Avery's chest tightened.
She could hear the nervous tremor in her own voice as she tried to stay calm.
"I see... What did the challenge entail?"
Elliot's thick brows furrowed as he said with a chilling expression, "Come and strangle me, you *sshole!"
Avery was speechless.
Ben did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"I suspect the hacker's pretty young!"
"Not necessarily!" Avery said. "You can't tell much from that one sentence!"
"An adult probably wouldn't add in the term '*sshole' right? Other than in those old, corny soap operas, of course."
To prevent them from suspecting a minor, Avery looked at Ben and muttered, "*sshole," then turned to Elliot and once again said, "*sshole."
Both Ben and Elliot sat in stunned silence.
"See, there's nothing silly about the word!" Avery said." Adults can easily use it, too."
She was hard at work, trying to clear her son's name.
Her expression had unwittingly given her away.
Ben and Elliot exchanged glances for a moment as they came to the same conclusion.
"How did you and Mike meet, Miss Tate? It's hard to imagine that you would know someone that special," Ben said, changing the subject to something more lighthearted. "Also, it looks like he's especially obedient. He listens to your every word."
Avery took a sip of water and made up an excuse.
"We met at a networking event when I was studying abroad. We're friends, so there's no such thing as obedience."
"I see... Did he follow you to Aryadelle?"
"He came because he felt like it, and he'll leave when he feels like it. What's this about following me around? " Avery said as she picked up a taco and placed it on her plate.
Mike was at Sterling Group trying to explain his intentions to the receptionist at the front desk.
"I'm sorry, but you need an appointment to see Mr. Rayner."
"It's lunchtime now," Mike said.
"Exactly! It's lunchtime, so you may make an appointment after lunch at two in the afternoon," said the receptionist.
"That's not what I mean... Elliot Foster and Ben Schaffer sent me to see him. Do you know who those
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