?Chapter 1378:


    Harlee had just settled into the study when her phone buzzed. She nced at it and saw a video call from Rhys. Instinctively, she checked herself to make sure the burn mark wasn’t visible before answering.


    “Did you miss me, honey?” Rhys’ face appeared close to the camera, making it hard to tell where he was.


    Harlee smiled without hesitation.


    “Of course I did!”


    Settling into the chair, Harlee rested her chin on one hand, tilting her head as she grinned at the screen.


    “Your mom mentioned you went out with Patrick. What have you been up to? You didn’t even have time to tell me. Are you exhausted?”


    She posed the questions casually, not really expecting Rhys to exin everything—especially since she herself only shared details of her risky activities after the issues had been resolved. Deep down, she didn’t need to ask. She had a gut feeling that whatever Rhys was up to was dangerous.


    “It’s nothing. I’m not really busy,” Rhys replied, just as she expected, skirting around her question.


    Then, with a sudden shift, he turned the camera to showcase a dessert disy case.


    “Didn’t you say you loved the desserts from this ce? What do you want? I’ll bring some home for you.”


    Harlee shook her head with a softugh.


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    “I’m not craving anything right now. Your mother made me some desserts. I haven’t finished them yet.”


    As she spoke, she turned her camera to show him the treats Belinda had prepared.


    “They’re not too sweet, but I really enjoy them.”


    “Alright then.”


    Harlee’s lips curled into a sly smile when she heard the disappointment in his tone. She turned the camera back toward herself and said yfully, “But if my husband buys any dessert for me, it’s bound to taste better!”


    She shed him a sweet, reassuring smile, determined not to let Rhys’ mood falter. After all, he wanted to lift her spirits, and she wasn’t about to spoil the moment.


    In truth, her own emotions had already stabilized. After secretly receiving treatment from Noel, Harlee discovered that she would no longer be so easily affected by idents. Now, her focus was solely on uncovering the person behind the chaos, and when she found them, she would be the one to send them away.


    A smile returned to Rhys’ face as he turned the camera back to himself.


    “Alright, I’ll pick out a surprise and bring it to you tonight!”


    “Sounds perfect,” Harlee replied, nodding enthusiastically. She blew him a kiss with her left hand as the call ended.


    After hanging up, Harlee’s smile lingered for a moment. But as soon as she set the phone down and turned her gaze toward theputer, her expression hardened, a cold resolve settling over her. She had sessfully hacked into one of the Happer family estate’s surveince systems. Two screens now yed back three days’ worth of footage at lightning speed.


    Harlee watched for nearly three hours without interruption. The fading evening light glowed through the ss window, casting a warm hue on her face. When she finally looked up again, the world outside had darkened.


    Harlee had long since lost track of how many hours she had spent glued to the screen. She remembered that Belinda hade upstairs a few times, urging her to join them for dinner. Jose and Nathaniel had also tried to convince her, but when that failed, they brought her food and watched as she ate.


    Harlee remained still as stone, her gazeser-focused on the images shing across the two screens. Suddenly, her hand shot forward, pressing the spacebar. With a swift flick of the mouse, she zoomed in on a surveince camera in the corner, her eyes sharpening. She rewound the video, inching the progress bar back a few minutes.


    At the side gate of the Happer family estate, a man dressed entirely in ck and wearing a cap stood, his head lowered as he spoke to N’s car.


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