I’m Not His White Rose Anymore Chapter 22
My life at the facility in Nevada was fulfilling.
The professor had always said I had a talent for this.
I had only given it up for that family.
Diving back in, I quickly got up to speed with the project.
The desert was harsh, with strong winds and sand, but for the sake of our country’s security, thousands of people had come here, leaving behind their families, some even sacrificing their lives.
The professor always said that one day, this country would build an impenetrable firewall, free from the infiltration and threats of foreign powers.
One day, the professor called me in privately. He told me that Lorenzo Moretti was looking for me.
He had used the entire Moretti family intelligence network, practically turning the entire country upside down.
I knew what the professor was leaving unsaid.
He wanted me to be happy, but he also wanted me to stay.
I looked at the new streaks of white in his hair and smiled. “Professor, I just want to be like you and my mother, and dedicate the rest of my life to this work.”
The professor didn’t say anything.
But I did see Lorenzo again.
It was three years later. He had become a regular guard at the facility, assigned to protect this place.
I saw him from a distance but didn’t acknowledge him, just like that day in the deli.
He spotted me immediately. Our eyes met across the distance, as if a lifetime had passed.
“Dr. Hayes, do you know him?” my assistant asked.
I shook my head.
I ignored the hope and longing in Lorenzo’s eyes.
In his current position, he had no clearance to approach me.
Only after seeing my reaction did the professor tell me the rest of the story.
Isabella Ricci had been investigated. Her resume and business background were found to be severely fraudulent. The FBI was preparing to indict her for fraud.
It was the Moretti family that had pulled strings, with Lorenzo sacrificing his own future, to keep her out of prison.
Although Isabella avoided jail time, she was exiled from Chicago’s high society, and Lina went with her.
“Lorenzo was just repaying his debt to Marco. It was the right thing to do.”
Seeing that I truly had no emotional reaction, the professor was relieved.
He also told me that Sofia Moretti had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. When she learned of Isabella’s fraud and the damage to the family’s reputation, the shock had been too much for her.
With no one to care for her properly, Sofia passed away miserably in a nursing home after three years.
Before she died, she kept muttering that she was sorry, that if only I had been there.
Hearing all this, I felt nothing.
In my last life, Sofia had also had a stroke, triggered by gossip about Isabella’s infidelity, which had in turn cast aspersions on her son’s loyalty to his marriage.
She was so angry that she became paralyzed.
I quit my job to care for her full-time, even learning physical therapy and massage techniques, which allowed her to regain some of her independence and live comfortably for another ten years.
But she blamed me for the “slander” against Isabella and Lorenzo.
She felt that I was the one holding them back, causing them all this trouble.
Now, Sofia had gotten what she deserved.
But none of that had anything to do with me anymore.
My research work was busy and fulfilling.
Ten years passed in a blur.
The professor, worn out from years of overwork, fell ill and entrusted everything to me.
After his funeral, I took over all of his work.
The higher-ups assigned me a security detail.
They let me personally choose the team leader.
This time, Lorenzo could finally stand before me, legitimately.
He had the highest score on the comprehensive assessment.
I could see the urgency and desperation in his eyes.
But that day, I chose the man who had scored second…
I never remarried, dedicating my entire life to our country’s cybersecurity.
Years of working beyond my limits took their toll on my body.
After collapsing one day, I knew my time was running out.
But that was okay. My mission was almost complete.
Just a little bit more.
I forced my body to hold on, had my student bring me a tablet, and continued to write the core code for the final firewall.
“Let me in! Vivian, I’m begging you! Just let me see you one last time!”
Who was making all that noise outside?
I couldn’t hear clearly anymore. All my energy was focused on the code at my fingertips.
Almost there, just a little bit more.
The cursor on the screen moved, slowly but surely, building the grand blueprint in my mind.
“Mr. Moretti, please, calm down! Dr. Hayes is just one step away from finishing her work!”
“This final moment is so precious. Every second she has is critical to the future of our country…”
The noise outside finally quieted down, and my mind cleared a little.
With my last bit of strength, I thought about what was still missing.
I had to pass on everything I had worked for to the next generation.
After writing the final command, I was finally content. I drew my last breath.
This life, I had no love, no family, but I had earned two words: “Worth it.”
In my final moments, I saw an indestructible cyber empire rise, saw countless dark dealings exposed, saw those evil financial networks completely destroyed…
Our justice no longer had to be defended with blood and sacrifice…
“Doctor!”
“Professor!”
“Vivian!”
The voices grew more and more distant.
My soul began to float.
I saw my students, kneeling on the ground.
I saw the saluting agents.
And I saw Lorenzo, who had been standing outside the door the whole time.
He stood there like a statue carved from ice.
The autumn wind brushed against his cheek. As if sensing something, he looked up at me.
“Vivian…”
I died on the same day as I had in my previous life.
On the day of my funeral, my colleagues, my students, and a long procession of black cars escorted me home.
I was buried next to my father and mother.
The world finally knew that our family had served our country well.
Flowers covered the cemetery.
This life was truly worth it.
After the ceremony, people gradually left, but Lorenzo remained, standing alone in the autumn wind.
“Vivian, this life, why didn’t you want me anymore…?”
His voice was filled with sorrow.
But there was no one left in this world named Vivian Hayes to answer him.
He clutched that Montblanc pen in his hand, his hair turning completely white overnight…
