chapter1146

Joshua's words might have sounded simple, but Stella knew that putting them into action would be anything but.

In less than a week, the value of Israel's company had plummeted off a cliff.

The entire business community in Solmaris was in an uproar.

After all, everyone knew Israel's company was backed by the Williams Group. Sure, it couldn't match the Williams Group's scale, but it was far from some run- of-the-mill small business.

Even a small business wouldn't crash this hard, this fast.

Take Foreman's company, for example. The Lerman Group had been targeting them relentlessly, yet they'd managed to hang on for over a month-they were still barely surviving.

No one could explain what had happened in just a little over a week.

Even Stella was taken aback when she saw the news.

Back when Israel had stolen her trade secrets, it had taken almost a month before she felt the impact. Yet Israel's company was publicly listed, well-established, and had the Williams Group as its safety net. Its foundations were rock solid.

To completely take down Israel's company in a short time? Impossible.

And yet, in barely a week, Israel's company had suffered staggering losses. It was almost unbelievable.

The moment Haynes heard about it, he came straight to Stella's office.

He was incredibly attuned to shifts in the business world, and it was clear to him that Israel's downfall was anything but ordinary.

Haynes frowned. "Has something happened inside Israel's company? How could such a gaping vulnerability appear overnight?"

Stella's gaze grew pensive.

Could this really be the work of hackers alone?

She stared at the news, silent for a long time.

Haynes noticed something off about her. "Star, what's wrong?"

Stella looked up. "It's nothing. I was just thinking... Israel's company could have fallen apart in one night. Something must have gone ong inside months ago. s

"This is pretty serious," Haynes said, watching her closely. "Israel's company might actually go under."

Stella glanced at the news report again and fell silent.

Even with a hacker's help, even if

Israel had walked right into a trap, at

most had take a hit-just like th

Richards Group did. For his s ? ?s F nd ovel.net

company to be on the brink of

collapse? Nearly impossible.

s

Unless... someone had their eye on Israel's company long before, laying the groundwork well in advance.

Or maybe she was just overthinking. Maybe she was still too new at this, misreading the situation.

For some reason, an image flashed in her mind a pair of clear, deep black eyes. Stella lowered her gaze, her expression unreadable.

Israel's office was in shambles, torn apart in a fit of rage. His face was twisted with fury.

Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang, the caller ID flashing "Unknown Number."

Israel snatched up the receiver, too furious to care about manners.

"Did you find that person's location?"

There was a brief silence, then a voice came through, disguised and mechanical.

No. Stella... she found someone exceptional this time."

Israel let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Aren't you supposed to be the top hacker in the field. Q? Now you're telling me there's someone better than you?" s

Q didn't take the bait, replying flatly, "This person's never surfaced before. Never

been on any ranking. I'd say we're dealing with a hidden master."

"What about the company's firewall? Can you fix it?"

"I'm sorry. It's out of my hands."

Israel's voice exploded with anger. "Our trade secrets have landed in the laps of

every major competitor. Our security system is in ruins!"