Helen Sawyer’s hand trembled with fear, and scalding ginseng tea spilled all over her. She shrieked and jumped up, turning to meet Kaden Xavier’s bloodshot eyes, which were like those of a savage beast.

"Ka... Kaden? Wh-what are you trying to do?"

Helen Sawyer’s voice was trembling.

Kaden Xavier approached step by step, each one landing like a blow to Helen Sawyer’s heart.

The vicious aura emanating from him seemed to make the very air in the living room freeze.

"From this day forward, you will stay put in this house. You’re not allowed to go anywhere."

His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable command. "I’ll have people watch you until you learn how to be a proper mother."

"You... you’re putting me under house arrest?" Helen Sawyer’s eyes widened.

"Yes."

Kaden Xavier’s reply was unhesitating. "If you dare cause trouble for Wren Wynter again, or say a single bad word about her outside, I can’t guarantee I’ll still acknowledge you as my mother."

With that said, he ignored Helen Sawyer’s wails and turned to the bodyguards who had followed him in. "Watch the madam," he ordered, then went straight upstairs.

In the study, Assistant Lynch had been waiting for a long time.

"Mr. Xavier, I’ve looked into it. Tina Wallace was indeed the one who posted the recording online. She had someone technically process it to erase her own voice. The source IP address is near the Wallace Family’s villa."

Kaden Xavier sat behind his desk, closed his eyes, and wearily pinched the bridge of his nose.

He was silent for a long while before opening his eyes. They were as cold as a winter lake.

"Get the word out. Terminate all current and future partnerships with the Wallace Group. Use every means at our disposal to crush the Wallace Family’s stock price."

Assistant Lynch’s heart skipped a beat. ’This means he’s going to bankrupt the Wallace Family.’

"Mr. Xavier, if we do this, we’ll also suffer considerable losses..."

"Just do as I say."

Kaden Xavier cut him off, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Just then, Helen Sawyer’s heart-wrenching screams came from downstairs.

She had apparently heard Kaden Xavier’s orders and was pounding on the study door like a madwoman.

"Kaden! You can’t do this! If the Wallace Family falls, what will happen to Tina? You’re driving your own mother to her death!"

Kaden Xavier rose and violently flung open the door.

Helen Sawyer, who had been throwing herself against the door, was startled by the sudden movement and stumbled back two steps, hitting the wall.

"Driving you to your death?"

Kaden Xavier looked at her, the corner of his mouth twisting into a cold smirk. "When you humiliated Wren Wynter in front of all those people at the hospital today, did you ever think you might be driving *her* to her death?"

"When you and Tina Wallace worked in tandem to push her into the eye of the storm, did you ever think you were pushing her to the brink?"

He advanced on her step by step, and Helen Sawyer retreated steadily, crushed by the force of his presence.

"Let me tell you, you brought all of this on yourselves. The Wallace Family... I’m taking them down for good."

He leaned in close to Helen Sawyer’s ear, his voice as soft as a demon’s whisper. "You’d better pray that Wren Wynter is alright. And you’d better pray she’s willing to continue the project. Otherwise, the Wallace Family’s fate will be your future."

Helen Sawyer’s body went limp, and she collapsed to the floor, her face as white as a sheet.

She finally realized that her son was serious this time.

Early the next morning, Wren Wynter went to find Ho-ran Park.

"Senior Brother, I know you mean well, but we can’t stop the project."

she said, getting straight to the point. "We signed a contract with the Xavier Group. Unilaterally breaking it would be bad for our teacher’s reputation."

Ho-ran Park was in the middle of packing. He paused at her words.

"Is a reputation more important than your safety and peace of mind?"

"That’s not the issue."

Wren Wynter sighed. "We’re doctors. We can’t abandon our duties just because of outside interference. This project can help a lot of people."

Ho-ran Park looked at her and finally relented.

"Fine, I’ll listen to you."

"But if anything like this happens again, I don’t care about any contract. I’m taking you away from here."

Wren Wynter smiled, her heart warming.

As they were talking, Wren Wynter was getting ready to leave for the company to speak with Kaden Xavier again.

Just as she stepped out of the apartment building, a black sedan came tearing around the corner like a maniac, heading straight for Wren Wynter!

"Junior Sister, watch out!" Ho-ran Park cried out, shoving Wren Wynter out of the way.

The screech of tires tore through the morning quiet.

Wren Wynter was pushed to the ground. Although she avoided a fatal impact, her arm was brutally scraped by the car’s body, instantly opening a bloody gash that stung sharply.

The black sedan didn’t even pause. It swerved sharply and sped away from the scene.

Wren Wynter only had enough time to see the face in the driver’s seat: Tina Wallace’s, twisted with terror and venomous hatred.

"Are you okay?" Ho-ran Park rushed over and helped her up. Seeing the wound on her arm, his face turned ashen.

"I’m fine, it’s just a scratch," Wren Wynter said, sucking in a sharp breath against the pain.

News of the incident quickly reached Kaden Xavier’s ears.

He was in an emergency meeting about suppressing the Wallace Group when he received the call from Assistant Lynch. He said only one word.

"Continue."

Then, he hung up the phone and looked at the executives in the conference room, his voice so cold it could freeze water.

"Intensify our efforts. I don’t want to see the name ’Wallace Group’ in the market by tomorrow morning."

The Wallace Family was in utter chaos.

Their stock price plummeted, business partners were terminating contracts one after another, and the bank’s calls demanding repayment were relentless.

Mr. Wallace was so furious he smashed his most beloved antique vase on the spot. He pointed a finger in Tina Wallace’s face and roared, "You’re more trouble than you’re worth! How could I have raised such an idiot!"

Mrs. Wallace was sobbing beside them. "Oh, Tina, what on earth did you do to offend Mr. Xavier? Hurry and go beg him! Beg him to spare our family!"

Berated by her parents, Tina Wallace cowered in a corner. Her face was streaked with tears, but her eyes were filled with venom and resentment.

’Beg him? Why should I?’

’This is all because of that bitch, Wren Wynter!’

A crazy idea flashed through her mind.

She shook off her parents, ran out of the house, and drove straight to the women’s prison on the outskirts of the city.

She pulled some strings and spent a large sum of money to bail out a woman named Seraphina Sutton.

Seraphina Sutton, who had once been imprisoned for deliberately harming Wren Wynter.

In a remote, abandoned factory, Tina Wallace met with Seraphina Sutton.

Several years in prison had made Seraphina Sutton even more grim and sullen. When she looked at someone, her eyes were like those of a venom-laced snake.

"Why did you send for me?"