Sophia Shaw stopped at the top of the stairs, facing her. Her gaze was calm, unmarred by ripples of emotion.

One at the top, one at the bottom.

Just like all those years ago.

One was dressed neatly, looking clean and otherworldly, as if untouched by the struggles of the world.

The other was disheveled and a mess, as if she had been rolling in the mud.

Only now, their positions were reversed.

The one looking down from on high had become Sophia Shaw.

’And the one who was bullied by everyone has become me!’

’Sophia didn’t need to say a word or even look a certain way to grind me into the dust!’

Joanna Sherman shot her a defiant glare.

’It was to prove she wasn’t the Joanna of old. She was proud, she had a rebellious streak, and she would never be beaten down!’

But Sophia didn’t even look at her. She just turned and walked away.

Joanna Sherman’s glare fell on the empty stairwell where Sophia had just been, and her throat suddenly felt like it was blocked by a bone.

She couldn’t go up.

And she couldn’t go down.

By the time Sophia Shaw rushed back to Lead Aerospace, several people had already surrounded Dennis Warren.

Dennis Warren was sitting in the first-floor lounge at Lead Aerospace, a disposable fork in hand, about to eat a small cake from a plate. A cup of coffee sat beside him.

Seeing Sophia approach, he spoke up indignantly, "Chief Engineer Shaw, wasn’t it said that employees could use the first-floor lounge anytime? When we joined, we were also told we could manage our own work schedules without restriction. So why do so many people come running over just because I’m having a snack?"

"I know everyone’s upset because Old Master Sloan got hurt, and everyone’s voluntarily staying away from the lounge. But I’m genuinely hungry. I just wanted to grab a bite to eat and recharge. That’s not a crime, is it?"

When the others saw Sophia arrive, they all greeted her.

"Boss."

"Boss."

Jacobs had relayed the boss’s order to keep an eye on Dennis Warren, and the men didn’t dare to be careless.

Dennis Warren pointed at the men. "It’s them. I’d just sat down for a moment when they ran over and surrounded me."

His tone was full of grievance.

Sophia nodded to the young engineers before turning her face to look at Dennis Warren.

Dennis Warren was of average height with a nondescript crew cut. He had joined the company six months ago.

His skills were average, so he hadn’t made it into the core team. He usually just handled peripheral data tasks.

"I told them to watch you," Sophia said bluntly.

Dennis Warren was taken aback. "Why? Do you look down on me just because my skills are average?"

"If you want to get rid of me, just fire me! Why pull a stunt like this?"

"Do you really not know what you’ve done?" Sophia’s voice suddenly turned cold.

Hearing her words, everyone turned to look at Dennis Warren.

Sophia had only told them to watch him, not what crime he had committed.

"I don’t know!" Dennis Warren said stubbornly, jutting out his chin.

"You knew perfectly well that there could be no distractions during the rocket launch, so why did you still bring that phone up to the launch tower?!"

’No calls could be taken unless they were directly related to the launch!’

As the communications liaison, it was impossible for Dennis Warren not to know this!

"It was a matter of life and death. I was scared out of my wits at the time," Dennis Warren argued.

"You appointed me as the communications liaison, and I was just trying to do my job diligently. If someone had died because I withheld information, who would have taken responsibility for that?"

Dennis Warren’s words were watertight, providing a perfect explanation for the mistake he had made.

"Besides," he continued, "you’re all seasoned veterans. You’ve been through who knows how many emergencies. How was I supposed to know that Old Master Sloan would get so flustered that he’d lose his footing and fall down on his own?"

Then, his tone shifted. "Of course, I’m at fault for what happened to Old Master Sloan. I won’t evade my responsibility. You can scold me or punish me—I’ll accept it all!"

With Dennis Warren adopting such a compliant attitude, the others felt awkward saying anything more.

Jacobs came down from upstairs as well. Having heard Dennis Warren’s words, he walked over to Sophia. "Boss... Maybe we should..."

"Call the police!"

Her words made everyone’s heart skip a beat, and they all looked at her in confusion.

"Boss!"

A flash of panic flickered in Dennis Warren’s eyes, but he cried out in a wronged tone, "At most, this is a violation of company policy! Why are you calling the police over it?"

In their personal lives, Jacobs was strict with Sophia, but at work, he followed her orders without question.

But now, holding his phone, he had already dialed 911 but couldn’t bring himself to press the call button. "But... what do I tell the police?"

"Murder."

The spoon in Dennis Warren’s hand fell into his cup with a CLINK, and his face went deathly pale.

The others were also startled and began to stammer, "How... how could it be..."

Although Jacobs didn’t understand why Sophia was leveling this accusation, he still quickly made the call.

Dennis Warren suddenly erupted in anger. "I know you’re upset about what happened to Old Master Sloan, but is it fair for you to pin the blame for something this huge on me?"

"Aside from handing the phone to Old Master Sloan, I never even touched him! I was standing far away when he fell. There were so many people there; they all saw it clearly!"

The other engineers, afraid things were getting out of hand, also tried to persuade her. "The police have already been here, and they didn’t find any evidence. Boss, maybe you should take back the call for now."

Sophia was unmoved.

Dennis Warren picked up his coffee cup and smashed it at everyone’s feet. "Chief Engineer Shaw, I accept that you’re mad at me, but I refuse to let you call the police just to humiliate me!"

Seeing how impulsive Dennis Warren was acting, the others scrambled to calm him down.

Dennis Warren shook off the people trying to restrain him, gritting his teeth and lowering his head. "I know! That phone call was originally for you. Old Master Sloan only got hurt because he was covering for you."

"I can understand why you feel guilty, but you shouldn’t be taking it out on me!"

"I’m not going to stand for this abuse! I quit!"

With that, he took off his work jacket and slammed it onto the table.

Then he turned to leave.

Naturally, Sophia wasn’t about to let him leave. With a wave of her hand, she had security block his path.

Dennis Warren shoved at them emotionally. "I haven’t broken the law! What right do you have to stop me from leaving!"

"If you haven’t broken any laws, then what are you so panicked about!" Sophia’s voice, previously low, was now sharp as she questioned him.

The security guards took the opportunity to restrain him more tightly.

Sophia threw a packet onto the floor with a THUD. "You just asked if I had proof. There’s your proof!"

When Dennis Warren saw the packet, his mind went blank, and his legs instinctively grew weak.

But he still put on a brave face. "You went through my personal belongings? That’s illegal!"

Sophia’s burning gaze pierced him. "If *I’m* the one breaking the law, then why are *your* legs shaking?"

"I..."

"Because you used this packet of ice powder to make Old Master Sloan slip and fall down the stairs. You’re the one who really broke the law," Sophia answered for him.

"No, what you did wasn’t just illegal—it was a crime!"

"Ice powder?"

The others didn’t understand what effect a small packet of ice powder could possibly have.

Sophia explained on Dennis Warren’s behalf, "After this ice powder hits a surface, it quickly forms a gel film. This film is extremely slippery."

"However, it has one fatal flaw: it’s highly volatile. Within a few minutes of being scattered, it evaporates completely, leaving no trace!"

"This flaw means that anyone who wants to use it to harm someone has to calculate the timing perfectly."

"Of course, if they succeed, their actions are also flawless and leave no evidence behind!"

Jacobs’s mind raced. He suddenly pointed at Dennis Warren. "So you’re the only one who had the opportunity to harm Old Master Sloan! You must have sprinkled the ice powder when you went up to deliver the phone!"

’No wonder he rushed up there at that exact moment.’

A plot straight out of a suspense thriller was playing out in real life, and Jacobs was completely floored.

’How could these people be so terrifying? They were willing to do things that could get someone killed.’

It wasn’t just Jacobs; the others were also deeply shocked.

Dennis Warren seemed like such an honest guy in his daily interactions. You really can know a person’s face but not their heart.

It was terrifying!