Chapter 295: Someone Changed the Code

Sierra had been interrogated more than anyone else. But after three full days of questioning, she hadn’t given them anything useful. Her answers remained the same each time. That was why they finally agreed to let Johnathan in. Maybe he could get something out of her.

And sure enough, the second Johnathan took the seat across from her, Sierra visibly relaxed. He started by talking about family—just small things. Then, gently, he asked, “Sierra, can you walk me through everything that happened? From the beginning.”

She trusted him. Always had. Bit by bit, she began to recall everything in detail. The fog in her mind started to clear.

“I know for sure the data I submitted didn’t look like that.”

This was a major research project. It had to be reviewed at multiple levels. But something still went wrong. No one caught the issue until it was too late. By the time they checked, the system had already been breached, and the files had been leaked.

The memory made her temples throb. “How’s Professor Martin?” she asked, her voice low. That was what worried her most—her advisor being dragged into this.

“They’re fine,” Johnathan said softly. He didn’t tell her the truth—that Professor Martin and the rest of the team had already been pulled in. The investigation was unfolding step by step, and no one had found the root of the problem yet.

“I know what happened now. You don’t need to worry anymore. Just cooperate with them. This isn’t Maviston—no one’s going to lay a hand on you, and they wouldn’t dare even if they wanted to. So don’t be afraid, Sierra.”

His voice was steady, reassuring. “Okay,” she replied. Truth was, the moment Johnathan showed up, her fear had already disappeared. But he couldn’t stay long. When it was time to go, he gave her one last look.

To his surprise, Sierra looked stronger than he’d expected. She was still pale and visibly tired, but the light was back in her eyes. “Mr. Yaeger,” she said with a small smile, “come get me out of here soon, okay?”

She never doubted him. Not once. She trusted him completely. Johnathan felt his throat tighten. He nodded. “I will. I’ll be back to get you.”

Outside, Stone and the others were waiting. The moment they saw Johnathan come out of the classified facility, they rushed over. “How is she?”

Johnathan’s face was grim. They all knew right away—Sierra must’ve had a rough few days.

Chapter 295: Someone Changed the Code

Mateo pieced it together. “So after Sierra handed in the data, four other people handled it?” And the last person was Draven himself.

They didn’t believe Draven would tamper with it. If he was the final handler, the file must have still been clean when he submitted it.

Stone added, “After that, it got uploaded to the system. That’s when the breach happened. But the logs show the leak came from the file Sierra submitted.”

“Then that makes it obvious,” Mateo said, his eyes lighting up. “The person who handled it last must’ve been the one who did it.”

“Do you think the classified division is run by idiots?” Maddox snapped. “You think they haven’t checked that guy top to bottom already? Either they cleared him or couldn’t find anything to hold against him.”

The intel agencies had access to way more than they did. If those guys couldn’t figure it out, it wouldn’t be easy for them either.

Johnathan already knew all that. He’d been quiet the whole time they were talking. But now, he finally spoke.

“There’s another possibility. What if the file was clean when Sierra submitted it—but then someone altered the code afterward? Not right away, though. Maybe they rigged it to stay hidden for the first few times it was opened. Maybe it only activated after a certain number of views.”

Mateo instantly straightened, his expression shifting. “It sounds wild, but that kind of code does exist. It’s rare, but it can be done. If that’s the case, we need to look hard at everyone who touched the file after Sierra.”

Johnathan nodded slowly. “Besides Sierra and Draven, that leaves Azure, Professor Martin, and Draven’s assistant.”

The group fell silent. Because of who Draven was, his word carried a lot of weight. The investigation had been focused on the person who last accessed the file, and Sierra, as the original author. The people in the middle—those three—were being looked at too, but not nearly as closely. Draven’s right-hand man. Sierra’s mentor. And her senior colleague.

“Which one of them do you think it is?” Mateo asked quietly.

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