Morning had arrived. The sun had risen, its rays piercing through the thick curtains of the suite. The clock on the wall showed eight o’clock. Samuel stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie with a serious expression. Today there was an important meeting with the shareholders, and he couldn’t afford to be late.“Mr. Samuel, there is a meeting this morning. The meeting starts at nine. I’m already waiting for you in the lobby,” Samuel’s personal assistant’s voice came through the phone.Samuel nodded slightly. “Alright. I’m coming down now.”Rebecca, who was tidying up Reno’s toys, turned to him. “Aren’t you having breakfast first?”Samuel let out a sigh and gave a faint smile. “It’s okay. I’ll eat at the office later. You and Reno just stay here, okay? Don’t go anywhere.”Rebecca nodded. “Okay, be careful on the way.”Outside the suite…Nora and Chiko had been in the hotel hallway since morning. They were in disguise, pretending to be guests waiting for the elevator. When the su
Nora could not stay still. That night, she sat in her room, her red eyes glaring at the phone screen filled with hateful public comments. The insults only fueled her anger and chaos in her mind. One thing she knew for sure—she would never let Rebecca live peacefully by Samuel’s side.Her phone rang again. Chiko’s name appeared on the screen.“Chiko,” Nora’s voice was heavy, almost dripping with hatred. “We can’t just sit back and do nothing. Rebecca has to be destroyed. I want you to help me again.”On the other side, Chiko was silent for a few seconds. “Nora, do you even realize what you’re saying? Samuel’s got people everywhere. He already knows my previous moves.”“I don’t care!” Nora hissed, biting her lip. “Chiko, if you don’t help me, everything will be over. I will not let Rebecca win.”Chiko took a long breath. “What exactly do you want?”“We kidnap Rebecca,” Nora replied firmly. “Rebecca needs to be taken far away from Samuel. Let her feel what it’s like to steal Samuel from
“Samuel, I think I should head home,” Liam said while glancing at the watch on his wrist. “It’s late. The security team is all set. Don’t worry, I’ll keep monitoring through the cameras.”Samuel patted Liam’s shoulder. “Thanks, Liam. I know you’re tired.”Rebecca looked at Liam as well. “Drive safely, okay? And… thank you for everything.”Liam gave a faint smile. “Take care of yourselves. Don’t let Nora get into your head. Good night.” He then left, leaving the suite that now felt calmer.As soon as the door closed, Reno came out of the main bedroom, his face sleepy. “Mommy… Daddy… I want to sleep here. All three of us,” he mumbled while rubbing his eyes. “I want to sleep in the middle, okay?”Rebecca let out a small sigh. “Reno… you’re a big boy now. Don’t you want to sleep in your own room?”“No,” Reno answered quickly. “I want to be with Mommy and Daddy. I’m scared…”Samuel crouched down in front of Reno, gently patting his head. “Daddy’s here. No one’s going to hurt you.”“But I s
Rebecca stared at the piece of paper in her hand, her heart beating faster. The red letters, written in bold strokes, burned into her eyes:“Rebecca, I will send you to HELL. Samuel is mine alone. If you don’t leave, you’ll see something far worse.”Rebecca’s hand trembled. “Oh my God… she’s gone insane,” she muttered.Samuel, who was standing beside her, grabbed the paper, his eyes sharpening instantly. “Nora.” His voice was low but full of anger. “She dares to threaten you like this?”Liam stepped closer, his expression tense as well. “Samuel, Rebecca… this has gone too far. We can report her to the police.”Rebecca took a deep breath. “No.” She tore the paper in half with both hands, letting the shredded pieces fall to the floor. “I will not be afraid of threats like this. I’ve lived too long in Nora’s shadow.”Samuel looked at Rebecca, his jaw tightening. “You’re not afraid?”Rebecca met his gaze, her eyes unwavering. “I’m tired of being attacked. If she thinks I’ll back down, she
Samuel was still staring at the encrypted message on his phone when Rebecca turned away from the city view. The night air bit cold against the balcony of the Zayden family suite, but the tension between them felt hotter than the market headlines.“Samuel?” Rebecca asked. “What is it?”He lowered the phone. “Bani just sent a report. The first point of distribution for the fake photos traces back through a node at your old campus—the university where you studied. There’s an access tag: CHK_Archive. I think it’s someone’s initials. Chiko. Do you remember him?”Rebecca frowned. “Chiko… who?” She shook her head, paused—then her eyes widened. “Wait. You mean Chiko who used to like me?”“That him?” Samuel leaned closer.Rebecca rubbed her forehead. “Oh God… I almost forgot about him. Media tech major. He chased me for a while—I turned him down nicely. After that we barely stayed in touch. How is he showing up now?”“Because someone used him,” Samuel said, gaze sharpening. “Or he’s using the
The underground parking lot of an abandoned building by the East River was damp and smelled of rusted metal. A flickering neon light buzzed overhead. From behind a concrete pillar, a man wearing a tilted baseball cap flicked ash from his cigarette. Chiko. Nora arrived five minutes late—black coat, half-mask, eyes red from lack of sleep but still sharp.“Are you alone?” Chiko asked without any pleasantries.“Don’t ask too many questions,” Nora replied sharply. “I’m not that stupid. Where’s the proof?”Chiko slid a tablet over to her. On the screen: bot account distribution graphs, cross-border repost networks, masked layers from the fake photo—everything had been detonated the night before. “One hour of trending was enough to make Wilson’s stock drop by 15%. Satisfied?”Nora pulled down her mask and gave a crooked smile. “Good. I like fast work. Samuel thinks he can easily get back to Rebecca.”Chiko leaned against the pillar. “This is just the warm-up. If we push a follow-up rumor—som