After three years of silence, the number unexpectedly reappeared on her phone.

Katelyn’s expression darkened as she gripped her phone, memories of past threats flooding back.

Vincent quickly noticed her distress and asked softly, “What’s the matter?”

Katelyn dismissed it with a quick excuse, “It’s nothing, just need to answer this call.”

She then moved swiftly away, making sure to stay out of Vincent’s sight.

Vincent’s eyes followed her, thoughtful. Her sudden change in behavior seemed to have started with that peculiar call. What kind of call could provoke such a response from Katelyn? Discover more novels at fι?dnοvel.net

It seemed as though she was bracing for a confrontation with an enemy.

The phone continued to vibrate relentlessly. Katelyn inhaled deeply before finally answering.

The familiar, eerie, computer-generated voice greeted her, “My old friend, it’s been three years.”

Instinctively, Katelyn’s fist tightened, her eyes flashing with resolve.

“I am not your friend. When will you release my master?”

The caller burst into laughter.

Amidst the laughter, cold, mechanical tones and sharp electric crackles pierced through, adding an unsettling edge to the sound.

“Don’t be so aggressive. I’ve told you, as long as you cooperate, your master’s safety is assured.”

Katelyn responded through clenched teeth, “Enough games. I need to see my master first, whatever it is you want me to do next.”

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She couldn’t recall how she first came to this mysterious person’s attention.

Since then, her master had vanished.

The caller had been sending her distressing videos of her master, coercing her compliance.

Throughout these years, Katelyn’s hacking skills had significantly benefited him.

Their communication had always been one-sided; Katelyn had no way to reach him otherwise.

“You need to let me see my master first. I want to hear his voice to confirm he’s alive before we go any further,” Katelyn insisted, softening her voice slightly at the end.

The caller sneered. “You’re not in a position to negotiate. If you want to save your master, do as I say.”

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Katelyn shot back, “I’ve already made you rich. How much longer will you keep me under your thumb?”

The moment she discovered the identity and location of this mysterious person, she promised to confront him directly and settle things once and for all.

Feeling constantly threatened was like having an invisible sword always poised at her neck, leaving Katelyn perpetually uneasy.

“The situation is under my control. You don’t have the leverage to negotiate. You have three days to uncover scandalous information about the Yata royal family, or you’ll never see your master again.”

The caller’s patience had clearly run out, and with those final words, he ended the conversation abruptly.

“How dare you!”

Katelyn’s response was cut off, her cold gaze reflecting off the now dark phone screen.

She had reached her limit with these demands.

Yet, she remained determined to save her master.

But dirt on the Yata royal family…

Could it be that this time, the target was the royal family itself?

Regaining her composure, Katelyn made her way back to the hotel.

Once inside, she immediately powered up her computer and began her relentless search.

Information on the Yata royal family was scarce, with only a handful of public photos available.

In Yata, taking a photograph of the king could lead to severe legal consequences.

The nation’s rigid societal structure was reminiscent of an era of monarchy and servitude.

This backdrop made digging up information on the royal family exceedingly difficult for Katelyn.

An hour at her computer yielded little; she hadn’t even managed to identify key figures of the royal family, let alone uncover their secrets.

With potentially thousands of people involved, she was searching for a needle in a haystack.

The mysterious caller demanded compromising information that could threaten the core of the royal family.

Katelyn sighed deeply, her frustration mounting.

This task was particularly daunting.

Then, amidst the silence of the room, a soft click sounded as if someone was quietly opening a door. Though faint, the noise pierced the stillness, alerting her.

Katelyn’s hand shot to her gun as she called out, “Who’s there?”

Her senses were on high alert as she scanned the room. Suddenly, a figure burst from hiding and tackled her to the ground.

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