I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 163

Nora sighed. She knew she had gotten her hopes up for nothing. Snatching the report back from Seraphina's hands, she didn't want to waste another word on her. She sidestepped her and made a beeline to find Zelda.

Seeing Nora's utter disregard for her, Seraphina's brow furrowed sharply.

She reached out and grabbed Nora's arm, the gentleness in her tone cracking. "Nora, what is that look supposed to mean? Are you refusing to accept my conclusion? With so many people watching, you say there's a bug, so there must be a bug, and when I say there isn't, you give me that attitude?"

Nora stopped in her tracks, her expression cooling. "I don't want to argue with you about this. This is urgent, and I need to consult with Mrs. Vance."

Instead of letting go, Seraphina stepped directly into Nora's path, her tone aggressive. "Make yourself clear. I have a dual doctorate. I've handled just as many projects as anyone since joining this institute. If there really was a severe bug, how could I possibly miss it?"

Nora had no interest in debating her, but her path was completely blocked.

She raised her eyes and met Seraphina's gaze head-on, her tone remaining calm. "This section falls under the project I'm responsible for. I have to be accountable for all my data. If we have to wait until a severe bug manifests to spot it, then the problem will have already occurred. How would we fix it then?"

Seraphina choked on her own words for a second before her lips parted to find a new angle. "So you're saying I'm incompetent?"

Nora stared at her. "I only want to solve my problem. As for how competent you are, I couldn't care less. Please, stop blocking my way."

With that, she turned sideways, trying to walk past her. Seraphina's face changed completely. She shot a sweeping glance at their colleagues in the surrounding cubicles, who were discreetly watching the drama unfold. Raising her voice, she injected a note of pure grievance into her tone.

"Come look at this, everyone. Her data obviously doesn't have any fatal flaws. She's just making a mountain out of a molehill, isn't she?"

Nora frowned, thinking she had misheard. "Excuse me?"

"Did you not hear me?" Seraphina repeated, emphasizing every word. "Apologize to me. In front of everyone, for disrespecting my professional opinion."

Nora stared into her eyes for two seconds, almost laughing out of sheer anger. "Just because your theory differs from mine, I have to apologize to you?"

Seraphina said, "This is a research institute, not a playground for your amusement. If you have any integrity, you'll apologize. I'm not a petty person. As long as you say you're sorry, I'll forgive you immediately. How about it?"

Nora's face turned icy cold. She gently brushed aside Seraphina's arm that was blocking her way, her stance resolute. "Sorry, I'll pass."