“And Gerald Aldridge is being tried when?”“Next tomorrow.”The room went silent.Adrian tapped his fingers once on the desk. “Lilian… I thought Rhein Group hired some of the best hackers in the country.”“We did,” she said softly. “And they are the best. But whoever framed the Aldridge family… they didn’t use commercial-level tools. This is next-level engineering. Military-level cloaking. Even our elite team can’t break it in twenty-four hours.”Adrian shut the folder with a soft thud.For a moment, he sat there, his head lowered.“And there’s no other way to clear Gerald before the trial?” he asked.Lilian hesitated. “Not unless the hacker responsible steps forward.”Adrian exhaled through his nose. “That won’t happen.”“No, sir.”Then Adrian looked at the folder again… and an idea flickered in his eyes.“What if,” he murmured, “I did the hacking myself?”Lilian stared. “Sir… you?”Adrian stood suddenly, pushing the chair back. His expression hardened.“Yes,” he said, turning to her

Lilian covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes darted toward Adrian, trembling at the realization.The hacking team looked at him like he wasn’t human.Adrian stared at the screen without surprise, his expression darkening just slightly.Of course.Of course, it was them.And if it was the Guild…Then the one pulling the strings…The one who framed Gerald…The one who wanted Sophia cornered…It wasn’t a mystery at all.Adrian’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling slowly into fists.Lucien.Adrian stood from the chair slowly, his shadow stretching across the glowing monitors. The room was silent as every hacker stared at him like he had just rewritten the laws of reality.He turned to the nearest specialist, a young man who had been silently watching with wide eyes.“Compile the full trace report,” Adrian said. His voice was calm, cold, controlled. “Everything. Every IP hop. Every server loop. Every manipulated log. I want it in a single file.”The hacker nodded so fast his glasses shifted

The courthouse filled long before dawn. By seven a.m., the entire street was a sea of cameras and microphones, reporters fighting for positions. Bodyguards formed silent walls, trying to hold back the restless crowd. People came not just to watch a trial, but to witness the collapse of a once-respected family. Inside, the building pulsed with a tense, suffocating energy. Sophia sat in the public gallery beside her mother, her fingers twisting together in her lap, her jaw clenched so tightly her teeth ached. Sarah’s hands trembled violently, and Elena’s face was drained of color. The doors at the back swung open. Every camera snapped toward the entrance. Lucien walked in like he owned the building. Dressed in a black suit, he walked with calm and confidence. Like he owned the entire building. The crowd parted instinctively, as though afraid to brush against him. He didn’t look at the judge. Or the reporters. Or the cameras. His eyes found Sophia immediately.

Lucien didn’t even blink. He just watched them… bored, almost amused. Adrian remained still. Calm. His eyes never left Lucien. Gerald turned toward the officers lining the courtroom walls. “Arrest him!” he commanded. “Arrest him at once!” The courtroom stiffened. The officers exchanged terrified glances. Not one of them moved. Who would dare? Arresting the Duke’s son was no simple act. It was an execution order for themselves, for their families. Everyone in the room understood that. Lucien smirked. “Arrest me?” he repeated softly. “On whose authority?” Gerald opened his mouth, furious. Lucien cut him off with a sharp laugh. “I dare ONE of you…” He said, sweeping a slow gaze across the officers, “…to lay a finger on me.” The officers' faces drained of all color. Lucien’s smile slowly faded. His expression hardened into cold arrogance. Then his eyes snapped to Adrian. “You,” he said. The venom in that single word thickened the air. “You’re alway

Adrian’s eyes didn’t flicker.“Get out of my house this minute!” Malvin shouted, losing whatever control he thought he had. “Stop this madness before I drag you out myself!”Adrian tilted his head.“Tell me, Malvin,” he said quietly. “Do you know what floor your building is?”Malvin paused.“What?”“It’s a simple question,” Adrian said, swirling the whiskey. “Which floor are you on?”Malvin swallowed.“…Seven.”Adrian looked toward the balcony.“So,” he murmured, “that means if you fall from this height… You won’t survive.”Malvin stiffened.“What do you mean?” he said, stepping backward. “Adrian.. stop. Don’t be stupid.”Adrian stood up slowly.“You have ten words,” he said, placing the whiskey glass down gently. “Tell me where he is… or I won’t hesitate to throw you off this building.”Malvin backed up until his shoulders pressed against the wall.“F–fuck off!” he shouted. “You can’t lay a finger on me!”Adrian’s expression barely changed.“That is nine words,” he said quietly.Bef