Chapter 2943

Ian was deep in thought. 'We used Nicole's trick, but she won't figure that out, will she?' he wondered. Suddenly, one of the hackers blurted out, "We've been duped." His fingers flew across the keyboard, searching for clues. "Duped?" Ian was still piecing things together, his eyes darting to Lawrence's computer screen. It slowly started to click for him. Although he didn't get all the details, he realized they had fallen into Nicole's trap after connecting Lawrence's mention of Nicole and the hacker's comment. Ian's heart skipped a beat. 'So, we thought we were using Nolan to outsmart Nicole and unlock the Water Crest, but she was one step ahead the whole time.' Ian's voice came out rough, "Then the Water Crest..." Is it gone?" he asked out loud. "Everyone, leave now," Lawrence ordered, his voice icy. "Yes, sir," the hackers responded, quickly packing their laptops and exiting the room. Ian lingered, unsure. He knew staying wouldn't help, and he didn't dare face Lawrence yet.