Chapter 180: A Night of Distractions

Finley pushed open the door to the office, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene before him. The clock on the wall ticked past 8 PM, and there was Zoe, still hunched over her desk, surrounded by stacks of documents, her brow furrowed in concentration. She didn't even look up when he entered; her focus was entirely on the small, intricate chip she was examining under a magnifying glass. "Zoe," Finley said, his voice cutting through the silence. She didn't respond, her attention still glued to the task at hand. He stepped closer, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the irritation that threatened to creep into his tone. "Zoe, it's late. You need to take a break." Zoe's hand paused momentarily, her fingers twitching as she adjusted the magnifying glass. She finally glanced up, her eyes squinting as they met his. "I'll take a break when we've perfected the computer-based interface nanochips," she replied, her voice edged with determination. Her eyes, usually bright with enthusia