She almost laughed at the sight of his wig but managed to keep her composure. Derek approached Marissa with a stern expression and asked quietly, “Marissa, why are you making life difficult for Melinda? Is it because I left you, and now you’re taking your anger out on my fiancee?”
Marissa rolled her eyes and responded, “Please. Your fiancee brought it upon herself.”
Derek sneered, “I heard Connor is off to the Sunrise today. Let’s see how long you can keep up this attitude. Without Connor to back you up, I bet you’ll come crawling to me!”
With that, Derek walked away. Marissa’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Derek’s words reminded her that she needed to tie up some loose ends before heading to the Sunrise
Yesterday, she had injured Aelfric to keep him from causing trouble on the Sunrise. Now, learning that Neil also aimed to harm Connor, she needed to reassess the situation. From Derek’s comments, it seemed Neil and Aelfric were collaborating closely to target Connor, involving Amiri, Black Snake, and possibly other allies. Though Aelfric was out of action, his strategic mind was still a threat. If he provided guidance to his allies, combined with Neil’s resources, Connor could be in serious danger. She had to find a way to keep Aelfric and Neil preoccupied so they couldn’t board the Sunrise
While she pondered her next move, Melinda approached her again. When Melinda came to Marissa, she sneered, “Don’t expect any gratitude from me for saving my grandfather. One day, I’ll have you beneath my feet. Just wait and see!” With that, Melinda left
Marissa narrowed her eyes. As she opened them again, she noticed Aelfric observing her from a distance. His piercing gaze was unreadable for a moment
At that moment, the host announced the start of the engagement ceremony. Guests gathered around the stage area, and Marissa joined them. The stage was set in the center of the banquet hall, with a long aisle leading from the entrance to the stage. As music played, Melinda and Derek slowly made their entrance, arm in arm, walking along the aisle
Melinda was still wearing the fake dress. Despite the awkwardness, she couldn’t change now. Derek needed to record several videos of the ceremony for his fans to boost his online presence. Melinda had already showcased her engagement dress days earlier. Changing it now could spark a backlash on social media
Amidst the crowd, Marissa discreetly pulled out Black Snake’s small ring-shaped blade
The ring-shaped blade, no larger than a coin, darted through the space between bystanders and jabbed directly into Derek’s calf
“Ah!”
The sudden stab sent Derek yelling in pain and toppling to the floor when he least expected it. Melinda, clutching his arm, was dragged down with him, and they both hit the floor hard. Hidden by a thick carpet of petals, the tiny ring-shaped blade vanished from sight. Everyone around presumed Derek had merely tripped. The incident drew considerable attention. As Derek went down, his wig slipped off, exposing his completely bald head, much to everyone’s shock
It was his engagement day, a day when appearances were usually polished. Why, then, had he chosen to go bald?
Although Derek was a handsome man, the bald look did him no favors. Lacking hair, he seemed somewhat comical, an unfortunate image for someone known online. His fanbase was drawn not just by sympathy for his childhood ordeal of being trafficked but also by his good looks. If fans lost interest in his appearance, it could jeopardize his status as a leading internet personality-and with it, his earnings. Aware of this, Derek scrambled to retrieve his wig, attempting to reattach it in haste. But his increasing anxiety only made him fumble more, adding to his fluster. Amidst his panic, Melinda was jostled about, accidentally causing her veil to come off
The situation spiraled into absurdity, transforming an engagement ceremony into a comedy sketch, with both the groom-to-be and his partner suddenly bald
“Ah!” Melinda’s scream echoed uncontrollably
She might have endured wearing a knockoff dress, but showcasing a bald head at her engagement was beyond embarrassing. Already humiliated by Marissa earlier, this situation felt like a series of public slaps, utterly crushing her spirit. Aelfric, who had been silently observing and hoping to witness his sister’s ring exchange, was taken aback by the unfolding chaos
He frowned deeply and ordered his assistant, “Get Derek and Melinda out of here now!”
“Yes, sir!”
The assistant, along with the bodyguards, quickly escorted Derek and Melinda away. The grand engagement party was thrown into disarray in a rather humiliating fashion. Neil rushed to the stage, hoping to calm the situation, but his attempt was thwarted by a loud cry from the audience, “Oh my God, someone has posted a video of this online!”
Neil stood frozen. Ever since he started his live-streaming e-commerce business, he feared the power of online public opinion the most-it could elevate or destroy a company. If the audience loved them, riches would follow; if they turned against them, it could spell ruin. That was the reality for any live-streaming company. The crowd, curious, pulled out their phones to check the trending news, and Neil quickly did the same
Upon seeing the escalating scandal involving Derek and Melinda spread rapidly, Neil bellowed from the stage, “Who? Who dares to mess with the Daniels family? Show yourself if you’re brave enough!”
It was clear that the video had been covertly recorded and uploaded by someone present. The crowd instinctively stepped back, wary of falling under suspicion. Marissa also pretended to retreat nonchalantly. As she moved out of the crowd, she felt a hand rest on her waist. Turning, she saw Connor beside her
After a brief pause, she raised her eyebrows playfully and teased, “Looks like someone’s bold enough to challenge your Daniels family!”
Connor met her gaze meaningfully and whispered, “Grandma is worn out. Take her home to rest. I’ll sort this out and come fetch you later. We’ll head to the Sunrise on the private jet.”
“Alright.”
Marissa immediately supported Arabella and left. After settling Arabella in the car, she was about to get in when she heard someone calling her from behind. “Mrs. Daniels!”
She looked back to find Aelfric approaching
Arabella was visibly upset by the recent events. She gave Aelfric a cold look as he approached. “What brings you here?”
Aelfric responded with a courteous smile, “Mrs. Arabella Daniels, I came to express my gratitude to Mrs. Tiffany Daniels for rescuing my grandfather.”
“Humph!” Arabella gave a dismissive snort. “It seems someone in your family finally shows some sense. Thank Tiffany if you must, but make it quick. We’re eager to get home and rest!” With that, Arabella rolled up her car window
Aelfric then turned to face Marissa. Peering into his unfathomable eyes, Marissa found it difficult to read his thoughts. “Thank you for saving my grandfather.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Warren.” Marissa kept her response formal. She had always found Aelfric’s gaze somewhat unsettling
Aelfric said, “I truly can’t thank you enough, Mrs. Daniels. I understand you’re off on a trip with Mr. Daniels on the Sunrise. Have a wonderful journey. And remember, if you ever need anything, just let me know.”
Unsure of Aelfric’s intentions, Marissa offered a polite smile, climbed into the car, and left. On the way home, Marissa received a private message from Silver Fox: “Black Snake, we’ve found no evidence of Tiffany leaving the cruise. She must still be on the Sunrise.”
This message sent Marissa’s heart racing with excitement. If Tiffany was indeed on the Sunrise, Marissa was determined to bring her back. Fueled by this news, Marissa felt even more eager to reach the Sunrise. But she remained calm. She bypassed security and hacked directly into the Warren Group’s servers. Neil was already overwhelmed with Derek’s scandal, and now it was time to cause Aelfric some trouble!
The Warren Group, primarily involved in the gaming industry, relied heavily on their servers. With the servers compromised, all games were halted, leading to substantial losses. Within minutes, the entire organization was thrown into disarray. The Warren family was among the top four influential clans in Blebert, and their business empire, the Warren Group, was tremendously wealthy. Aelfric’s position as the deputy chief instructor of Doomsday Base made them a formidable force, one that ordinary hackers wouldn’t dare challenge
Even against the most skilled cyber attackers, the Warren Group stood firm, backed by their substantial investment in a top-tier technical team for cybersecurity. The team was led by Ewing Griffin, ranked among the top ten hackers globally. With Ewing’s help, the group’s servers had never been invaded by hackers. However, today they faced an unexpected cyber attack. At first, Ewing was unfazed, confident in his ability to thwart the intrusion as he had countless times before. But his confidence soon turned to concern. The hacker bypassed his firewall with ease, paralyzing the servers
Ewing made several attempts to recover the systems, but the damage inflicted by the hacker was irreversible. Expecting silence, Ewing was startled when the hacker responded with a single name: “Bee!” The mention of that name blanched Ewing’s face with dread. He admitted defeat, unable to salvage the compromised servers, sending the entire Warren Group into an uproar. Without hesitation, the company’s senior executives reached out to Aelfric
But who was Bee?
Bee was a legend in the hacker community!
It all began with a catastrophic global hacking crisis three years ago. There was a notorious hacker group known as Eternal Hell, with members distributed globally, numbering over ten thousand. This group was formidable and had launched cyber-attacks on various national networks, committing numerous malicious acts. It was regarded as the most malevolent hacker organization worldwide. Although this organization had done many evil things, no one could do anything to them until two hackers called Bee and Him appeared
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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