"Lionel, at this point, there''s nothing more to say. If you had a clear conscience, why would you have gone to see Hannah?"


    Mr. Michael Rosenberg looked down at Lionel, his eyes filled with contempt and disgust.


    "You and Hannah have been at odds for so long, yet a few words from us were enough to make you doubt her again and go running to confront her. To put it bluntly, you never trusted her in the first ce, so there''s no point in making any more excuses!"


    Mr. Edward Rosenberg agreed. "Michael has a point."


    "Indeed," he said. "In any case, deal with this trending mess as soon as possible. Don''t let it hang over us. You may have no shame, but the Rosenberg family still has a reputation to uphold."


    Mr. Marcus couldn''t help but add, "Perhaps the previous incident had nothing to do with you, but until this matter is fully investigated, we will continue to have you monitored twenty-four hours a day."


    He stood up, his gaze fixed on Lionel as he continued, "You will do as you said and remain at the estate. You are not to go anywhere, and you are forbidden from contacting Hannah. Do you understand?"


    If he hadn''t insisted on going after Hannah, none of this would have happened.


    It was baffling what went on in that man''s head. He was an absolute fool.


    The three elders said no more, their expressions grim as they left the living room, one by one.


    In the vast, empty room, only Lionel remained.


    He sat on the armchair, letting out a long, weary sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind a chaotic mess, feeling as if his brain had ceased to function.


    One crisis after another came crashing down on him, as if orchestrated by an unseen hand.


    Before one problem was solved, another would immediately arise, giving him no peace, not even a moment to catch his breath.


    He also found Cherry''s decision to go live extremely odd.


    She hadn''t streamed before or after, but at the exact moment he arrived, she


    suddenly started a broadcast and just left the phone there.


    Suddenly, a thought struck Lionel, and he immediately grabbed his phone to call Cherry.


    "You knew I wasing to see Hannah, didn''t you? That''s why you went live, to set me up!"


    Cherry''s phone was on the table, on speaker.


    "Lionel, I have no idea what''s gotten into you this time, but how on earth would I have known you wereing over?"


    "That''s your problem! Otherwise, why did you happen to be streaming the moment I arrived? You did it on purpose! You knew I was going to talk to Hannah so you left your phone out for everyone to see!"


    Lionel grew angrier the more he thought about it, his grip on his phone tightening.


    "If it wasn''t intentional, why didn''t you turn off the stream right away? You just let it


    keep broadcasting. And don''t give me some excuse about forgetting, Cherry. I won''t believe it for a second."


    Cherry rolled her eyes at his arrogant tirade.


    "Lionel, do you really think I care whether you believe me or not? I was just about to start streaming when you showed up, so I


    immediately tried to turn it offel


    was my first time going liv? t h?t ng idea it didn''t shut down property. That has nothing to do with me."


    Cherry threw her hands up in a gesture of helplessness. She had yed her part so convincingly that she had started to believe it herself, and so had her audience. Whether Lionel believed her or not waspletely irrelevant.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!