Chapter 362

Chapter 362 Chapter 362 As the elevator dinged softly, signaling Charlene’s arrival at her desired floor, she stepped out without sparing another glance at Vesta and the others. Her mind was already elsewhere, diving straight into the whirlwind of her bustling workday.

Time flew by unnoticed until Charlene, deep in conversation with Quincy, caught a glimpse of familiar figures at the department’s entrance. It was Katie, Georgina, Maureen, and Leah. Quincy noticed them too. Assuming Charlene didn’t recognize them, he leaned in and whispered, “That’s Mr. Hawkins’s family.”

Charlene merely nodded, her expression indifferent.

Katie and her entourage had spotted Charlene too. Given that PrimeStar Technologies and Neural Nexus Tech were collaborating, it wasn’t a shock for Katie and the others to see her around. Their gazes were cool, barely acknowledging Charlene before they moved on, as if she were a stranger.

Leah, however, seemed rather pleased. Seeing Charlene indirectly working under Vesta gave her a certain smug satisfaction, and Georgina shared in the amusement with a small, knowing smile.

Leah led the group towards Charlene’s desk. They had first visited Neural Nexus Tech the very afternoon Thorne Henderson officially handed it over to Vesta, eager to evaluate the company he had gifted her. By now, everyone at Neural Nexus Tech was familiar with Katie and Maureen’s faces.

As they approached, Quincy set aside his work, greeting them with a polite, “Good afternoon, Katie, Georgina, Mrs. Hawkins.”

Katie and Georgina returned the greeting with warm smiles, feigning interest in the company’s progress. “We heard there were some issues with the autonomous driving system. How’s it being handled?” Katie inquired. “Pretty smoothly,” Quincy assured.

“We should have it sorted by this afternoon.”

Katie nodded, still ignoring Charlene, and said to Quincy, “That’s good to hear. Keep up the good work.”

“Of course, ma’am. It’s our duty,” Quincy replied, about to introduce Charlene when Leah interjected, her eyes fixed on Charlene with a mocking glint.

“I haven’t been at Neural Nexus Tech for long, yet the system’s had multiple hiccups in this short time. I wonder if it’s due to someone’s incompetence or a lack of dedication that’s requiring all these updates and maintenance,” Leah said, clearly targeting Charlene.

Quincy was momentarily taken aback. He knew Leah wasn’t familiar with their technical work and was about to defend the team when Charlene spoke up, her tone cool and composed.

“If you doubt our competence or commitment, you’re welcome to propose terminating the contract,” she said. Leah was momentarily at a loss for words. Though she liked to stir things up with her words, she wasn’t ignorant. She knew PrimeStar had become a leading authority in Al within the country. Questioning anything was fair game, but challenging PrimeStar’s technology could risk angering Stewart Ferguson, which would cost Neural Nexus Tech dearly.

She scoffed, “You talk big. Anyone listening might think you run PrimeStar.”

Charlene replied, her voice steady, “Whether I do or don’t, Ms. Spencer, you can draft the breach of contract, and you’ll see if I’m bluffing.”

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