Third-person POV: Thora was led into Malcolm's office. Malcolm poured her a glass of water himself. His eyes were full of admiration. He never expected there was such a rare talent in his college; even someone in the military had started paying attention to it. "Malcolm, why did you call me here?" Thora asked first. "Ahem," Malcolm pulled his gaze back and straightened up. "First, on behalf of the academy and all our students and staff, thank you for helping us that day." Thora stayed calm, not trying to take any credit. "No need to thank me. It just happened along the way." She had no obligation to protect the college or anyone in it. She wasn't a soldier, and she didn't answer to anyone. That day, Thora acted to save herself and the people right beside her. The fact that she ended up protecting the whole academy was just something that happened along the way. But when she saw the students' admiring gazes today, that belief wavered, just a little. Malcolm froze. He didn't expect that answer. "Just something along the way?" Thora didn't bother to explain. Malcolm could only switch topics. "There's something else. I'd like to ask you for a small favor." Thora raised a brow. She thought Malcolm would question her about the incident, but he didn't mention it at all. That made her see him in a different light. "Go ahead," she said simply. Malcolm didn't beat around the bush. "After the academy's security system was compromised, the breach left behind can't be fixed. Even professional engineers can't do it. The attacker was too skilled—no traces, no clues. Even if we restore the system, he could get back in any time he wants. The original designer has disappeared, and rebuilding the whole thing will take too long. We don't have that kind of time.""His hint couldn't be more obvious. "That person" was Luke." Thora smiled and asked, "So you want Luke to fix the loophole?" Malcolm nodded. "Why not just ask him yourself?" Thora asked, her tone light. Malcolm cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "Luke isn't exactly easy to deal with. There are only a few people he even speaks to. And you and Luke seem to have a special connection. So I'm hoping you could talk to him." Everyone knew Luke was a total oddball. As the dean of Astralis College, Malcolm understood Luke's background well. Ordering Luke to do anything was impossible. Even worse, Malcolm worried Luke might plant a virus in the security system out of boredom. But if Thora went, the risk would decline by at least 90 percent. After all, Malcolm had seen it with his own eyes; Luke actually listened to her. Thora understood what Malcolm wanted. She stood up and said, "Got it. But since this system has already been hacked by both sides, fixing the holes isn't enough. It'll be better to upgrade the whole thing so it won't get broken into again. Rebuilding it will help more." "You're absolutely right!" Malcolm nodded without even thinking. Thora nodded back, her tone firm and serious. "I can have Luke handle the upgrade, the redesign, and the bug fixes. Mr. Grant, please prepare the fees. I'll let you know the exact amount later." "The fees?" Malcolm froze. "That's right." Thora gave a short nod. "Since you've agreed, I'll head out now." She walked away with long, confident strides, her back straight and cool. Malcolm stood there for a long time before he finally reacted. Wasn't their team the one who broke the system in the first place? Why did I have to pay for it? What was wrong with this girl? Total scam! But to Thora, this had nothing to do with scamming anyone. Luke's tech work always came with a fee. She and Luke always kept their money matters clear, and even more so with Malcolm. As for the damage they caused? That was a different bill entirely. Separate tabs. After leaving Malcolm's office, Thora went back to class with the others, slipping easily into her calm daily routine. By the time afternoon classes ended, word had spread that Thora had moved into a new place. Harvey, Ashton, and Luke immediately said they wanted to throw her a small housewarming party. They even bought gifts and groceries ahead of time."Perfect. I also have something to talk to you guys about," Thora said. It was about the Sector Six invitation and what direction their team wanted to take in the future. The boys exchanged glances, and a spark of excitement lit up all their eyes.