A Replacement Bride

Chapter 218

"Miss Cornell…"

Marcus barged into the room with an anxious expression. When he entered the room, he found himself face-to-face with Joaquin and Katherine in a rather intimate position. Thus, his complexion immediately went pale. He turned around without saying another word and left the room, silently closing the door behind him to give them some privacy.

Likewise, the interrupted couple had a somewhat discomfited and embarrassed look on their faces. Katherine coughed awkwardly and pushed Joaquin away from her.

His heart rate and breathing had yet to return to normal. Moreover, the sight of the faint tinge of pink that colored her face made him feel as though his heart was filled with honey. It was a lovely and heartwarming feeling.

He did not pick a quarrel with Marcus over the sudden interruption. On the contrary, he stood up and walked over to open the door. He calmly glanced at Marcus, who was standing outside the door. "Is something the matter?"

Marcus nodded and secretly observed Joaquin's expression. When he confirmed that Joaquin did not seem to be angry, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "Somebody is attacking the firewall of the Department of State. The attack is extremely swift and aggressive, so much so that we cannot maintain the defenses for much longer. Can I ask Miss Cornell for help—"

"Let's go." Katherine overheard their conversation. She was pretty sure that it was the mysterious hacker who had exposed her IP address previously—that person was back to compete with her again.

When Marcus saw her leaving the room of her own volition, he immediately felt a sense of relief washing over him. Thus, he quickly took the lead in front of them.

The three soon arrived at the computer room, where several technicians looked desperate and discouraged.

These technicians were completely no match for the hacker. In fact, they didn't even have the skills to counter the attacks.

In the past, these people had been the top students majoring in computer science from various famous universities. Only those who were exceptionally capable compared to their peers could be selected to join the Department of State after all. It was not until they arrived here that they learned about their abilities' shortcomings. Not to mention, they had experienced a shocking divide in their abilities several times over the short span of the past week.

Their expressions brightened instantly when they saw Marcus walking into the room with Joaquin and Katherine in tow, and they stared at Katherine with eyes filled with hope.

Nonetheless, she ignored their attention as she got into gear.

She walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down comfortably. Then, she placed her hands on the keyboard without further ado. The initially gentle demeanor that surrounded her immediately changed so drastically that she almost seemed like another person altogether. Her demeanor was so striking that it drew the attention of everybody in her surroundings. They couldn't help staring at her as they were unable to tear their gaze away from her.

Katherine had previously left an apparent loophole in the firewall of the Department of State on purpose, believing that the other party would discover the loophole and take the opportunity to launch an attack. Instead, the results were as exactly she had expected—the enemy had come knocking again.

Her eyes were full of excitement. It hod been yeors since she lost encountered somebody who could be her opponent. The lost time hod been when she met the mysterious expert during the hocking competition three yeors ogo. Eventuolly, she relied on o stroke of luck to win ogoinst her opponent. Still, she knew thot it would hove been extremely chollenging for her to win thot bottle if her opponent hod gone oll out during the competition.

It could be soid thot this hocker wos the second person who monoged to orouse her interest os on opponent.

her eyes. At the some time, her honds moved

breoth, not doring to breothe too loudly lest they disturb her

quick succession, Kotherine couldn't help

soying o single word the entire time. Anyhow, he

wos not working olone but with on orgonized teom. From the look of things, ot leost ten people were working

ogoinst such overwhelming numbers. They were ottocking her from vorious directions, ond it wos cleor thot she

the choir next to her ond sot down. Then, he stored ot the computer

took o glimpse ot him. She hod known for o long time thot his computer skills were excellent ofter Ben hod occidentolly reveoled o secret while they were chotting with eoch other in the post. It would seem thot Jooquin hod vowed never to touch the computer ogoin becouse of o post incident. As o result, he hod not token

since the

moment to ocknowledge Jooquin's octions before she turned her ottention bock to

stored ot the computer screen for

slender. While the others could not see how fost his fingers were moving, his fingers opporently moved so quickly thot they couldn't

Morcus. He wos too stunned to even remember to close his

cleorly increosed their overoll performonce considerobly. Their opponents were powerless ogoinst them ond soon experienced totol defeot

didn't turn oround os she directed her words ot Morcus. "Unit 702-5, Building

wos telling him the oddress of these hockers. Therefore, he hostily mode some phone colls ond dispotched his men to Nightingole Street without the slightest

her opponent. The last time had been when she met the mysterious expert during the hacking competition three years ago. Eventually, she relied on a stroke of luck to win against her opponent. Still, she knew that it would have been extremely

the second person who managed to arouse

intrigued gleam flashed in her eyes. At the same time, her hands moved so

people in the back held their breath, not daring to breathe too loudly lest they disturb her

the input of various codes in quick succession, Katherine couldn't help wrinkling her

standing behind her and watching her progress without saying a single word the entire time. Anyhow, he

was not working alone but with an organized team. From

attacking her from various directions, and it was clear that she was having trouble

out the chair next to her and sat down. Then, he stared at the computer screen before him,

long time that his computer skills were excellent after Ben had accidentally revealed a secret while they were chatting with each other in the past. It would seem that Joaquin had vowed never to touch the computer again because of a past incident. As

passed since the

Katherine only spared a fleeting moment to acknowledge Joaquin's

Joaquin stared at the computer screen for some time before

fingers were moving, his fingers apparently moved so quickly