Chapter 1395

"Since we're still unsure if the poisoning resulted from those plants or someone around you, I don't think you should mention this to anyone. If asked, simply say I needed the plants for my research and borrowed them from you."

Anastasia replied, "Okay! You're right!" Her obedient demeanor reminded Lily of their first meeting. Back then, Anastasia had been arrogant and unreasonable, demanding the return of her dress. Ultimately, she was just a child putting on a brave face.

She had gained considerable weight over the years, leading her to withdraw socially. Isolated and friendless, she felt profoundly lonely. Despite coming from a wealthy family—her father was a Secretary—and being the object of others' flattery, she lacked self-confidence. Her figure had severely impacted her self-esteem, fueling a constant fear of being mocked. She resented her body but felt powerless to change it. These internal struggles must have been agonizing.

"Don't worry," Lily said softly, unsure if she was comforting Anastasia or herself.

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Thompson's hair was disheveled, his face haggard, his eyes fixed on the computer. Austin worked frantically to recover the data. While not an IT professional, he’d picked up some skills from a college hacker friend. However, more complex issues might prove beyond his abilities. Lily had only deleted the experimental data uploaded to the cloud, yet despite slow internet, Thompson had managed to disconnect the Wi-Fi, preserving some of it.

The computer was disassembled and reassembled. Delicate beads of sweat formed on Austin's forehead. Thompson remained silent, fearing interruption might hinder Austin’s progress. He could only nervously purse his lips and stare at the monitor.

Lines of code appeared on the screen. Austin's fingers flew across the keyboard, inputting more code. He even considered contacting his hacker friend if he failed, though years had passed, and he wasn't sure if they were still in touch. As he weighed his options, a beep echoed from the computer, and words began to appear on the screen. The page cleared, revealing numbers and data.

"You recovered it! We got it!" Thompson exclaimed excitedly, his childlike joy evident as he saw the experimental data. He immediately patted Austin on the back. "Austin! You're amazing!"

Austin, however, gently pushed his hand away, a wry smile playing on his lips.