第113章 "Deception's Shadow"

**Chapter 113: The Web of Deceit**

程星's words still echoed in the engineer's mind like a ticking time bomb. The silence that followed was oppressive, heavy with unspoken accusations. The engineer, still reeling from the outburst, hesitated before finally breaking the silence.

"I...I didn't mean to deceive you, 程星," the engineer stammered, his voice trembling.

程星's eyes narrowed, her anger still simmering just below the surface. "You think a simple apology can make everything okay? You've been lying to me all along, and now you expect me to just forgive and forget?"

The engineer's eyes dropped, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I didn't know what else to do. The Council was breathing down my neck, demanding results. I thought I could spin the truth, make it seem like the mission was still on track."

程星's laughter was cold and mirthless. "You really are a master of manipulation, aren't you? Using people like pawns in your game of deceit."

The engineer's face twisted in a mixture of regret and desperation. "I know I made a mistake, but I assure you, my intentions were pure. I was trying to protect everyone, including you."

程星's gaze pierced him like a dagger. "Protect me? You call this protection? You've been hiding the truth from me, from all of us, and now you expect me to believe that you're doing it for our own good?"

The engineer's voice dropped to a whisper. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just...I was scared. And I know it's no excuse, but I couldn't think of any other way to get us out of this situation."

程星's anger began to simmer down, replaced by a growing sense of unease. She glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the scattered papers and equipment. Something wasn't right. The engineer's words seemed...off.

"What's going on?" she demanded, her voice firm but measured. "What are you not telling me?"

The engineer's eyes darted around the room, as if searching for an escape route. "I...I don't know what you're talking about."

程星's eyes locked onto his, her gaze piercing. "Don't lie to me. I saw something on the data logs. A transmission, encrypted and classified. Who was it from?"

The engineer's face froze, his eyes wide with fear. "I...I don't know what you're talking about."

程星's voice turned cold. "You're not very good at this game, are you? You're not even good at lying. Tell me the truth. Who was it from?"

The engineer's eyes fluttered closed, and he took a deep breath before speaking. "It was the Council. They've been monitoring our progress, and they're not happy."

程星's eyes snapped open, her mind racing with the implications. "The Council? What do they want?"

The engineer's voice was barely above a whisper. "They want us to stop investigating. They want us to destroy the evidence and forget about the whole thing."

程星's face twisted in a snarl. "And I'm supposed to just listen to them, like a good little soldier?"

The engineer's eyes opened, filled with a mixture of fear and pleading. "程星, please. You have to understand—"

But 程星 was already gone, her mind racing with the consequences of their conversation. She knew she had to get to the truth, no matter what it took. Little did she know, the Council was just the beginning of her problems.