?Chapter 1178:


    Raegan studied him, searching her memory, but his presence stirred no recollection.


    “Since so many of you are asking about the reason, I do need to exin.” She made a mental note of him before turning toward the gathered members. “All of you should recall the recent press event held by the Cooper…”


    “…Group. During that time, udius Cooper, the designated sessor of the Cooper family, openly voiced his admiration for Maia. Not long after that incident, Kolton dispatched udius to Otruitho. By choosing Maia as our target, we intend to stir udius’s resentment toward Kolton and Kiley.”


    After a short pause, Raegan crossed the room to where Walnut stood and rested a hand on his shoulder. “These are the orders passed down from the leader. We don’t have the right to question his reasoning. I’m only offering my personal interpretation.”


    Her eyes swept across the group, sharp and measuring.


    Years of service as vicemander—along with the credibility Raegan had earned—were enough to smother the whispers of doubt that had begun to form.


    Almost at once, a few members spoke up.


    “So that’s the intention. The leader truly sees farther than the rest of us!”


    “Indeed! From what I’ve gathered, ever since udius arrived at the Otruitho branch, he’s barely been seen except during official meetings. It’s a far cry from the lively man he used to be back in Wront…”


    “If only we had managed to bring Maia into The Mask from the start, we could have used udius’s feelings for her to extract the Cooper Group’s confidential information with little resistance.”


    A chill settled over Raegan’s features as she cut in sharply. “Enough dwelling on what could have been—that is pointless. I have one question for all of you. Is there anyone who still needs rification?”


    Her attention shifted back to Walnut. “What about you? Anything else to ask?”


    “Nothing more for now.”


    “Very well.” Raegan inclined her head slightly before her tone hardened. “I expect every one of you to give your full effort when targeting Maia at the uing charity g. From what I’ve gathered, this event, organized by Kiley, is tied to Radiant Jewels’ productunch. She’s trying to recover their slipping market share and stabilize their falling stock. At the same time, she intends to humiliate Maia.”


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    She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing. “That’s where wee in. We’ll make sure the me falls entirely on Kiley, forcing her to corner Maia. Once Maia feels trapped, she’ll likelysh out against the Cooper Group. When that happens, we’ll turn her chaos into our opportunity.”


    A small, confident smile curved Raegan’s lips. “That’s how we’ll take control of the game.”


    By the time Maia wrapped up herst surgery of the day, exhaustion clung to her like a second skin, and her scrubs were drenched with sweat.


    “Excellent work!” Carsen strode toward her with evident satisfaction. “I knew I wasn’t mistaken about you, Maia. You’ve got real talent.”


    With aposed smile, Maia gave a small nod. “Thank you, Dr. Walsh. I truly appreciate all that I’ve learned under your guidance.”


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