His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Chapter 776 Bella’s Presentation

This was her second chance. Her opportunity to present her work in front of her classmates, her professor, and the executives who had specially come to evaluate her. The same executives who had seen Krystal present. The same executives who had been lied to.

Now they were here for her.

She had prepared for weeks. She had refined her slides, practiced her delivery, memorized her key points. She knew this topic inside and out. She had lived it, breathed it, dreamed about it.

But knowing and doing were different.

Her stomach churned. Her palms were damp.

The professor glanced at her watch. "Ms. Moretti, whenever you’re ready."

Bella nodded.

She walked to the front of the room, her heels clicking against the floor, her laptop bag swinging at her side. She set her bag on the desk, pulled out her laptop, and connected it to the projector. Her fingers moved quickly, familiar with every cable, every port, every setting.

The screen turned on.

She took a breath and looked out at the audience. Her classmates, some familiar, some strangers. The professor, her face still unreadable. The executives, who were looking at her with critical eyes.

And then she saw Karl. He was sitting in the middle of the room, leaning forward in his seat, his elbows on the desk. His dark hair was slightly messy, like he had run his hands through it too many times. His eyes were fixed on her.

When their gazes met, his face broke into a wide grin.

He raised his hand and gave her a big thumbs up.

Beside him, Lily was sitting up straight, her hands clasped on the desk in front of her. Her blue eyes were bright, her cheeks slightly pink. She was wearing a simple green sweater, her dark hair loose around her shoulders.

She saw Bella looking and immediately raised her hand. Two thumbs up. Her smile was so wide her eyes crinkled at the corners.

Bella’s heart felt warm. She smiled gently.

"Good morning," she said. Her voice was clear and steady. "Thank you for being here."

She clicked to her first slide.

The title appeared on the screen in clean white letters against a dark blue background: Emerging Technologies in Medicine: Prosthetics and Surgical Innovation.

"My name is Isabella Moretti," she continued, "and today I’m going to talk about how technology is changing the field of medicine. Not in the distant future, but right now. Today. In operating rooms and research labs across the world. In the hands of surgeons, patients, and scientists who refuse to accept limitations."

She clicked to the next slide.

"Prosthetics have come a long way from the wooden hooks and metal claws of the past. Modern prosthetics are smart. They’re connected. They’re learning."

She gestured to a diagram on the screen, her hand moving smoothly. "This is a myoelectric prosthetic. It uses electrical signals from the user’s muscles to control movement. The user thinks about closing their hand, and the hand closes. They think about lifting a cup, and the arm lifts. It’s not perfect. There are delays, errors, limitations. But it’s a great start."

The audience leaned forward.

Karl was nodding along, his chin resting on his hand, his eyes never leaving her face. Lily had her hands clasped under her chin, like she was watching her favorite movie.

Bella continued, her words clear and concise. She explained the technology behind the prosthetics, the challenges of development, the breakthroughs that had changed lives. She cited studies, referenced experts, and wove statistics into her narrative seamlessly. Every number had a source. Every claim had evidence.

She did not read from her notes. She did not stumble over her words. She spoke naturally, as if she were having a conversation with each person in the room. Her eyes moved from face to face, connecting, engaging.

When she glanced at Karl, he was grinning. When she glanced at Lily, she was beaming.

She moved on to surgical innovations: robot-assisted procedures, AI diagnostics, 3D-printed organs. She showed images of a surgeon controlling robotic arms from across the room. She showed a video of a heart being printed layer by layer, cell by cell.

"This isn’t science fiction," she said. "These are real technologies being used in real hospitals, saving real lives. There is a child in Ohio who can walk today because of a 3D-printed prosthetic. There is a woman in London who received a new kidney printed from her own cells. There is a man in Japan whose cancer was removed by a robot controlled by a surgeon three thousand miles away."

The executives nodded. The professor made a note on her clipboard.

Karl gave her another thumbs up. Lily mouthed something that looked like you’re doing amazing.

Bella’s voice grew stronger. Her hands stopped shaking. Her eyes swept the room, meeting the gazes of her classmates, her professor, and the executives.

She was balanced while giving the presentation. Not too confident, like she was trying to prove something. Not too scared, like she was reciting lines she had memorized.

Just... herself.

She finished her presentation with a summary of key points and a call to action.

"Technology is a tool," she said. "It’s not good or evil on its own. It’s what we do with it that matters. And I believe—I truly believe—that we can use these tools to heal, to help, to give people their lives back."

She paused. Her eyes moved across the room one last time.

She looked at Karl. He gave her a slow, deep nod, his eyes shining.

She looked at Lily. Lily pressed her hands together.

"Thank you," Bella said.

The room was silent for a moment. Then the professor began to clap. The executives joined in. The students followed.

Karl stood up from his seat, clapping so hard his palms turned red. Lily was clapping too, her face flushed, her smile so wide it looked like it might split her face.

Bella smiled, her cheeks flushing. She nodded her head in thanks and stepped back from the podium.