Camila, uninterested in the director's justification for Hyman, cut in, "I want to know who Hyman's master is?"

Camila had a hunch about it all along, but needed confirmation from the director.

"He used to be the assistant director," the director revealed.

Camila wasn't shocked.

Her expression grew serious, clearly unhappy with the news.

She settled onto the sofa, pondering.

The director asked, "So, what's your plan?"

“You've been around here a long time, seen it all. What do you think?" she countered, sitting across from him.

He thought for a bit before answering, “It's not really about him.

Hyman, he's naive but a quick learner. Got the top score when he applied, way ahead of the next person. He trained under the department head, who later became the assistant director."

Camila listened, taking it all in but didn't jump to conclusions.

The director went on, "He's from your state and aced the college entrance exam. He is smart, but not great with people. Maybe he got manipulated, especially with the assistant director looking out for him. He's not well-liked here and comes from a humble background. But the assistant director's always been there for him, and he's probably grateful for that."

After a pause, he suggested, “Maybe we can be a bit lenient? He's talented and a real asset to us. But what he did is indeed hard to be forgiven."

Camila was torn.

She wasn't one to soften easily, but the research center could really use someone like him.

It wasn't easy for her to forgive someone who crossed her.

"I'll go talk to the assistant director's family and make sure they stop any tricks against you," the director said.

"No," Camila firmly rejected his suggestion.

She believed that hasty decisions were often misguided and didn't want to risk making a mistake.

Reflecting on the previous night, she realized her initial impulse to retaliate against the person who hurt her was strong.