It was as if he were hearing about aplete stranger. Jude thought he must be mistaken and studied Seth''s face more closely. But he saw nothing just apleteck of reaction. It was as if Bianca was nobody to him, and thus her fate was of no


    concern.


    Jude began to question his own perceptions.


    It was Healy who seemed to grasp a piece of the puzzle. He changed the subject, remarking that it was a good thing Seth had started his ownpany instead of relying on Harcourt Group. Otherwise, the family business would have been dragged into the mess as well.


    Of course, Harcourt Group''s stock had taken a hit, but Wade had stepped in quickly to stabilize the situation and minimize the damage.


    Healy paused, his thoughts instinctively turning to Noreen. He felt a wave of relief that she and Seth had broken up over a year ago. Otherwise... she might have been implicated too.


    It truly was a blessing in disguise.


    At the end of July, Aether Entertainment Group officiallyunched its new game, The Chronos Gallery.


    As a domestic AAA title, its international buzz had been fairly moderate beforeunch. Many foreign media outlets had dismissed it as a game that would only appeal to a domestic audience, predicting it would be a sh in the pan like so many other games from their country. They pointed to Aetheria, a game that had been universally mocked a year prior and had nearly mmed the door on the domestic gaming industry''s ambitions.


    After all, for years, the Western market had dominated gaming.


    But no one expected The Chronos Gallery to be a massive dark horse.


    Upon its official release, it shot to the top of the sales charts on multiple tforms. Rted hashtags trended on all major social media. ording to tform data, The Chronos Gallery wasn''t just a bestseller at home-it was dominating the global charts as well.


    In just one week, 54 global media outlets gave it an average score of 82. The prestigious rating agency IGN gave it a perfect score.


    Sales soared past five billion, creating a cultural export phenomenon. It became a benchmark for the fusion of culture and technology, sparking a global sensation Rted stocks surged, proving the appeal of their nation''s culture on the world stage.


    Because of The Chronos Gallery''s overwhelming sess, Noreen was forced to postpone her studies to travel to Northcrest and ept the National Gold Copyright Award.


    This was one of the nation''s most prestigious honors, the highest award in the field of copyright.


    The chairman of the awardsmittee presented her with the prize personally, calling The Chronos Gallery "the hope for our domestic AAA game industry."


    The ceremony was broadcast live on major media outlets, and many of her friends and family witnessed Noreen''s moment of glory.


    At the same time, in the Northcrest Detention Center, Seth was also watching the live broadcast.


    He didn''t miss a single frame, a single second. Even after Noreen epted her award and returned to her seat, he didn''t close the feed. The camera would asionally pan to her, and so he watched the entire event.


    Long after it ended, he remained lost in thought.


    The old gentleman sitting across from him finally spoke. "Do you really not regret it?"


    "This isn''t the first time you''ve asked me that," Seth replied, his tone t and even.


    "So? What''s your answer this time?" the old man pressed, curious to hear what he would say.