Everyone instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Good, it wasn't one of us. Since most people's losses weren't severe—just a day or two of work to redo—they quickly recovered from the initial shock and panic. Only Darcy took the biggest hit. She felt something was off. Their lab project was confidential. Only people inside and a few investors knew about it. The three investors' goal was to share the results. They wouldn't do something this low. But there was one exception. Still, even if Zora wanted revenge, she'd need an accomplice on the inside. Looking at the others busy at their work, Darcy took a deep breath and walked over to Bram. "Bram, I want to report this to the police. Will you support me?" Bram was taken aback, pausing his work. He'd almost forgotten—Darcy's loss was the most severe. The code and data for her two patents were all gone. That was years of her work. "Of course. I've got your back," Bram said, looking at her with determination. He stood up to accompany Darcy to the police station. Just then, Mia stood up. Something flickered in her eyes, but she hid it well. She pouted. "Bram, isn't calling the police for something like this a huge overreaction? I know you like Darcy, but going to the police just for her is really impulsive." Mia didn't want to admit Bram's feelings for Darcy, but this was a special situation. She had to use it to stop him from reporting it. She'd been careful, even tampering with the cameras a week in advance. She was almost certain no one could trace it back to her.But almost wasn't certain. Bram flushed at Mia's words, but then a thought hit him. So what if I like her? Everyone knows anyway. He pushed up his glasses. "My feelings for Darcy and reporting this are two separate things. Most of us only lost a day or two. We can pull an all-nighter and catch up. But Darcy's different. She lost years of work. You've all seen how hard she's worked since joining the lab." The way he stuck up for Darcy got on Mia's nerves. Impatiently, she retorted, "Fine! Go report it then! Drag the school and the department heads into it! Let them see how incompetent Prof. Reed's prized students are!" Her gaze swept over the room. "We're all top of the pile here. We're the pride of Quest University, the pride of Prof. Reed. And now our project gets hacked like it's nothing. Is that something to brag about? When word gets out, how are we supposed to hold our heads up? How will Prof. Reed ever face anyone again? And the school leaders? They care more about their reputation than anything else. After this mess, do you honestly believe they'll just hand us our diplomas?!" The other students were shocked. No one had thought that far. Most of them were straight shooters who took this as a random accident. But after Mia's analysis, they broke out in a cold sweat. Soon, someone chimed in, "Bram, Mia's right. We can't report it. If we alert the school leaders, we're screwed." Most of them were counting on this lab project to boost their resumes—for a PhD track, a job, maybe even a faculty slot. It was a crucial line on their CVs. Bram was now torn. He felt there were flaws in Mia's logic—how could they let the culprit go free just because they were afraid of losing face or admitting a mistake? But part of him also saw her point. He didn't care about the school leaders' opinions, but he couldn't ignore Alistair's reputation. In today's world, spreading rumors online costs almost nothing. What if someone really tried to smear Alistair? But not reporting it felt like a betrayal of Darcy. In distress, he looked at Darcy. "Darcy..." People are pragmatic. When their own interests aren't threatened, they tend to stand aside. A knife only hurts when it cuts you. Having been in the real world for years, Darcy understood their concerns perfectly. She glanced at Mia, then back at Bram. "It's fine, Bram. I understand your dilemma. Leave this to me. I'll find another way." Mia's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. She thought Darcy was giving up, dropping the matter. She crossed her arms, sneering, "Anyway, you're not a full-time student. No pressure on grades or papers. Just redo it slow and steady. What's the rush?" "Because my time is worth more than yours," Darcy replied, cool as ice. Mia's face turned pale with anger. "We'll see whose time is worth more." Bram frowned. "Mia, that's enough!"