From Ashes to Queen: Now I Call the Shots novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76 The Sun Behind Him

Jasper nodded. “I don’t eat cilantro.”

Scarlett gave him a quick “OK” gesture. “Got it.”

The lab went quiet again. Jasper had already opened his laptop and was absorbed in comparing data, Scarlett watched him in silence. He’d always had that same calm and aloof presence, but somehow, she found it warmer than Rebecca’s carefully crafted charm or the cold kindness from those who’d tried to bring her back into the Joyner family. With him, it felt like there was a hidden sun behind all that reserve.

Suddenly, he turned around, catching her staring. His features were brushed with early sunlight, clean and clear. “Something else?”

Scarlett snapped back to attention and quickly turned away. “Besides cilantro… anything else you don’t eat?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. It was such a pointless question. “Not at the moment,” Jasper replied after a beat, actually considering it.

“Okay, Noted.” She smiled, the corners of her eyes softening.

After finishing breakfast, she got up to go collect her textbooks. But as soon as she stepped outside Darian Hall, she ran into someone familiar.

The man wore a black police uniform, his posture straight, expression sharp. It was Colt–the officer who’d once recognized her investigative skills and asked her to look into a missing corpse case. Her eyes swept across the insignia on his shoulder. “Promotion?”

“Thanks to you. We dug up enough on the Robert family to take them down. I got a second–class merit award.”

Scarlett gave a short laugh. “That’s all you. I was just doing a job I got paid for.”

Colt shook his head. “Families like the Roberts don’t fall without someone putting in the work. You deserve the credit.”

He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “You used to be all silence and three–word answers. Today… you seem happy.”

He trailed off, and a flash of understanding crossed his face. “Heard about Professor Hugh praising you. Found your mentor, huh?”

Scarlett thought about correcting him–telling him that wasn’t why she was in a good mood–but what was the point? People always assumed they understood, but even with explanations, few ever truly listened. She wasn’t about to turn her own scars into someone else’s dinner conversation.

Sensing the shift in her mood, Colt quickly changed the topic. “By the way, about that Crack Void R we’re putting it on hold. HQ is taking over.”

Scarlett had expected that. The virus she helped analyze in the lab was likely the same one. Now that it was classified, of course it had to be handled at a different level. “Got it.”

Then she said nothing more. Colt seemed to struggle to bridge the silence.

“Right, one more thing,” he added after a moment. “That shared email we’ve used to contact each other- make sure it’s secure.”

1903, Sat 2Aug & UG

Chapter 76 The Sun Behind Him

The reminder jogged her memory. She hadn’t logged into that Inbox in weeks. Hopefully she hadn’t mi anything important. Pulling out her phone, she opened the app–and immediately, it buzzed like craz Dozens of unread messages poured in.

Her eyes narrowed as she skimmed through them. The content left her feeling strange–an odd weight settled in her chest.

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus…

“She opened the email!” Luke nearly jumped out of his shoes.

He and Stanley had been running all over campus, chasing dead ends and wearing themselves out. Stanley, dressed conspicuously and drawing way too much attention, had nearly been recognized more than once. They’d had to duck and hide repeatedly. By now, Stanley was practically limping.

“Are we even sure this is the right damn place?” he grumbled, rubbing his knees. “Feels like I’ve aged ten years just today.”

Luke checked the hacker’s data and exhaled hard. “This is our last shot. You really want to give up now?”

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