Chapter 82 Summary

After distributing the money to unsuspecting mothers and the library staff, Esmond Robbins leaves the scene and updates George Ramsey by phone. Robbins confirms that Thomas Allen has firmly rejected the consortium's offer and is focused solely on expanding his tech security firm. Ramsey accepts this outcome and decides to mark the file on Allen as “unresolved,” with plans to revisit it in six months. He then informs Alexandra Conner, who agrees with the approach given the volatility of the tech world.

Shortly after, Conner is urgently summoned to a meeting by her superior, Steven Rogers. In his office, Rogers demands a full explanation of the Quest AI breach. She explains the technical safeguards, including adaptive firewalls and machine learning filters, and confirms that the issue can now be prevented. He instructs Conner to prepare to restore Quest’s full operations and be ready to brief him before a critical meeting with the President the next day.

Meanwhile, in St. Croix, Officer Charley Williams meets with attorney Wesley Parker over lunch to discuss her upcoming disciplinary hearing. The setting is peaceful, overlooking a glittering ocean bay, in sharp contrast to Charley’s inner tension. Parker reassures her that based on intent, impact, and her professional record, the hearing is likely just a formality—a symbolic step to emphasize the importance of investigative accuracy. Still, Charley resents being made into a cautionary example, even if she’ll avoid harsher consequences.

Back in D.C., Conner later calls Rogers to confirm that Quest can be safely restored with the revised parameters. She reports that Ken Hookey’s team has started work on setting up the secure gateway and server farm. Rogers demands a full status report from both Conner and Ken the following day—just before his meeting with the President.