Once Seraphina had received the payment, she wasted no time. She immediately transferred one million to Ronald while holding on to the rest of the money, planning to use it to generate even more. But for now, her primary goal was to earn Rowan's complete trust as swiftly as possible. It was clear to her that without his full trust, the next step of her plan could not proceed. She needed him to believe in her completely so that she could drive him to the depths of despair, to the point where he would beg for death. That very night, Seraphina received a message from Thomas. He informed her that the film crew had left Pyrin, and Thomas himself had also left. The following day, she found herself anxiously watching her phone, waiting for the call she knew was coming. When the phone finally rang, she answered immediately, and Rowan's excited voice echoed in her ear. "Seraphina, you're truly something else! The stock really plummeted, hitting the limit. I'm so relieved I listened to you yesterday and didn't invest. If I had, I would've lost tens of thousands in just one day!" Seraphina responded, "It's all thanks to your decision. I only suggested it, that's all." "Even so," Rowan said, his voice filled with gratitude, "You were the one who advised me to set the stop-loss, and I won't forget it. Are you free today? Let me treat you to a meal. Anything you want to eat, just say it." "I'm in the mood for... barbecue." "Great! Barbecue it is!" Rowan responded enthusiastically. Pyrin's famous street food stalls bustled with activity in the evenings, their delicious aromas filling the air and drawing in passersby. Sitting across from Rowan at one of the barbecue stalls in the heart of the street food market, the two were separated only by two plates of skewers. Rowan, a little surprised, looked at her with a grin. "I really didn't expect you to like the same food as me. It seems like we were meant to meet." Seraphina raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Really?" "Of course." Rowan nodded. "In fact, the first time I saw you, I felt this strange sense of familiarity. I couldn't help but feel like I wanted to talk to you." Seraphina, though outwardly flattered, sneered inwardly. She knew better than to fall for his words again. In her previous life, he had said the same things to her, and at the time, she had believed him. She had thought of him as her most trusted and closest brother. But what had that trust earned her? Nothing but bitter hatred. If she were to trust him once more in this life, she would be a fool beyond redemption. Rowan took a sip of his beer and casually asked, "Seraphina, do you have a feeling about which stock might rise in the future?"Seraphina pretended to think for a moment, her voice thoughtful. "Well, I have a good feeling about the Tao stock." Rowan, interested, quickly made a note of it. "Is that so?" Seraphina smiled playfully. "Rowan, are you planning to buy it? Don't blame me if you lose money." How could that happen?" The two continued to chat and laugh, their conversation flowing easily around the topic of stocks, oblivious to the disturbance that was about to interrupt their evening. Suddenly, a voice filled with malice cut through their lighthearted exchange. "Oh? Isn't this Seraphina, the one who managed to marry into a wealthy family and become a young lady? Why on earth are you eating here, in a place like this? With your status, shouldn't you be dining in high-end restaurants? This kind of place is far beneath you." The voice belonged to a man who, with his gang of seven or eight ruffians, approached Seraphina's table. Their presence was enough to send a ripple of discomfort through the surrounding area, and the people at nearby tables quickly stood up and left, sensing trouble brewing. Rowan tensed at the sight of the group of men. His first instinct was to remain calm, but his legs trembled slightly under the pressure. He demanded, "What do you want? Let me tell you, this place is crowded. If you do anything illegal, you won't get away with it." The leader of the gang, a man named Jayton Loughlin, placed a hand on Rowan's shoulder, applying just enough pressure to push him back into his seat.