Chapter 393

Theodore Sinclair's assistant remained unaware that both Isabella Sinclair and Nathaniel Graves were Frederick Aldridge's protégés.

When Theodore remarked on Nathaniel's good fortune in being with Isabella, his assistant chimed in, "During last night's interview, Mr. Graves mentioned that as Mr. Aldridge's student, he's always been held to exceptionally high standards."

"Mr. Aldridge insists he stays current with all cutting-edge advancements in the field and masters every technical breakthrough thoroughly."

"Whenever there are knowledge gaps, Mr. Aldridge personally fills them based on his own research."

"Ms. Sinclair is already highly competent. With Mr. Graves' guidance now, her growth will accelerate exponentially."

"Truly, this relationship benefits Ms. Sinclair tremendously."

While factually accurate...

One of Walter Pembroke's students immediately countered, "So you're suggesting Ms. Sinclair's earlier insights were merely regurgitations of Mr. Graves' and Mr. Aldridge's research?"

The unspoken implication hung heavy - Isabella wasn't the prodigy they'd imagined.

Though phrased diplomatically, everyone present, including Victoria Kensington, grasped the underlying meaning.

Walter appeared momentarily stunned, his disappointment palpable. He'd genuinely believed Isabella to be AI's rare polymath. This revelation shattered that perception.

Alexander Whitmore also fell silent.

Observing both men's reactions, Victoria allowed herself a subtle smile.

So Isabella's so-called brilliance was simply parroting Nathaniel and Frederick's analyses.

No wonder Theodore and Walter had been so impressed.

Alexander, while less effusive in his praise, had witnessed Isabella's technical discourse firsthand.

He too must have been momentarily dazzled.

But judging by his current expression, he'd realized the truth - Isabella's insights weren't her own.

The woman simply didn't possess that caliber of intellect.

Theodore, however, knew Isabella was also Frederick's student.

Their previous AI discussions and her leadership in developing YodaVision's revolutionary programming language proved her technical prowess.

He remained convinced the ideas she'd presented originated from her own research.

As Frederick's protégé, such brilliance was entirely plausible.

But these details were confidential, leaving Theodore unable to defend her publicly.

Isabella remained oblivious to the office drama.

After leaving Whitmore Group, she returned directly to YodaVision.

During lunch, Olivia Chambers messaged genuine congratulations: "Ms. Sinclair, I never imagined you'd achieve such success after leaving. My sincerest congratulations!"

Though unaware of Isabella's specific collaboration with Whitmore Group, Olivia recognized partnership status signaled significant standing.

Isabella replied, "Thank you. You seem to be thriving as well - congratulations to you too."

She added, "And your coffee was exceptional. I truly appreciated it."

Olivia flushed with pleasure yet embarrassment. "But yours remains unparalleled, Ms. Sinclair. Despite replicating your methods precisely, Mr. Whitmore still prefers yours. I actually took barista lessons to reach my current standard, just to keep my job."

Their pleasant exchange concluded shortly after.

Nathaniel returned from his business trip that afternoon.

Their lawyer reported that regarding InnovaTech's compensation to YodaVision, Victoria had paid $200 million, with over $100 million remaining pending.

Nathaniel smirked. "Alexander's always been generous with Victoria - gifting properties, companies, even securing her DataWing Inc. partnership post-termination."

"Yet our $300 million compensation drags on? Are they stalling intentionally?"

Isabella speculated, "More likely the Kensingtons don't want to burden Alexander further - they intend to cover this themselves."

A plausible theory.

Nathaniel clicked his tongue. "Given the Kensingtons' current financial strain, raising two to three hundred million while maintaining operations can't be easy."

"Still, Victoria's insistence on personal repayment... Those two really are devoted."

Isabella agreed wholeheartedly.

Though truthfully, she'd understood their bond perfectly since Victoria took that knife for Alexander, and when Alexander demanded their divorce.