At the Sinclair family residence, Brandon sat across from Serena, reviewing the details of a company collaboration plan. His phone vibrated, pulling his attention away. After glancing at the message, his expression shifted. “It’s from Black Tide. They said they can hack into the device whenever we’re ready to give the order.” Mr. Sinclair, who had been listening intently from the side, lit up with excitement. “Really? Then tell them to act immediately!” Brandon hesitated, lowering his gaze. “If we ask Black Tide to proceed, Liza…” His words trailed off, and his unease grew palpable. The implications were clear. Once the evidence in Liza’s possession was erased, she would be entirely at their mercy. Every accusation meant for Serena could be redirected toward Liza, ensuring her complete downfall. Yet, a pang of guilt gnawed at him. None of this was truly Liza’s fault, but to protect Serena, he was about to make her the scapegoat. Was it truly justifiable?Sitting across from him, Serena’s hands fidgeted nervously under the table, twisting the fabric of her skirt. However, her face reflected nothing but sorrow and vulnerability. “Brother Brandon,” she began softly, her voice tinged with regret, “maybe we shouldn’t involve Black Tide in this. It’s my fault for loving you too much… That’s why I made such a foolish mistake, pretending I was pregnant. My sister has nothing to do with this, and it’s unfair to punish her for my actions.” Her voice faltered, but she continued, her tone laced with self-pity. “Even if my sister has changed, she’s still my sister. If she wants to hold that video over my head, I’ll accept it. I don’t want to hurt her…” “Serena !” Mr. Sinclair’s sharp tone interrupted her, his face stern. “You’re not just Liza’s younger sister. You’re the future heir of Sincalir Corporation. You can show leniency as a sibling, but as the company’s successor, you can’t afford to hesitate. Allowing evidence against you to remain in the hands of an opponent is a liability—one that could threaten the stability of the entire corporation. “Liza’s reputation may take a hit, but she’ll still be the eldest daughter of the Sinclair family. With you standing as her protector, what real harm could come to her?” His reasoning was cold and calculated, prioritizing the company’s interests above all else. Brandon mulled over Mr. Sinclair’s words and eventually nodded. “Uncle Sinclair is right. Liza will just have to bear this for now. We can figure out how to make it up to her later.” Elsewhere, Liza was seated comfortably in her secret apartment, browsing through her computer when her phone began to ring. She glanced at the caller ID and smirked. “Hello, this is Black Tide,” she answered, her voice altered by a voice changer to sound robotic and detached. On the other end of the line, Brandon spoke with careful respect. “Black Tide, this is Brandon. I’m the one who contacted you about a job.” Her lips curled as she responded lazily, a faint trace of amusement in her tone. “Ah, you’re the one who offered 30 million to hack into a woman’s phone, right?” The way she phrased it dripped with subtle mockery, making the request sound sleazy and underhanded. Brandon’s face flushed with embarrassment. Her words made him feel as though he were some kind of deviant, prying into a woman’s private life for his own twisted reasons. Still, he didn’t dare correct her tone or argue. Suppressing his discomfort, he forced himself to continue, “Yes, that’s correct. I need the job done quickly.” Liza leaned back in her chair, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips as she prepared to play along with the game they had so naively set up. No one in their right mind wanted to cross a top-tier hacker like Black Tide, someone capable of bypassing the strongest encryptions and exposing even the most well-guarded secrets. “Please understand, Black Tide,” Brandon began, his tone almost pleading. “I had no other choice but to reach out to you. That woman is blackmailing my fiancée with a video. As a man, it’s my responsibility to protect the woman I love.” There was a pause on the other end of the call, followed by a faint chuckle. “You’re quite the loyal partner, aren’t you? But I took the liberty of digging into this situation, and let’s just say things don’t exactly match your story, Mr. Brandon .” Silence. Brandon froze. The fact that Black Tide had already uncovered his identity in such a short span of time left him alarmed. The mention of an investigation only heightened his unease. “What... what exactly did you find? There might be some misunderstandings here. I’d be happy to clarify anything personally,” he stammered, trying to regain his composure. “Well then,” Black Tide replied, their tone sharp yet casual, “let’s start with your fiancée. From my investigation, it appears your fiancée is Liza. Yet, here you are, offering me 30 million to hack into her phone. Moments ago, you claimed everything you’re doing is to protect your fiancée. So, tell me, Mr. Brandon—who exactly is your fiancée?” Brandon cleared his throat nervously before replying, “Yes, my fiancée is Serena, Liza’s younger sister.” Hearing these words, Serena, who had been silently listening beside him, felt overwhelmed with emotion. Her delicate frame leaned against Brandon’s shoulder as tears of gratitude welled up in her eyes. Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Liza couldn’t suppress a smirk. “Ah, I see now. So you were engaged to Liza but decided to get involved with her younger sister, Serena. Quite the romantic, aren’t you, Mr. Brandon?” Brandon’s voice grew firm, as if trying to justify himself. “Black Tide, Seran and I are truly in love. She’s gentle, kind, and deeply devoted to me. She’s also known throughout Li City for her talent and poise. It’s only natural for me to fall for someone like her. Liza, on the other hand… she’s just an unrefined woman from the countryside—boorish and ignorant. She even lies constantly. She’s entirely unworthy of being part of the Stone family.”Liza’s eyes narrowed slightly, though her lips curled into an amused smile. “Unworthy, you say? Life has a funny way of flipping the script, Mr. Brandon Maybe you should hold back on such grand statements.” Before he could respond, Liza cut him off with a decisive tone. “I’ll take on your request, but let me make one thing clear—what you’re asking me to do isn’t exactly honorable. So, the price has just gone up.”