"If she still refuses to back down, she''ll end up in jail! And when that happens, she''lle crawling back, begging to remarry. Haynes can do whatever he pleases with her then, right?"


    Jasper grinned, thoroughly pleased with himself foring up with such a cunning n.


    Rachel''s lips curled into a smile as well.


    Once Ste had a criminal record, her life would be over.


    Even if she tried joining that so-called music association, it wouldn''t make a difference.


    Who would want a woman with a record?


    Foreman turned to Haynes. "Haynes, isn''t this going a bit too far?"


    Too far? If anything, it was downright ruthless.


    Haynes stared into his ss of wine, his voice cool and detached.


    "She''s gotten far too arroganttely. Maybe it''s time she learned a hard lesson."


    Foreman''s tone was heavy. "Haynes, if you do this to her, you''ll regret it."


    "She''ll be the one with regrets. I''ve let her get away with too much, and now she thinks she can cross me again and again."


    Haynes'' eyes hardened, his brow icy. "I''m going to show her that without me, she''s nothing."


    Jasper jumped in, eager to add fuel to the fire. "Exactly! You have no idea how much trouble Ste''s beentely-she cost Haynes a billion-dor deal. She needs to learn what happens when you go up against real power. She actually thinks she can take us on!"


    "Enough, Foreman, don''t y the good guy here. This is for Keen''s sake, so he can have a real family. Haven''t you ever heard the saying, ''A starving dog will alwayse home?""


    Foreman fell silent, lowering his gaze to hide the flicker of darkness in his eyes.


    "What?!" Abby''s face changed the instant she answered the phone. "Why are you shutting down our ounts? We haven''t broken any rules-our videos, our livestreams-everything''s aboveboard!"


    Ste, Abby, and Neville had just sat down to eat when Abby got the call from the tform.


    "Uh, well... the system detected some suspicious activity with your followers. It looks like you may have been faking engagement, so your ount is being suspended for now—"


    "That''s ridiculous! We never cheated-hello? Hello?!"


    But before Abby could finish, the call abruptly ended.


    It wasn''t long before Abby''s phone rang again. One by one, other tforms called


    with the same story: vague usations, sudden bans.


    Abby''s face grew darker with every call.


    Neville, having overheard, offered, "Want me to look into this for you?"


    Ste nced down at her phone, reading a new message. "No need. I know exactly who''s behind this."


    Abby caught the implication and realized they were being targeted.


    She mmed her fist on the table. "We all know who would stoop this low!"


    "Star was married to Haynes for five years, gave the O''Brien family an heir. Even if she wasn''t perfect, she did her part. Did Haynes really have to burn every bridge?"


    Ste''s expression didn''t change in the slightest; she lookedpletely unfazed.


    Instead, she tried tofort Abby. "Don''t let it ruin your mood. You''ve been looking forward to this dinner forever, haven''t you? Eat before it gets cold."


    Abby''s eyes burned with angry tears. "I just heard—they''ve cklisted you everywhere, Ste. They''re threatening every tform: anyone who lets you stream is going up against The Wilkinson Group!


    All the fans and followers we worked so hard for just wiped out by a single order from them!"


    Ste''s eyes were as cold as winter water.


    At that moment, her gaze lingered on her phone screen.


    The sender''s name "Foreman"—was reflected in her pupils.