Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Sutton looked up to find Tyler standing over her, arms crossed, expression amused.

“I was,” she corrected, keeping her voice even. “Now I’m a developer.”

Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Just like that, huh? Must be nice. What did you do sleep with someone?”

The implication wasn’t subtle. Heat rose in Sutton’s cheeks, but she kept her expression neutral. “I have a degree in computer science. I’ve applied for a

transfer three times.”

“Right.” His eyes flicked to her stomach. “And I’m sure your… condition… had nothing to do with the sudden promotion. Whose is it?”

Before Sutton could respond, another developer, Kevin, she remembered, rolled his chair over. “What are you working on, anyway? Something simple, I hope? We’re in the middle of a major system overhaul.”

His arrogant know it all tone made her jaw clench. “Al–driven virus detection self thinking,” she said, turning her screen slightly so they could see. “It adapts to new threats in real–time by analyzing behavior patterns rather than relying on signature updates.”

Both men squinted at her code.

“That’s pretty ambitious for someone who was answering phones for months,” Tyler said, but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice now.

“I’ve been working on it for months,” Sutton replied. “In between transferring your calls and ordering your lunch. As you lot walk past my desk like I don’t

exist.”

Kevin leaned closer, studying the screen. “Your isolation protocols look overcomplicated.”

“They’re not,” Sutton said firmly. “They’re thorough. There’s a difference.”

“And what’s the difference between polymorphic and metamorphic code structures?” Tyler asked suddenly, like he was quizzing a freshman.

Sutton didn’t even blink. “Polymorphic changes its appearance but keeps the same functions. Metamorphic rewrites its actual engine with each iteration. If you’re trying to catch both, you need behavioral analysis, not just signature detection.”

Several other developers had wandered over now, drawn by the impromptu interrogation. She could feel their eyes on her, judging. Well, screw them. She knew she was good.

“And how would you handle fragmented payloads across distributed networks?” Elliott asked, headphones now hanging around his neck.

“Containment first, then trace execution paths to find common instruction sets,” Sutton replied. “You don’t chase fragments; you isolate the behavior and work backward.”

The questions kept coming. Each one was more technical than the last. She answered every one without hesitation. Let them test her.

to zero–day vulnerabilities when the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. The developers straightened.

Luca had arrived.

the doorway, tall and imposing, dark eyes scanning the room. His gaze found her immediately lingering for a moment before

professional. But Sutton didn’t miss the flash of resentment in her eyes when she

center of

There was no need for anyone to question that. The other developers moved out of his way. Until

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Chapter 108

his voice carrying easily in the now–silent

getting acquainted with the team. They have been so welcoming Yeah right. But Luca would tell she was lying by her

her code, then to the developers still hovering nearby. His expression

made the men

asking some technical questions,” Tyler said, his earlier confidence

ensure she’s… qualified,”

this company. It’s not you that needs to be worried about her qualifications? Or should we arrange a formal examination? Perhaps a written test? Or would you prefer to continue

in his voice was razor–sharp. The

output I’ve seen from this department over the last quarter. If this program

as a

is open,” Luca said, addressing the entire room now. “If you’d prefer to seek opportunities elsewhere, I’ll personally write your references. What I won’t tolerate is

spoke. No one

I’d like to see a demo of your virus detection system when you have a working prototype. Jake mentioned it’s

by his public support. “Of course. I should have something ready in

and Sutton felt a familiar heat rise in her chest. Even now, after everything, her body still

to leave, then paused. “One more thing. Ms. Warner, what’s your approach to adaptive Al when dealing with fragmented malware in

not for her benefit.

“I’d create a zero–trust sandbox environment to isolate the fragments, track instruction flow to identify payload convergence points, and then train the Al on behavior

exactly who we need,” he

returned to the scene, gave her a subtle thumbs–up behind Luca’s

Luca turned to leave, Nicole at his side, Sutton caught the venomous look the woman shot her

with considerably less swagger than before. Sutton let out a slow breath, turning back to her code trying to ignore the racing of her

down the hallway, rage simmering beneath her carefully composed expression. She’d never seen him so interested in someone at work so

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MONT, SU