Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 249: Chapter 249

Joyce, unlike the bomb expert, was clearly not as composed. She stared in shock and murmured, "It's over? We're safe?"
She turned to look at the now-defused bomb and suddenly burst into joyful laughter.
"Zoe, you saved all of our lives! And you've prevented Clusia from suffering a massive loss," she said with deep gratitude. "You... you're our savior!"
As Joyce finished speaking, eyes brimming with tears, everyone who had finally snapped out of their terror began to erupt into wild applause—including those bomb experts who had previously looked down on Zoe.
In contrast to the crowd's enthusiastic praise, Zoe remained calm. Once Joyce stepped aside, she picked up the now-defused bomb and began to disassemble it even further, carefully taking it apart.
After removing the main explosive components, Zoe focused her attention on the control panel. Before long, she spotted a small but unmistakable letter Q engraved in a corner.
"Wh-what's that?" a startled bomb expert asked, stepping closer.
Zoe didn't answer directly. Instead, she told him, "Ask your teammates immediately. Find out if they noticed the same letter on any of the other bombs."
It could be a critical clue about whoever was behind all of this.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the bomb expert quickly took out his phone and called the other team members. Their responses confirmed Zoe's suspicion: every single bomb had the letter Q on it.
"Could it be the bomb maker's signature? I've heard that some mad bomb designers like to leave personal marks on their devices," the expert speculated.
But he didn't know that the moment Zoe saw that "Q," she had already remembered something from the past.
Once, after completing a mission, Kestrel had reported to Zoe about the rise of a powerful international terrorist organization. They were deadly, brutal, and made up of dangerous geniuses. Their signature? The codename "Q."
Zoe now suspected that these bombs were the work of that very group.
Noticing Zoe's silence and contemplative expression, the bomb expert asked, "Do you... know what this 'Q' stands for?"
Zoe said nothing.
Then Joyce stepped forward and added, "Zoe, this is very important to Clusia. If you know something—anything—could you please share it with us?"
Seeing Joyce's sincerity, Zoe no longer saw the need to hide the truth. Besides, this wasn't exactly a secret to her.
"A while back, a large-scale international terrorist group emerged, named Team Quiver," Zoe said calmly. "They're savage, deranged, and swore to leave an indelible mark on human history.
"From what I've learned, the group consists of brilliant but twisted minds, united for evil purposes. They go by the codename 'Q.' And recently... it seems they've set their sights on Clusia."
Everyone was shocked by Zoe's words.
"What? There's actually a group like that out there?"
"And they came after us like this? Are they trying to bring down all of Clusia?"
"They're probably targeting our research," Robert said grimly.
Joyce nodded. "Exactly. Clusia has made major breakthroughs in multiple fields in recent years—otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to invite those international experts to work with us. Honestly, part of their visit was likely to assess potential threats as well."
"Outrageous! These people are evil. We must investigate this thoroughly!" Robert said angrily.
The bomb expert added, "This is serious. I'll contact my superiors immediately to launch a full investigation."
Zoe stood quietly, not planning to get involved further.
But as everyone speculated, someone suddenly said, "Don't you all think there's something strange about this bombing incident?
"To this moment, security still has no clue who planted the bombs. But I can think of only one person capable of sneaking them into our research base unnoticed."
"Who?" someone asked, curious.
"Are you suggesting that this was the work of the mercenary king—Firefox?" another person replied quickly.
At that, many people began nodding.
Just then, Zoe's cool voice cut through the conversation. "It was absolutely not Firefox."
Everyone turned to Zoe in surprise, noticing her unusually firm tone, as if she personally knew Firefox.
Someone couldn't help but ask, "Zoe, how can you be so sure it wasn't Firefox? She's a mercenary said to rival even Shawn Ludwig in skill."
"Yeah, I heard Firefox is insanely good—strikes without warning, and never fails a mission. She's like a ghost, completely undetectable."
"And she's as cunning as a fox. Right now, she's even within Clusia's borders, supposedly trying to assassinate Shawn Ludwig."
"She could be the one who planted the bombs."
"Maybe she's even a member of Team Quiver!"
"On top of that, no one knows what she really looks like. Everyone who's seen her face is already dead."
Their theories grew more and more far-fetched, and Zoe's expression darkened.
But the moment Firefox was mentioned, these researchers couldn't stop talking, growing more intrigued by the second.
One person added, "I also think Firefox is the prime suspect. She's supposedly the world's most wanted criminal, a ruthless demon who'll take any job for money—no matter how insane.
"Someone like her has no moral boundaries. If she was hired by a foreign power to blow up our research facility, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised."
Others echoed in agreement. "I support that theory."
"We should report this to the higher-ups and push for a full investigation against Firefox."
"I told you, she didn't do this," Zoe said again, her voice calm but ice-cold, her tone leaving no room for argument.
She would never stoop to something like this.
However, Zoe's explanation only made everyone look at her with even more suspicion.
One of the researchers asked, "Zoe, why are you getting so worked up? You're not Firefox—why are you defending that mercenary?"
Zoe stayed silent.
The group of researchers remained convinced that Firefox was involved in the bombing incident. They began discussing plans to report the matter to higher authorities and request a thorough investigation into her.
Just then, the sound of marching footsteps echoed through the research base.
At the same time, a calm, low, and powerful voice rang out: "This was most definitely not Firefox's doing."
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. A man strode in behind a unit of soldiers, all marching in perfect formation. He wore a sleek, all-black military uniform, and his strikingly handsome face radiated authority and confidence.
It was Shawn.
Zoe blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to show up here—let alone to speak in her defense.