The message on his phone was from Bridget, and it read, “Sir, the enemy has arrived. What do we do now? Their numbers are vast. If we were to face off against them, there’s only a slight chance we’ll be able to seize them while keeping ourselves alive. Our party is much smaller, after all; even if we include the additional men that Donald will bring over, it won’t be enough to defeat the enemy.”The text was straightforward and curt, but Darius could tell Bridget was nervous. He arched a brow and curled his lips, thinking, “Bridget has remarkable abilities and strength, so I don’t know why she’s panicking.”Nevertheless, he quickly typed out a response, “Have our men stand guard in a line at the sides of the hotel or the entrances. I want the hotel surrounded. There’s no need to set up any defenses within the hotel—just allow the enemy to enter. When they do, the situation might turn in our favor, despite us having fewer men than them. Likewise, having fewer people in our team might a

“—and yes, they’re standing outside the hotel’s brick fences, but I’ve already interfered with their surveillance equipment through my laptop. You could’ve done it too since dealing with computers and hacking is your forte.”Bridget’s eyes shot wide open with shock as she realized Darius was right; she was highly skilled in computing, so hacking the enemy’s camera was something she should have considered. Yet, she did not. That was because she had allowed the situation to get the better of her, giving in to the pressure and no longer being calm enough to think logically. Shutting her eyes, Bridget tried to soothe her hammering heart. Still, her complexion remained chalky as she could not accept how she had made a glaring rookie mistake. Meanwhile, Darius could roughly guess what Bridget felt from her prolonged silence. He had asked Bruce for Bridget’s background information long before Bridget came to work for him, so he knew her like the back of his hand. He cleared his throat and

Bridget tried to take several deep breaths. She had met many people in the past years, but this was her first time encountering such a shameless person.The man parted his lips, still wanting to continue. However, the guy beside him frowned and shoved him aside. “I think we’ve wasted too much time here,” the second man said while alertly examining Bridget.Although Bridget’s lips twitched with anger, she refrained from speaking and only cowered, putting on a terrified display.The man with yellowed teeth noticed Bridget’s reaction and reluctantly pursed his lips, but he did not resume his conversation with her. Instead, he took on a colder attitude as he responded, “Darling, although I’d love to continue our chat, other things require my attention now. You could wait for mere here, though. Because it won’t be long before this hotel becomes mine.”His face lit up with pride as he waved his hand in the air. Then, he ogled Bridget’s body with a lascivious grin—one that could make others

“Damn you, Phaedrus! It seems you’ve been hogging the limelight for far too long among our group! I won’t allow it! I won’t let anyone displace me—I’m pretty sure you knew this much when joining our team. Yet you didn’t bother hiding or changing your desire to break that rule! The way you’re acting now has wounded me. I don’t think I can ever forgive you. Therefore, you can either die here or vanish from sight forever. Those are the best options for you since you once mentioned you loathe the thought of friends turning against each other. If you cease to exist today, I can tell everyone that Darius killed you. That would also allow me to achieve my ultimate goal—having total control over the group again.”Bridget sneered once she finished repeating the man’s words. The truth shocked her, especially since she had not met anyone with such thick skin.Meanwhile, Phaedrus’ voice grew hoarser by the second. “I can’t believe you’d do this. Although you’ve always made some drastic decisions,

“Without him,” Bridget continued, “You’d be long dead. Despite this, you want to kill him because he’s more powerful than you. How can I not laugh when an ungrateful little prick like you exists?”A frown marred Phaedrus’ face. At the same time, hopelessness flashed in his eyes, knowing Bridget’s loud announcement made it impossible for him to regain his group’s trust anymore. He sighed, locking eyes with Brock while saying, “I’m indeed a member of the authorities, but you’ve got one thing wrong—I’m not a spy sent by the authorities, police, or the government. The truth is very much the opposite of what you think; I’m not a spy, but I have a bone to pick with the authorities!”“Hah! Hilarious. I doubt anyone would believe what you’re saying.” Brock rolled his eyes at the former. His face paled once more as he was unwilling to accept the cruel truth; he was the only one who would believe Phaedrus, regardless of how bizarre the latter’s words sounded. Overwhelmed with an unprecedented