Her Corporate Takedown: Entangled with a Billionaire

*CHAPTER 19: THE RIGHT TO BE WITH HIM*

In the end, I lost yesterday's battle. I still can't believe I'm going to the engagement party with Andrei. I woke up this morning with a much clearer mind as I recalled yesterday's events. After getting dragged along by those two, it was natural that I lost.

If I had thought about it more calmly, the situation would have made sense. Ari had a mission to get close to Daniel and find out more about Saffil. Even though Andrei himself couldn't be exposed to Michelle or Daniel, Ari could have interacted with them in his place. In that case, there's no way Andrei wouldn't have known about her relationship with Daniel and I'm positive he knew she had gotten an invitation from them. In the end, they both played me with their acting.

Still, I may have lost, but I wasn't upset. I knew that he had a good reason for wanting to go to the party and I was being stubborn about not wanting to take him with me. I don't know if I'll be able to handle being around Daniel again, but I felt that everything would be okay if Andrei was with me.

For the rest of the week, I worked very slowly on the courses with Andrei. No matter how simply Andrei tried to explain it, this was an entirely new field of study and it was difficult to grasp the concepts. But I tried to persevere for the sake of the future.

The course wasn't the only thing I was worried about. The results of the test from the contact lenses would be revealed on Saturday. After wearing these contacts for one week while I did the course, we would find out whether I am compatible with using the Support code and what is the highest level I can use. Andrei, who is the heir to the Klehr family's Master code, needs a partner who can use the highest level of Support code.

In order for me to be fully accepted as Andrei's partner, therefore, the results of the test on Saturday need to show that I can use the highest level. If I can't, he would have to marry Ari. Then, what would happen to our relationship?

Personally speaking, the worst news I heard all week is that I would need to have surgery on my retina to be able to use the Support code and I have mixed feelings about needing to undergo eye surgery for his sake.

Andrei said nothing about the test until Saturday. On Saturday morning, he came to my room and asked for the contact lenses. When I asked him how long the test would take, he said that he would be doing a full spectrum assessment and that it could take up to three hours. So I had to just wait patiently for the result.

While I waited, I continued working on the courses with a second set of contact lenses that Andrei gave me this morning. It was harder to concentrate today as I kept thinking about the results of the test. I figured this was the reason that I barely spoke to Ari throughout the week; the state of our relationship also depends on the test results.

In the meantime, schemes were taking place in this house that Leiya was not aware of. Yesterday, on Friday, while Leiya was in the shower, Ari sneaked into her room. She found the contact lenses Leiya wore and exchanged them for a different set. Although Ari was sure that there was no way Leiya could be compatible with the highest level of Support code, she wanted to make sure that Leiya failed the test.

"I have successfully exchanged the items." Ari reported her actions to a Japanese man over the phone on Friday evening.

"Excellent work," he replied. "We can't have him doing as he pleases and marrying a complete outsider. We must strengthen our influence by having you marry the Klehr family's heir."

"Yes sir. I will report back once he confirms the results tomorrow and gives up on her."

"I will await your call. I expect good news."

"Yes sir," Ari replied confidently.

It was now 1pm on Saturday. The results of the test were ready. Andrei called Ari and I to the computer room after lunch. I will admit that I was actually nervous about hearing these results. After Andrei appeared in my life, he stirred up all of these feelings inside me again. If the results turned out negative, I would have preferred it if I never met Andrei for a second time. I can't even tell you my real feelings when you keep asking, and yet I didn't want to be told that I couldn't be with you because of some stupid test. I really am being selfish, aren't I?

Would I be able to tell from his expression if the result is good or bad? I entered the room to find Andrei sitting on the sofa and Ari standing by the door. Both of their facial expressions were indecipherable. I sat on one of the single-seater sofas across from Andrei and tried to hide my anxiety.

He then placed a small box on the table in front of me. He opened the box so that we could all see inside it. There was a small screen attached to the cover that was open. He turned on the screen while he spoke to us.

"The results for this test are ready."

Then the screen started to display the name of the test and after a pause it changed to the results.

First result: 'Compatibility with using Support code- high.'

It said that I had high compatibility but it was too soon to celebrate. Then it changed to the second screen.

Second result: 'Compatible with Support code level 5.'

The result was level five. Was that the highest level? Andrei looked at the screen with no change in his facial expression. Then I glanced at Ari, whose indifferent facial expression warped into a smile gleaming with delight. That confirms it. Level five isn't the highest level. If it was the result Andrei wanted, he would have been the one smiling.

I don't know why I even got my hopes up. It makes sense that a random outsider like me wouldn't be able to use the highest level of Support code and marry the heir to a family that carries the responsibility of managing the cyber security of several nations in the world. I sounded ridiculous even saying it to myself.

"Leiya?"

"Yes?" I responded to Andrei, who snapped me out of the spiral of negative thoughts.

"You're being quiet. What's wrong?" he asked.

'What's wrong? Why isn't he showing any concern about this obviously unfavourable result?'

"The result. It says level 5. Is that the highest level that can support the Master code?" I asked for confirmation so that I could hear it from his mouth, that our relationship has no chance of progressing any further.

"Level 5 isn't the highest level of Support code," he replied as he looked me in the eyes. Even while he said that, his eyes showed no hint of disappointment or sadness. In fact, he showed a faint smile as his eyes brimmed with energy and confidence. It left me feeling even more confused. Why was he smiling?

"Based on the results from this test, it saddens me to say this, but it seems we can't be together in the future," he said while looking at me.

'Your words and your expressions don't match at all.' I thought as he spoke to me still with that almost invisible smile.

But his smile disappeared when he turned to look at Ari. I thought he was talking to me, but he was really talking to Ari instead. While he was facing me, she could not see his smile at all.

He looked at her with a glare so frightening that it could bore holes in the wall. She flinched and took a step forward. It looked like she wanted to say something in response but her trembling lips were silenced by Andrei's glare.

"You must be happy with this result, aren't you, Ari?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, feigning ignorance.

Andrei went back to the box on the table and removed the cartridge that contained the contact lenses. He held them up in front of me while he said, "these were the contact lenses you gave me this morning that I ran the test on."

He placed them back in their slot and turned on the screen again. He then revealed a new screen that showed a retina scan result. The first part of the retina scan was an identity scan and the result showed the name of a man.

Ari stepped back in disbelief. It seems she didn't know that the contacts could record someone's identity.

"Whenever one of these contacts is activated for the first time, an identity scan is done to register the user of the contacts," he explained.

Ari, therefore, at some point replaced my original contacts with these fake ones to try and get rid of me. So that's why she was so distant this week. She was patiently waiting for today to get me out of Andrei's life. When I realized, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. I knew this would happen sooner or later, but to think she was already scheming. Was I going to spend the rest of my life being targeted by women who couldn't let me have a relationship in peace? I couldn't control myself and they both stared at me speechless as I continued laughing for a couple of minutes.

I eventually calmed down and I saw Andrei's surprised yet amused face looking at me. I also looked at Ari, who stood by the door with her arms folded, who had no excuses to offer. In the end, though, Ari still won this round. Even if we found out that these contacts were fake, I'm sure that she threw away the original contacts so we wouldn't get to know the results from them. The only other option would be to repeat the test with another set of contacts but we are out of time as I start work in two days.

"I hope these results satisfy you, Ari. But like I said before, based on the test results, it seems we won't be together in the future." This time he looked at Ari.

Ari looked at him slightly confused. "What are you talking about? I threw away the contact lenses so you won't know the true results from the first set."

Andrei removed the cartridge with the fake contacts and threw it to Ari. He then took out a different cartridge from a bag on the sofa beside him.

"This cartridge contains the real contacts that Leiya wore this week. The ones that you threw away were a back-up pair."

"What?!" she exclaimed.

'What?!' I exclaimed in my mind. 'So we can find out the real results then.' I thought as I regained some hope.

"How do you have those?" she asked.

"I took these from Leiya's room yesterday morning. I also ran the test yesterday morning. I replaced the real contacts with a back-up set, which Leiya wore all day yesterday. Even though I already had the real contacts, I told her to return her contacts to me on Saturday morning because I knew you were likely to do something like this. I really hoped you wouldn't though," he explained while inserting the real cartridge.

He showed us the retina scan results for the contacts which had my name registered on them. He then showed us the results screen which said:

'Compatibility with using Support code - very high.'

'Compatible with Support code level 7.'

'Compatible with Master code - positive.'

Ari stared at the screen in disbelief. It was rare enough for even one of the family members to be compatible at such a high level, not to mention a random person not from any of the families. The chance was literally one-in-a-billion.

"I can't believe this," Ari said in shock.

"That's how it is, Ari. Now that you know, I don't expect you to do anything like this in the future."

Andrei stood up and faced Ari seriously.

"I appreciate your sincere feelings for me, but I'm sorry Ari. There is no chance that we are ever getting back together."

"No chance? I regret to tell you that as long she doesn't officially become your partner, there is always a chance."

Ari stomped out of the room in a fit. Andrei exhaled deeply before sitting down.

'I know that but it was more important to show Leiya that I am very serious about her. Especially since I don't have much time left.'