After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 343

Shirley watched her, hardly blinking, hope flickering in her eyes. Calling Amy her lifeline wasn’t an exaggeration. In her mind, Amy wouldn’t have shown up unless she was here to take her side. She clung to that thought. She needed it to be true.

Waldo’s eyes narrowed as he glanced over. He was trying to keep his expression neutral, but inside, his thoughts were racing. Was the original source code really on that USB drive? If it was, did that mean Resonance AI was actually Catherine’s work? He wanted to believe the video was fake, that Catherine’s plan would fall flat.

Ted cleared his throat. “Amy, do you know the defendant, Shirley?”

Amy nodded. “Yes, I do. But honestly, we were just acquaintances back at university. We barely spoke.”

Ted pressed on. “Did you ever share your early research with her, give her advice, or allow her to use your work in any way?”

Amy’s gaze was steady as she looked at Shirley, then at Catherine. She adjusted her glasses and said, “Before I answer, I want to share something that happened to me back in school. While I was working on my PhD, I almost had to drop out because of a fire. No one ever figured out how it started.”

Shirley’s smile vanished. She stared at Amy, uneasy and confused. Why was Amy bringing that up now?

Amy went on, “And just so we’re clear, the ideas Shirley mentioned earlier, the ones she says I supported, have nothing to do with Resonance AI. That’s not even my field. Sure, my articles are available for free, but that’s all.”

Shirley’s face tightened. Her voice rose. “Amy, you told me the early framework of Resonance AI was your idea. Isn’t that true?”

Amy almost looked amused. It was like she’d been waiting for this. She smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Shirley, think back. Since we met in Cabinda, have I ever actually said I created Resonance AI? I don’t remember saying that. As for the early framework, I’m sorry, but that’s not my area. I really don’t know anything about it.”

She turned and stared at Catherine, the realization hitting her all at once.

Had Catherine and Amy been working together all along? When Amy agreed to testify, was she never planning to help Shirley, but instead here to support Catherine?

Shame and anger crashed over her. She started to shake.

Amy’s voice broke through the chaos. “Shirley, there’s something else I need to talk about. The fire in the lab. I’m bringing it up because I was the one who got hurt that day. And you, Shirley, were the one who set it.”