Never Looking Back: The Heart Wants What It Wants - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: "Locke, you surely aren't taking her seriously, are you?" Norene asked quietly. A shadow crossed Locke's face as he murmured back, "Take her seriously? Impossible. She had the audacity to challenge me openly; I'll ensure she comes to regret that in front of everyone." Feeling reassured, Norene shared a knowing look with Kelsey and then offered Gracie a smile that didn't reach her eyes, which gleamed with cunning. "Here's an idea. Since Miss Myers is also a candidate for the 'Cybersecurity Specialist' role, why not have a challenge?

Let them both try to identify vulnerabilities in our test system. The first to succeed will be welcomed into the Hughes Group." She glanced at Locke for approval. Locke nodded affirmatively. "That sounds like a plan." Turning to Gracie, he said, "Miss Jones, consider this your opportunity to prove yourself." Gracie's gaze was locked on Norene. Norene met her stare, momentarily unsettled by the sharpness in Gracie's eyes, though she quickly dismissed her discomfort. Norene had given Kelsey a sneak peek at the test questions the previous evening, confident of her victory.

Gracie didn't stand a chance at coming out on top. In Gracie's mind, she pondered whether Kelsey genuinely possessed cybersecurity expertise. She wondered if Kelsey might have picked up on her earlier hacking of the Carlewell store system, a detail Gracie hadn't bothered to hide, assuming Kelsey lacked the necessary knowledge. Gracie was soon to discover she might have overestimated the situation. The staff directed Gracie and Kelsey to their respective computers, with onlookers gathering to observe. The test began.

Within moments, Kelsey exclaimed, "I've pinpointed the vulnerabilities!" Your source for updates gⱯlnσνls․com The crowd quickly flocked around Kelsey. "She cracked the system's vulnerabilities in just five minutes? And found two of them?" "That's right. I knew she was capable. This young lady is exceptionally gifted!" "I could spend an entire day and still not uncover two vulnerabilities. Her IT skills are unlike anything I've seen from any woman." Meanwhile, Gracie was still busily typing at her keyboard on the other side of the room.

Norene, reveling in Kelsey's triumph over Gracie, was visibly delighted. She approached Gracie from behind and said with a sneer, "Gracie, you've been beaten." Gracie typed the last character, stretched her arms, and replied nonchalantly, "Well, it's no shock to lose against someone who already knows the answers, right?" A flicker of annoyance crossed Norene's face, but with everyone focused on Kelsey, she whispered harshly, "What evidence do you have, Gracie? Don't think I'm unaware of your scheme to get close to Lorenzo.