?Chapter 135:

    Katelyn ended her statement with a chuckle.

    Observing the expression on Neil’s face amused her. She was relieved she hadn’t stored any personal data on herptop, using it solely for work.

    Otherwise, lying to Neil would have been out of the question. He would persist in bothering her if he believed she was hiding something.

    His eyes narrowed as he focused on Katelyn. “I don’t buy what you’re saying.”

    Although he was pretending to be calm, he had already been convinced.

    He had repeatedly tried to determine if Katelyn was actually Iris. Truth had brought him the reality, only for it to thwart him with a resounding no.

    Frustration ignited in his eyes. Through gritted teeth, he said, “If you’re not Iris, then who is she?”

    Raising an eyebrow, Katelyn casually replied, “Curious about Iris? Find out for yourself. She might have considered coborating with you, but since you stole herptop, she’ll cut you off for good.”

    Her words burned Neil, crushing his spirit.

    Katelyn shot a nce at the conflicted Neil and turned away with a sneer.

    She marveled at how Neil had managed to build Wheeler Group with his level of intelligence.

    Frozen in ce, Neil watched her leave, emotions swirling within him.

    He didn’t pursue Katelyn. Instead, his stare lingered on her, dark thoughts flickering in his eyes.

    Discovering Iris’ identity was no longer his main concern. His immediate focus was to uncover the hacker and tackle the crisis at hispany.

    After parting ways with Neil, Katelyn headed back home. Once there, she copsed onto the sofa and pressed her fingers against her forehead, clearly drained.

    Her life and mindset had always been straightforward. She enjoyed spending time in her modest room, engaging in activities she loved.

    Fulfilling her simple desires used to be effortless, buttely, it had be a challenge.

    Out of the blue, her phone chimed with a new message. It was a text from Vincent.

    “I’ve reviewed the drafts you sent over. They’re all excellent. Please look after yourself. Try not to push yourself too hard.”

    Katelyn hadpleted those drafts overnight.

    She was taken aback that Vincent hadn’t urged her to wrap up all her tasks but instead showed concern for her well-being.

    The responsibility would fall on her if the designs from the stolenptop were to get out. Katelyn tapped her phone screen to respond to him.

    “Please don’t worry, Mr. Adams. I assure you everything will be delivered on time. Nothing will go wrong.”

    Vincent quickly replied,

    “Work is important, but your health matters just as much.”

    Katelyn paused before expressing her gratitude.

    “I appreciate your concern, Mr. Adams. Thank you.”

    Vincent furrowed his brow as he read her message. Katelyn consistently maintained a formal distance by addressing him as Mr. Adams.

    It seemed she had established a personal boundary, clearly marking her space and keeping others at bay. He could tell it was because she had been hurt by Neil too deeply.

    Vincent typed back,

    “I’m attending a banquet tonight and need a date. Miss Bailey, are you free? Would you care to join me?”

    As Katelyn read the message, she hesitated.

    The pressures of her job basically left her no room to do anything else.

    Just as she was about to decline, another message popped up.

    “The charity event tonight will showcase a unique jewelry piece called ‘Star,’ unseen for nearly a decade—a piece every designer dreams of. Missing it might be something you’d regret.”

    His message immediately piqued Katelyn’s interest.

    The Star jewelry piece represented the pinnacle of aspiration for many designers.

    Katelyn was no different; she had been on a quest for this piece for years.

    And now it had resurfaced.

    A surge of excitement overwhelmed Katelyn.

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