In the evening, Eugene headed to a nearby hotel to pick up some nourishing meals.


    As soon as he left, M pulled out her phone and called a trusted friend in the media industry.


    In her past work as an art designer, she often needed to gather a variety of materials, which included cultural traditions and unique character studies. To facilitate propermunication, she even went the extra mile to get a journalist''s certification. This allowed her to build awork of connections among journalists and media professionals.


    The friend she contacted this time was particrly adept at digging up information and known for discretion.


    The call connected quickly.


    Given their familiarity, M skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.


    "I need you to look into someone for me, especially their social circle and recent contacts. I''ll send you the name shortly."


    A male voice on the other end groaned in response.


    "M, the New Year is just around the corner, and I''m swamped with stories. Everyone''s trying to get a big scoop to kick off the year..."


    M cut him off, "I won''t have you do it for free. Once you get it all figured out,


    you''ll get paid and the exclusive rights to break the story."


    Her friend perked up at that, "Who are we talking about here, someone important?"


    "The Harvey family, an illegitimate daughter," M stated inly.


    He was instantly intrigued, "The same Harvey family that''s tied to Giselle, who just returned from studying abroad? The one linked with Montgomery Holdings'' Chairman Montgomery''s childhood sweetheart?"


    "That''s right."


    "Okay, okay, I''m in. I''ll get you everything you need."


    The Harvey family was no small name; their only daughter was recently linked with the Montgomery family''s Lysander. Charles and Rosalind had always marketed themselves as the perfect couple, and now a scandal this big was brewing underneath? Major news!


    "Send me the name right away, and remember, I want first dibs on publishing!"


    M smiled, "Of course, but until everything''s confirmed, you can''t release anything without my say."


    "No problem, my lips are sealed!"


    After ending the call, M sent over Charlotte''s name. She paused, then pulled up another contact.


    Instead of calling, she transferred two hundred thousand dors through a virtual ount, adding a note with the names Charlotte and Hugo.


    "I need all their recentmunications and connections."


    The recipient didn''t reply, which meant the job was epted. M breathed a sigh of relief and closed her phone.


    The other party was a hacker operating in a gray area. M was capable of managing theseworks herself, but she preferred to keep her hands clean, opting to pay others to handle such matters.


    Something about this situation didn''t sit right with her. Hugo, who had avoided her for years, suddenly reached out, and it just so happened that his girlfriend was the Harvey family''s illegitimate daughter? Too coincidental.


    She needed to find out if Giselle was deliberately targeting her. If so, M wouldn''t hold back.


    Now, all she could do was wait for news.


    ...


    M took a deep breath, massaging her aching head, and ced her phone on the bedside table.


    Just as she was about to lie down for a rest, the door to the hospital room opened.


    Eugene returning already?


    She looked up with a smile, but it vanished in an instant when she saw Lysander walk in instead.


    Lysander acted as if he hadn''t noticed her sudden change in expression, approaching with a smile and a thermos in hand. He sat by her bed and opened the lid.


    He poured some soup into a bowl, stirred it with a spoon, and held it up to her mouth.


    "Harper spent a lot of time making this soup. It''s good for your health. Have some."


    M turned her face away, closing her eyes, refusing to engage with his facade of concern.