M had no idea that Giselle hade over and even entered the study.


    Even if she did, she wouldn''t have cared.


    As soon as the person left, she picked up the phone and called Miranda Wayne.


    "M."


    Miranda''s voice on the other end sounded slightly groggy, as if she had just


    woken up.


    "How are things? Has Rnd Lockwood given you any trouble?"


    M was a bit worried. Letting Miranda deal with such a dangerous person was ast resort, and her heart was constantly on edge.


    "No trouble at all."


    Although she had been quite frightened, Miranda didn''t mention the incident with the gun. After sshing some water on her face, she felt a bit moreposed.


    "M, I''m nning to coborate with Rnd. What do you think?"


    "Coborate with Rnd?"


    M was taken aback, her voice rising slightly. "What are you thinking? The Lockwood family is knee-deep in problems right now. It''s dangerous for you to get involved..."


    "But it''s the only and quickest way."


    Miranda interrupted her.


    "Besides, M, you said it yourself. Ever since I saved him that day, I can''t just walk away, can I? We''re already in the thick of it, and with us unable to leave the country, working with him is the safest bet. Better to have one less enemy than one more."


    M remained silent, knowing Miranda was right.


    But still...


    An inexplicable sadness welled up inside her. She pulled her legs up onto the couch, resting her chin on her knees. Her dark hair cascaded down, covering half of her face, leaving only one eye visible, slightly reddened.


    "Is it for me?" she asked hoarsely.


    There was a brief silence on the other end before Miranda''s resolute voice came through, "It''s for me too, for the Wayne family!"


    ...


    "So, how will the coboration work?"


    M didn''t voice any further objections, instead including herself in the equation and asking about their specific ns.


    Miranda recounted the discussions from her meeting the previous day and exined the current situation.


    Rnd would need to keep a low profile for a while longer. In the meantime, she would act as his intermediary, liaising with contacts and handling tricky financial disputes that he couldn''t attend to personally. She''d be setting up defenses and clearing obstacles until the public storm subsided enough for him to reappear.


    "Once he makes hiseback, he''ll announce a partnership with an Al team from abroad, the Forest Team, which should stabilize the situation somewhat. Then..." "What team did you say?"


    M''s mind buzzed at the mention of a familiar name, and she blurted out the question.


    "The Forest Team, why?"


    At this, Miranda couldn''t help but express her admiration—


    "The team is led by an incredibly talented individual who''s a close friend of Rnd''s. They returned from abroad earlier this year."


    "I''ve heard that many major corporations are eager to work with him, especially for the ''CN Model'' he developed. Even Lysander has shown interest in coborating, but it seems the Lockwood family had already secured their partnership, making a significant move."


    "Originally, the Lockwood and Montgomery families were on the same level, but the Montgomerys had a much greater influence. If this storm passes and the partnership with the Forest Team goes through, aligning with national projects, they might not quite match up to the Montgomerys yet, but they''ll certainly be beyond Lysander''s reach. Then the Wayne family can tie themselves to the Lockwoods, and you won''t have to be under his control anymore..."


    Miranda grew more and more enthusiastic, unaware of the silence on the other end of the line.


    M clutched her phone, her gaze unfocused and fragmented. Could the Forest Team really be the one she was thinking of?