callie agreed. The intense work over the past month definitely called for a break.

After seeing Garrison's team off, Eleanor returned to her office. Looking at the soon- to-be-empty lab, she felt a sense of relief mixed with eager anticipation for her new project.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text message.

It was from lan.

[Has Dr. Bradley's team left?]

Eleanor was actually quite grateful to lan. During this busy period, he had taken on the responsibility of picking up and dropping off their daughter. Sometimes, when she worked late, he would have Gavin bring dinner by. Though he never said anything, she appreciated the gesture.

[Just saw them off,] Eleanor replied.

[You've worked hard. Want to take Evelyn out to celebrate tonight?]

Eleanor thought about it. A little relaxation before starting the new project sounded like a good idea, and it had been a couple of weeks since she'd had a proper outing with her daughter.

[Okay,] she replied.

[I'll pick you up with Evelyn at six.]

Eleanor sat down and began browsing the news on her phone when a headline made her freeze for a few seconds.

*Former Yeaton Holdings Chairman Roland Yeaton Arrested for Murder, Sentencing Imminent.* Eleanor tapped on the article to read the details. Eleanor's breath hitched in her throat as she stared at the victim's name: Horace.

The article briefly explained the case. Roland had run Horace's car off the road and into a river late at night, causing him to drown.

While Eleanor was still reeling from the shock, Gwenda burst in. "Eleanor, did you see the news? Horace-"

Gwenda's face was a mask of disbelief, and her eyes were welling up with tears. They had been classmates, after all.

Eleanor nodded grimly and put her phone down. "I just saw it."

Gwenda's voice choked with emotion. How could this happen? What kind of grudge would lead to this? And heard from Faye that. Horace had been working at eaton Holdings for a year!"

Eleanor remained silent, images of the Horace she used to know flashing through

her mind. All she could do was sigh, feeling a sense of sorrow for her former classmate.

A moment later, Callie also walked

in, clearly having just heard the

news. He and Horace had once been

good

friends though they had

drifted apart after Horace was

expelled for his misconduct.

But no one could have imagined that the next time they heard about him, it would be

in a murder case.

"Life is unpredictable," Callie sighed.

The office was suddenly shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

***

Meanwhile, in another office in the lab, Faye stared at the news about her father, her expression blank. The last time she saw her relatives, she had exposed Cathie as her father's mistress. Her mother had clawed at

her face, almost sending her to the entire family had

hospita

and he

been humiliated, hurling abuse at

her.

FindNovel.net

From now on, Cathie and her illegitimate son would be reviled by the family.

Just then, Faye's phone rang, startling her. It was her mother. She answered, "Hello? Mom."

"Faye," her mother's voice came through, thick with tears. "It's over. Everything's over-"

Faye gripped her phone tightly. "What is it now?" she asked in a low voice.