?Chapter 1156:


    “Heading out? Want to go together?” he asked gently.


    She gave him a soft, grateful smile. She knew he was just trying to help. She nodded, and they left the office side by side.


    Once again, Ethan led her through the side entrance. Earlier, he had checked and seen that the protesters were still crowding the main gate.


    He walked with her to his car and made sure she got in safely before starting the engine.


    As they drove off, Yvonne looked out the window. The crowd was still there, still shouting, still waiting. A heavy feeling settled in her chest. She hated how helpless it all made her feel.


    Ethan noticed the look on her face, and his heart ached for her.


    “Have you thought about working from home for a little while?” he asked, trying to sound casual.


    Yvonne shook her head immediately. “No, I can handle it.”


    Inside, she pushed herself to stay strong. This was just a rough patch. She had gotten through worse. She was not going to let this stop her now.


    She turned to Ethan and gave him a small smile. He looked back at her, concern written all over his face.


    When they reached her house, Ethan waited until she was safely inside. Even after the door closed behind her, he stayed there for a moment, watching the spot where she had stood.


    Then he pulled out his phone and made a quiet call.


    “Get more security in ce right away,” he said. “And try to clear the crowd if you can.” He gave the instruction without a second thought.


    After ending the call, he quickly dialed another number.


    “Take down the trending topics,” he said, his voice steady and firm.


    “Got it,” the person on the other end replied right away.


    It wasn’t long before Ethan’s subordinate called back. “We’ve got a problem. Someone’s clearly trying to keep the topics going. Every time we take one down, a new one appears just as fast!”


    “Figure out who’s doing this,” Ethan said, his tone sharp and unwavering.


    He nced in the direction Yvonne had walked off, his face tight with concern. She was impressive in every way—smart, capable, and confident—but sometimes she pushed too hard, never backing down.


    After a moment’s pause, he typed a message. “Do you want me to drive you to work tomorrow?”


    Yvonne saw the message and let out a quiet, bitterugh. “Thanks, but I can manage on my own.”


    She wasn’t about to lean on him now. She needed to stand on her own two feet.


    That night, she went through her routine like always—had dinner, cleaned up, and got ready for bed—as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    The next morning, she took a taxi to work, just as she usually did.


    But when she arrived, her heart sank—the crowd in front of the main entrance was still there.


    And this time, even the side entrance had been blocked.


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