The study was furnished with a clean, commanding style. A large, dark wood desk dominated the center of the room, neatly stacked with files and a laptop. The corner bookshelf was lined with professional texts, though a few children's picture books were tucked among them, likely left there by Niki during one of her visits.
Alexander placed the files on the desk and opened the laptop. The screen’s glow illuminated his face, highlighting his sharp, chiseled profile.
He turned to Danielle. “I’ll sit here?” he asked, gesturing to the chair opposite the desk.
Danielle nodded. She watched as he pulled up the core data report for the 07 Project, his fingers flying across the keyboard with practiced ease.
The study was quiet, filled only with the crisp sound of typing and the occasional whisper of wind from outside. It wasn’t oppressive; instead, a strange, unspoken synergy flowed between them.
“The parameter fluctuations here are a bit unusual,” Danielle said, pointing to a section on the screen. Her tone was serious. “They were stable during the last test. Why is there such a huge deviation now?”
Alexander’s gaze fell to where she was pointing, and his brow furrowed. “Lorie must have tampered with it.”
He paused before adding, “Yesterday, she sent a technical team to observe the testing process under the guise of a partner inspection. I thought it was just a routine visit and didn’t think much of it.”
“It was my mistake. I was careless,” Danielle said, a note of self-blame in her voice. She should have known Lorie wouldn’t stay quiet for long, but she hadn’t expected her to move so quickly and manipulate the data.
“Don’t blame yourself.” Alexander looked at her, his expression resolute. “She’s getting desperate, which means her methods will only become more reckless. We caught it in time.”
He pulled up the backup data and began a comparative analysis. “Luckily, I made multiple backups. All we need to do is find the nodes she altered and recalibrate the parameters.”
Danielle nodded and threw herself into the work. She expertly navigated the software, pulling up test logs and methodically combing through the suspicious data. They spoke only occasionally, but their thoughts were perfectly in sync. One would voice an idea, and the other would have already anticipated the next step.
Time slipped by, and the night outside grew darker, but the lights in the study remained bright. Danielle rubbed her tired eyes and glanced at Alexander. He was still focused on the screen, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration.
She stood up, poured him a glass of warm water, and placed it by his hand. “Take a break and have some water. Don’t overwork yourself.”
“It’s late. You should get some rest too,” he said, his tone gentle. “You have to take Niki to the amusement park tomorrow. Don’t keep her waiting.”
Remembering her promise to Niki, Danielle’s face softened into a warm smile. “Okay. You get some rest too.”
They walked out of the study together. The hallway light was a soft, warm yellow. Niki’s door was closed, and her steady breathing could be heard from within.
At the living room door, Alexander stopped and turned to Danielle. “I’ll come pick you up in the morning.”
“Okay,” Danielle nodded. She looked him in the eye and said earnestly, “Alexander, you need to stop working yourself so hard. Your health is your greatest asset.”
Her words struck him like a physical blow. Seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, he felt a lump form in his throat.

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