Chapter 684 Waiting
The guy who hurt Sam? Yeah, Gabriel was never gonna forgive him. Alex knew Dylan was beyond redemption, so he didn't even bother asking Gabriel for mercy.
Dylan ended up getting three years in the slammer.
Marlowe wanted nothing to do with Dylan's mess. She handed him divorce papers, saying it was for their kid's future, and sold off their last two houses.
Once Dylan signed, she took her son and left City B.
Dylan's ex, Katherine, knew about his sentence.
When they split, Katherine cut all ties with Dylan and decided their daughter would never see him again.
Dylan's downfall was all on him, and Alex didn't feel a shred of pity.
"Mr. Lancaster, here's the physical exam report from the hospital."
Gabriel had his annual check-up about two weeks ago, and the hospital just sent over the report to the Lancaster Group.
Gabriel took the report, flipped it open, and skimmed through it.
Suddenly, something caught his eye, and Alex noticed Gabriel's expression change a bit.
Just as Alex was about to ask, Gabriel shut the report and tossed it into a drawer.
"This afternoon, head to the lab. We need to sort out that issue from the last meeting today."
Alex nodded, "Got it, I'll set it up."
He then handed over a stack of signed documents.
Left alone, Gabriel pulled out the report again and read it carefully.
When he got to the endoscopy part, his eyes narrowed.
He closed his eyes, clenched the report, and the paper crumpled in his hand.
A hurried knock on the door snapped him back. He quickly shoved the report back into the drawer.
"Come in!"
Harrison burst in, looking frantic.
"Gabriel, bad news. The X chip research data's been leaked!"
This was top-secret stuff for the Lancaster Group. The X chip project was hush-hush, even the lab's location was a secret, and the staff couldn't leave the base freely.
But somehow, the data got out.
"We don't know how it happened yet. The base is in chaos, Gabriel. A year's worth of work might be down the drain."
Harrison's eyes were red as he spoke.
Gabriel had poured nearly half the company's resources into this project. If it succeeded, Lancaster Group would be a global tech leader, free from other countries' or companies' control.
But if it failed, the company would face a massive financial crisis, and Gabriel would be hit hard.
Gabriel stood up, his face grim.
"To the base!"
At the lab, everyone was scrambling but seemed lost. The base leader's voice was hoarse from shouting orders to recover the data.
"What happened?" Gabriel demanded, storming over with a dark look.
The leader's eyes were bloodshot, his voice raspy.
"Mr. Lancaster, we're working non-stop to get the data back. We still don't know how it got leaked."
Gabriel frowned, pushed past two researchers, and typed a series of codes into the computer. A screen popped up quickly.
"Get Lester over here."
Alex quickly made the call.
As night fell, Gabriel and Harrison were still grinding away in the lab.
Meanwhile, Sophia was pulling a late one at Fusion Dynamics Corporation, working until nine PM. She had told Gabriel that morning she'd be working late, and he had promised to pick her up.
But when she came downstairs, Gabriel was nowhere in sight.
Sophia raised an eyebrow and pulled out her phone to check her messages with Gabriel.
'Gabriel's always early to pick me up. What's holding him up tonight?' she wondered.
She called him, but he didn't pick up.
Sophia started typing a message.
Before she could hit send, a car's headlights lit up the area, and a car pulled up in front of her. Jake stepped out, looking sharp as ever.
"Sophia!" Jake called out with a grin.
Sophia smiled back.
"What brings you here?"
Jake replied, "Just passing by and saw you standing here. Just got off work?"
Sophia nodded.
Jake's eyes twinkled. "Can I give Miss Kelly a ride home?"
Sophia hesitated, unsure if Gabriel would still show up.
"Waiting for someone?" Jake's eyes flashed with a hint of something cold.
Jake thought, 'Is she waiting for Gabriel? Too bad, Gabriel's tied up tonight.'
"Yeah." Sophia politely declined, "You go ahead. I'll wait a bit longer."
Jake didn't budge. He walked over, crossing his arms and raising his chin. "Then I'll wait with you."
Sophia opened her mouth to protest, but Jake cut her off, "It's late, and you're out here alone. What if some creep tries to mess with you? I can keep you safe."
Sophia glanced at the two security guards nearby and sighed.
Jake wasn't leaving, so she let him stay.
They chatted at the door. Every time they met, it felt like ages before they'd see each other again.
Jake thought about Sophia all the time but didn't want to show up too often. He had important stuff to handle and didn't want to drag her into any danger.
The night was getting chilly, and the wind made her shiver.
Jake noticed and quickly took off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
"Thanks." Sophia took off the jacket and handed it back. "I'm fine, and you're not wearing much either. Don't catch a cold."
Jake was momentarily stunned, a complicated look in his eyes.
He felt like Sophia was keeping her distance.
'She used to accept my jacket without a second thought. What's changed?' he wondered.
Jake looked deeply at Sophia.
Sophia stood sideways, worried about Gabriel, checking the time over and over.
'It's been half an hour. Is Gabriel still coming?' she thought.
She checked her phone again, but there were no messages from Gabriel.
Sophia couldn't help but worry, 'Did something happen to Gabriel?'
She called again, but still no answer. She sent a message, but there was no reply.
Her frown deepened. She found Alex's number in her contacts and called, but no answer.
She tried Harrison's number, but it was the same—no answer.
Jake watched her make call after call, his hands clenching at his sides.
It was ten o'clock.
"Sophia, he's probably not coming. How about I take you home?"
Sophia looked up and accidentally met Jake's concerned eyes.
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