CHAPTER 128: CHAPTER 128: WHENEVER YOU NEED ME, I’M THERE

Jasper Fitzgerald instantly sensed something was wrong with her and immediately asked, "Dr. Nash, what’s the matter with you?"

Sabrina hadn’t looked closely at the caller ID earlier, but now, hearing the familiar deep, warm voice of the man, she came back to her senses.

She forced herself to perk up and responded, "Mr. Fitzgerald, is that you? I... I’m fine."

Jasper Fitzgerald didn’t believe her, of course.

The voice didn’t sound fine at all.

"You’re not well."

His tone was affirmative, steadily probing, "Is it a physical issue or a psychological one? I saw the news... Whatever it is, I hope you’ll tell me promptly."

Sabrina originally didn’t want to bother him.

But at this moment, she was indeed unwell.

It wasn’t just psychological, but physical too.

She might really need him to help her work through it.

Soon, Sabrina replied, "I... I was indeed affected by the news. Today, the new drug released by the Hawthorne Group was stolen from me. It’s the result of months of work with my team, and somehow, it ended up in their hands..."

Her voice was stuck and her tone carried a hint of vulnerability and helplessness, "I can’t find the person who leaked it... I’ve tried hard to analyze, yet I have no clue, and in a moment of panic, my mindset was affected, and even my heart doesn’t feel quite right."

Jasper Fitzgerald frowned.

At first, he thought she was affected by rumors about those two people; unexpectedly, there was something more serious.

The development of a special-effect drug, requiring so much effort and energy, is certainly unimaginable.

Now with the results directly stolen, anyone would be shaken.

Jasper Fitzgerald immediately soothed her, "Especially at a time like this, you can’t lose your composure. Clearly, they came prepared, and no matter how grand their strategy, there will be times they can’t prevent everything. At this point, if you panic, you’re falling right into their trap...

Perhaps those people just want to see you lose control and do something irrational.

Do you want to let them succeed?"

"No way!"

Sabrina responded without thinking.

Before the divorce, she fought desperately to prove herself.

The last thing she wanted was to be looked down upon by The Hawthornes!

She wanted to use her strength to smack them hard in the face.

Jasper Fitzgerald gently guided her, "That’s right, the most effective counterattack against an enemy is not internal strife but rationally finding a way to unravel and retaliate.

Do you trust me? If you trust me, maybe you could tell me about the processes in your previous research and the task allocation for each person.

Perhaps, an outsider’s perspective could extract some useful clues."

When he said this, his voice was so gentle it was almost tender, and to Sabrina’s ears, it was like a spring breeze.

Her anxious mood was instantly smoothed as if by a warm hand.

The discomfort also eased a little.

She nodded, "I certainly trust you."

Then she deliberated for a moment and quickly informed him of her investigation findings.

Jasper Fitzgerald pondered for a few seconds, "From what you say, everything happened without warning. It seems they are more cautious than imagined.

However, the core data from your research lab has an independent system protection; to transfer it would surely leave some traces!

Since the opponents are thieves, they likely didn’t dare to transfer little by little because it would be easily discovered.

So, the data should have been transferred out all at once. As for the transfer traces being deleted, there might be a way to recover them."

Sabrina immediately said, "I tried to recover it but found nothing."

Jasper Fitzgerald chuckled softly, "Really? Then doesn’t that just point out the clue? There’s a computer expert in your pharmaceutical research team."

Sabrina was stunned.

She hadn’t really thought from that perspective.

But she had to admit that Jasper Fitzgerald made sense.

Only someone with a high enough computer skill level would escape her investigation.

But... throughout her recent interactions, she hadn’t noticed anyone with exceptionally high computer skills.

Jasper Fitzgerald seemed to guess what she was thinking, speaking slowly, "Spies usually hide themselves very well; it’s unlikely you’d notice any hints in daily life... Perhaps trying other methods to solve this puzzle could work.

This crisis may just be a test for you. I believe, with your intelligence, you can think of a way to root out the mastermind behind it."

He didn’t give her more pointers, but his words were full of recognition for her.

One capable of developing top-notch special-effect drugs, with countless people scrambling to invest in their medical system, how could she be defeated by such a small matter?

She was just momentarily shocked, not having adjusted just yet!

Sabrina picked up on it, and her heart was warmed by a wave.

Her mind was now completely calm and much clearer, becoming more composed.

That’s right!

There’s no way she could be defeated like this.

Especially when the opponents are Jordan Hawthorne and Brooke Sinclairs!

Having her stuff stolen, she was determined to make them pay back tenfold!

Sabrina perked up and said, "I know what to do now. Thank you, Mr. Fitzgerald. You always manage to help me when I most need it."

She said this sincerely and earnestly.

Yet she didn’t realize it contained some misleading ambiguous undertone.

Jasper Fitzgerald didn’t overthink it, but his gaze deepened a bit, "The Jade Pendant I gave you last time, aren’t you wearing it? Next time, when you’re in a bad mood, you can hold onto it; it can help calm your mind."

Sabrina felt a bit embarrassed, "I have it with me, but I’m not wearing it at the moment. I’ll put it on now..."

There was some rustling on the other side, suggesting she was looking for the Jade Pendant.

Jasper Fitzgerald smiled gently and waited patiently.

A few seconds later, Sabrina put it on and said, "I’ll also give you a gift in return when you come back to Veridia after the New Year."

Jasper Fitzgerald gave a light smile, "Alright, I’ll look forward to it."

After saying this, he glanced at the time; it was getting close, so he told Sabrina, "Since you’re alright, let’s leave it at that for now. I need to head to the airport."

Sabrina’s heart stirred, "You’re heading back to Aethel tonight?"

The man’s voice was warm and deep, "Yes, my flight is in an hour."

"Then go quickly, have a safe journey, I’ll be waiting for your return."

Sabrina hastily said.

As the words fell, she realized that the last sentence seemed... too intimate???

She felt awkward, wanting to make amends, but she heard the man respond, "Alright."

After hanging up, his short response still echoed in her ears.

Does this count as... an agreement for the next meeting?

After Jasper Fitzgerald’s guidance, Sabrina’s mindset completely improved, and she regained her spirit.

She first made a call to Josee Sheffield, instructing him, "Help me check who in our pharmaceutical research team is proficient in computers and has hidden their true capabilities."

"Got it all figured out?"

Josee Sheffield perked up and immediately inquired.

Sabrina nodded and conveyed Jasper Fitzgerald’s analysis, "The opponent has hidden their strength such that even I couldn’t detect it. Investigate it, and maybe you can uncover it.

Additionally, you can get the N.Z. Tech team to help with the trace; their capabilities are no less than mine, and there might be breakthroughs."