CHAPTER 68.
Jeremy's desk became a battlefield, empty coffee cups and scattered notes filled everywhere when he pulled up the article on his main screen. He slipped on his headset, blocking out the outside world, and began peeling back the layers.
First stop — the publishing account. Whoever ran it had been careful, hiding behind a chain of encrypted servers bouncing from Asia to Europe. But Jeremy was better.
Each wall he broke down revealed another until a familiar trace appeared: a login from an unmasked IP in the early hours of the morning.
His eyes narrowed. Hemsworth. The old man had used a fake username and burner email, but the IP address was his home office.
"Publishing with ghost accounts now, huh?" Jeremy muttered under his breath.
Next, he turned to the photo. It wasn't a simple Photoshop job. Running it through image forensics showed inconsistencies in texture, shadow depth, and pixel pattern — telltale signs of AI generation.
The metadata had been scrubbed, but a watermark fragment hidden in the image code pointed to an unknown user from an online AI art forum. Whoever that was, it wasn't Hemsworth… which meant someone else had built the weapon, and Hemsworth had simply fired it.
Jeremy leaned back, tapping a pen against his desk. One man to generate the lies. Another to make them public.
Two enemies.
He stared at the glowing screen for a moment, the hum of his computer filling the silence. Every file in there was enough to remove Mr Hemsworth from his position. But the other person — the ghost who made the AI image — still needed to be dragged into the light.
He picked up his phone and dialed William's number.
"William," Jeremy said once the line clicked.
"Talk."
"I've got your publisher. Hemsworth hid behind a fake account, but he got sloppy. Left his own IP wide open."
William was quiet for a second. "And the picture?"
"Not his work. That came from somewhere else… someone who knows what they're doing. I'll have a name soon."
"That's not soon enough, Jeremy."
"I know. But you've got one confirmed enemy now, and a ghost still walking free."
William's voice dropped to a cold whisper. "Send me the files."
"Already in your inbox."
William gave a short, sharp laugh. "Good. Because when I'm done with Hemsworth… the ghost is next."
Jeremy ended the call, leaned back in his chair, and exhaled. Two enemies. One war. And the night had only just begun.
__
Dray's mansion.
Kate came out from the kitchen with a tall glass of apple juice, the ice clinking softly as she walked. The mansion felt too quiet this morning—William had left for the office before dawn.
She settled into one of the dining room chairs. Her phone lay where she'd left it after breakfast.
Kate took a sip of her juice, savoring the tart sweetness, before picking up the phone and scrolling to Tina's number.
"Hey, babe," Tina's voice was warm with concern. "I was just thinking about calling you. How are you holding up with all this William business?"
Kate set down her glass, choosing her words carefully. "I'm... managing. Actually, that's not why I'm calling. Something's been nagging at me since yesterday, and I need a second opinion before I do anything about it."
"Oh?" Tina's tone sharpened with interest. "What kind of something?"
Kate glanced around the empty dining room, suddenly aware of how sound carried in the mansion. The staff was loyal, but she'd learned not to take chances when it came to sensitive information.
"Not over the phone," she said quietly. "Can we meet at Café Luna? Like old times?"
"That serious, huh?" Tina's voice carried a note of worry now. "Is everything okay with the baby?"
"The baby's fine. This is... something else. There's something I need to tell you because I need someone to at least be aware of it."
"Okay. I will be there in twenty minutes," Tina said without hesitation.
"Thank you."
After ending the call, Kate finished her apple juice in one long drink, stood up, and headed for her bedroom to get dressed.
__
The café sat tucked between an old bookstore and a florist, its warm lights spilling onto the rain-slick pavement. Kate stepped out of the car, pulling her coat tighter against the wind. The bell above the café door chimed softly as she entered, the smell of coffee and baked bread wrapping around her like a familiar embrace.
She scanned the room until she spotted Tina in their usual corner booth, tapping her fingers against a half-empty cup. Tina's eyes lifted, curiosity flashing across her face as Kate approached.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting." She sat down.
"I just got here not quite long."
"Okay."
"So what is it you want to tell me?"
"It's about uncle Carlos."
Tina raised her brow, "what about him?*
"I've been thinking of ways to get to him so all this shit happening will end quickly. The only way now is to partner with him."
"What are you saying Kate? You want to partner with your uncle. Knowing fully well what his goals are. Do you understand yourself?"
"Yes. I understand myself well. I'm not doing this because I want to… this is the only way to get close to him and know what he's up to next."
Tina studied her for a while. "How will you go about it? I need an explanation." She folded her arms under her breast.
"Stop being a dramatic girl." Kate chuckled.
"No I'm not. I'm listening."
"Okay, so this is what I'm planning to do. I'll meet with him and let him know I'm ready to allie with him to bring Willam down. I'll give him necessary information about William's company because he is also after William."
"What the fuck are you saying? You want to betray William?"
"No…. You are getting me wrong. Why will I betray William? C'mon. It's not like I'm giving him real information. I'm doing this so he would think I'm on his side and let me know his plan."
"Do you think it would work?"
"I'm not too sure but uncle Carlos that I know is a greedy man and will agree to it."
"This is… dangerously smart," Tina admitted. "But what if he suspects something?"
Kate took another sip of juice, eyes narrowing. "Then I'll make sure he doesn't. I'll give him just enough wins to trust me, while quietly gathering proof of what he's really done — to my parents, to the company, to William."
Tina exhaled slowly. "You do realize you're basically stepping into the lion's den without a shield?"
Kate smirked faintly. "Maybe. But this lion doesn't know I've been sharpening my claws."
"When are you meeting him?"
"Today… I need to make things fast."
"Just be careful."
Just then, Kate's phone buzzed across the table, the screen flashing Unknown Number.
Tina glanced at it. "Who's that?"
"I have no idea."
Kate hesitated for half a second before answering. "Hello, Kate Jones speaking."
A deep voice came through the line. "Ms. Jones, my name is Mr. Howard. I was your late father's lawyer. There are… important things you need to know — and certain people you must be very careful around."
Kate straightened in her seat. "What are you trying to say?"
"Your uncle," Howard said quietly. "Be careful around him. He's not working alone… and they are after you, William, and your baby."
A chill ran down her spine.
Her stomach tightened. "What the hell? How do you expect me to believe you?"
"You have to," he replied firmly. "I'll send you an address. Meet me there — and come alone."
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Kate lowered the phone slowly, her pulse hammering.
"Who was that?" Tina asked, reading the alarm on her face.
"He said he was my dad's lawyer. And he wants to meet."
A notification lit up her phone. The address.
Kate's voice dropped. "I think he knows who's been working with my uncle." She stood abruptly, grabbing her bag. "I need to go."
"I'm coming with you," Tina said, pushing back her chair.
"You don't have to—"
"I insist," Tina cut her off, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Let's go."