Ria Chapman swore angrily after hearing this. "That bitch! I didn’t expect her to be so despicable. I bet there’s nothing good in that syringe; who knows where she got it from!"

"What do we do now?" Vera Wave asked.

What Irene Spencer did was indeed outrageous, but a single syringe didn’t prove anything.

"This time... I’m going to ruin her reputation so completely that she’ll never recover!"

Kris Cooper stared at the road ahead, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and dialed Tommy Taylor’s number.

"The information I gave you earlier? Release it to all media outlets immediately."

"Alright."

"Also, call Michael Freenan. Inform him that Irene Spencer is a murder suspect."

"Okay."

Kris Cooper hung up. In the car, Vera Wave and Ria Chapman immediately turned their gazes to him.

"Brother Kris, did... did she really commit murder?"

"She might be the real culprit behind the explosion on set earlier," Kris Cooper replied.

"What?!" Ria Chapman’s face paled. In her view, Irene Spencer was, at most, a bitch. The sudden label of ’murderer’ was difficult for her to stomach. "How can this woman be so twisted?!"

Kris Cooper didn’t dwell on the subject. "Ria, are you going home, or somewhere else?"

Ria Chapman glanced at the road ahead. "Just drop me off up ahead; I can grab a taxi home from there."

"Why don’t we drive you home?" Vera Wave offered.

"No need, it’s not far from here. Besides, don’t you two have important business to attend to?" Ria Chapman grinned and leaned closer to Kris Cooper. "Kris, I’m sorry I misunderstood you earlier. Please don’t be mad, okay?"

A faint smile touched Kris Cooper’s lips. "It’s alright. I know you were just looking out for Vera."

"Of course! Vera and I are bosom buddies now!" Ria Chapman laughed, placing a hand on Vera Wave’s shoulder. "Right, Sister Vera?"

"Mhm!" Vera Wave smiled back at her. "Then don’t refuse. We’ll take you to the entrance of your residential community; it’s really not far from here."

Vera Wave knew Ria Chapman had acted with the best intentions today, and she was truly grateful that Ria had tipped her off.

When the car reached the residential community where Ria Chapman lived, Vera Wave moved to let her out. Kris Cooper then leaned over from the driver’s seat.

"Ria, keep this under wraps!"

"Don’t worry, I know the drill." Ria Chapman waved to them both. "I’ll head in first. Call me if anything comes up!"

Watching her walk through the community gates, Vera Wave settled back into the front passenger seat.

"So, what’s really going on?"

Kris Cooper hadn’t explained one particular detail earlier—the real reason he had gone to see Irene Spencer. Vera Wave knew he hadn’t wanted to say much in front of Ria Chapman, which was why she had waited until now to press him.

Restarting the car and pulling out onto the road, Kris Cooper began to speak in a low voice.

"I suspect," he said, "that this incident might be connected to Nathan Leafcastle."

"Brother Nathan?" Vera Wave frowned. "That... that seems unlikely, doesn’t it?"

Kris Cooper pursed his lips. "There’s something I haven’t told you. While we were in Vanora, he... Nathan Leafcastle, asked to meet with me."

Vera Wave pursed her lips. "What did he say?"

"He told me to leave you."

Vera Wave froze.

After a moment, Kris Cooper spoke again.

"Furthermore, I found out that he—Nathan—hired Irene Spencer as a spokesperson for a Barker project in Vanora. Her staying at the same hotel as me this time? That was also arranged by Barker. In fact, she only moved to that hotel from another one after I’d already arrived in Vanora."