After leaving the office, Quennel took out his phone, sent a quick text, and then put it away before heading into the conference room.


    More than an hourter, the meeting concluded.


    Quennel remained in his seat, not leaving with the others. He picked up his phone and read the reply he had just received.


    His expression grew somber as he scanned the message, a flicker of displeasure in


    his eyes.


    He stared at the screen for a long time but didn''t reply. He simply put his phone away, stood up, and returned to his office.


    Lionel had left at some point, and the office was just as it had been.


    Even so, he pulled up the security footage to make sure Lionel hadn''t tampered with anything before he felt at ease.


    Night fell. As autumn settled over Sova, the air grew cooler, and the leaves turned a deeper shade of yellow.


    Quennel drove home, the evening breeze carrying fallen leaves that danced on his car before being swept away. The deste scene only worsened his mood.


    "Where''s my mother?" he asked as soon as he entered the living room and didn''t see her.


    A servant replied, "The Madam is in the study. She said for you to go see her as soon as you returned. She has something she wants to discuss with you."


    Quennel made his way to the study.


    As he pushed the door open, Mary heard the sound and looked up from her book.


    "What''s wrong? A tiring day at the office? You look terrible," Mary said, closing her book with a teasing tone. "Or is it that you saw what''s happening with Hannah and now you''re unhappy and want toe interrogate me?"


    "Are you the one keeping Hannah''s video trending?"


    Quennel looked his mother in the eye and asked her directly.


    When he first learned that the video couldn''t be suppressed, his mother was the first person he suspected.


    Mary rose from behind her desk, walking gracefully to the nearby sofa before sitting down, her voice asposed as ever.


    "And what if I am? This is the perfect opportunity to ruin Hannah''s reputation. How could you expect me to pass it up?"


    Hearing her admission, Quennel couldn''t help but take a deep breath.


    "She''s already been hurt so much by Sandra. Why can''t you just let it go? Besides, my rtionship with Hannah is our business. Why do you have to get so involved? I''ve already done what you asked, why can''t you listen to me for once?" Content"


    From the moment Lionel had brought Hannah home, his mother had disliked her. Even now, knowing that Hannah was a daughter of the Temple family, her opinion hadn''t changed.


    It was because Hannah had grown up as an orphan, not raised in the sheltered world of high society like them.


    His mother had been ridiculed several times by her social circle because of Hannah.


    So for Hannah, her hatred would only grow stronger.


    "If I don''t do this, do you think the two of them will divorce quickly? This is for your own good. A little bit of money to keep the topic trending will keep Lionel so busy that won''t have time to mess with you. Everything I do, I do for you Don''t


    you dare end up like him losing your


    position over a woman."


    Mary''s expression was stern as she stared at her son.


    Quennel sat down, letting his head fall back against the chair as he pinched the


    bridge of his nose.


    How could he not see the predicament Lionel was in?


    "You know I''m not like him. He''s in


    this situation because he was married and still got involved with


    fel


    another woman," he said, straightening up to look at his


    mother. "Mom, that''s enough with


    the trending topic. Hannah''s


    reputation can''t take


    ny more hits


    What you''re doing is hurting her, and I... I don''t want to see her get hurt.”