Part-147

  James felt a surge of anger, but he mao keep his cool. He khat esg the situation would not help. James met her steely gaze, feeling annoyed by her tone.

  "I'll pop out your eyes if you look at me like that," Toya threatened.

  "Oh e on! What kind of devil says something like that?" James retorted.

  "Then tell me why you're doing this," Toya insisted.

  James decided to be direct.

  "I'm sorry if I made you unfortable," he said, trying to defuse the situation. "But we're iigating a case of online scams, and we believe it might be ected to yrandmother."

  James expihe online scamming situation aiohat one of the collected NIDs belorandmother.

  Toya's expression softened slightly, but her skepticism remained. "What do you mean? My grandmother is i," she said, her voice filled with disbelief.

  "I know," James replied. "That's why we o talk to her. We think her identity might be being used by someone else."

  Toya hesitated, her mind rag. She knew her grandmother was a kind ale soul, incapable of harming anyone. But she also khat the world was full of dangerous people.

  "I'll think about it," she said finally. "But don't expect me to agree to anything right away."

  With that, she turned and walked away, leaving James feeling a mix of hope and uainty. He khat ving Toya to help them would be a challenge, but he was determio try.

  As he rejoined Ryan and Sourov, he filled them in on his versation with Toya. They were both surprised by her rea.

  "I didn't think she would be so receptive," Ryan said.

  "Maybe there's a ce," Sourov added, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

  They decided to give Toya some time to think about it. In the meahey would tiheir iigation, hoping to find more clues about the scammers.

  The day, as James sat at his desk, attempting to focus on his studies, his mi wandering back to the online scam iigation. The case had bee an obsession, and he found it difficult to trate on anything else.

  Midterms were approag, and he knew he o buckle down and study. But the lure of the iigation was to. He tried to bance his time between schoolwork and the case, but it was a stant struggle.

  Mili, his cssmate and friendly rival, had noticed his distracted behavior. She had always been a top student, and the two of them were often peting for the sed-highest rank in the css. Retly, she had been sending him cryptic messages, challenging him to study harder.

  "If you beat me this time, I'll buy you coffee. And if I beat you, you'll have to buy me one," she had texted him earlier that day.

  Though he was fused why her sudden ging throwing petitiveoward him, James found her sudden petitiveness amusing. He wasn't particurly ied in academikings, but he ehe friendly rivalry. Besides, it gave him a mueeded distra from the stress of the iigation.