Liam studied Kathryn for a long moment, as if weighing a dozen thoughts at once, before finally pulling out a sleek black card. "Buy whatever you need. Don't hold back, just use it."

Kathryn blinked, a little taken aback, but she still took the card. Money was money, and right now she needed every bit of support she could get. If working with Liam required accepting his help, then so be it.

She rose to her feet. "Mr. Warren, the first stage of detox is going to be rough and very painful, actually. You should prepare yourself. I'll start the treatment the day after tomorrow."

She needed a little time to get everything ready.

Liam's eyes softened slightly. "Alright. I understand."

Kathryn offered a polite nod. "I'll head to my room now."

Liam watched her walk away, as though he was sizing up a puzzle he hadn't quite solved yet.

...

Stepping into her room, Kathryn let out a tiny sigh. The place was enormous, easily twice the size of the cramped space she had back at the Brown residence.

After a hot shower, she opened her laptop and logged into her social media.

Within seconds, dozens of notifications flooded the screen, and Kathryn started scrolling through them lazily.

Austin had written, "Where did you run off to? Come back. Jolene isn't holding a grudge about you hitting her. Why are you still throwing a tantrum?"

Isaac's message followed. "Who picked you up? Stop making everything difficult. Just return home."

Jaxton's message was the usual condescending garbage. "If you walk out now, you better not come crawling back. What kind of stupid stunt are you pulling?"

Jolene, of course, played innocent. "Kathryn, you're not seriously thinking of leaving forever, right?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. Without hesitation, she typed one simple, satisfying reply to each one. "GET LOST." Disgusting. Every last one of them.

And because she was done with their nonsense, she promptly blocked them all. That felt even better.

Logging out, she switched to another browser and typed in a hidden URL she knew by heart.

After entering her credentials, the screen shifted into an interface she hadn't seen in months.

A metallic door slowly creaked open on-screen, covered in glowing circuitry and carved patterns.

A blood-red skull appeared in the center, accompanied by a chilling mechanical voice. "Welcome back, Quietus."

A wave of nostalgia hit her. She hadn't expected to log in here again.

The DarkNet. A place filled with high-risk tasks—information hunts, black-market auctions, digital combat, and even assassination contracts.

Only elite specialists survived here.

And Kathryn... had once been among the best.

On the DarkNet, she was known as Quietus, a phantom-like hacker genius whose identity no one had ever managed to uncover.

Her inbox instantly exploded with messages the moment her status showed as active.

She then updated her profile signature to "I'm back."

And just like that, the entire DarkNet went wild.

"Holy crap! Quietus is online again!"

"Welcome back! The entire network's been chaotic without you these past six months!"

"Quietus, your predictions were all spot on! Please guide us again. Everything's fallen apart since you disappeared!"

To them, Quietus wasn't just a hacker—she was a legend.

When she abruptly disappeared half a year ago, the DarkNet practically mourned.

But now she had returned.

And the DarkNet went wild.

Her phone rang soon after.

She answered, and an excited voice burst through. "Kathryn? You're actually back? I can't believe it!"

It was Gerard Douglas, her loyal admirer and one of the few people she trusted.

"Yes, I'm back," she said, smiling faintly. "Also, line me up some jobs. The high-paying ones, the hardest ones. I need money."

"Already on it! The top-tier bounties have always been saved just for you! I'll send everything immediately!" Gerard's enthusiasm was contagious. "But didn't you say you were retiring because you finally found your family? Then why—"

"Gerard," Kathryn cut him off gently, "I don't have a family anymore. It's just me now."

She had thought returning to the Browns would give her a sense of belonging, but sadly, they were the ones who caused all the trouble.

Gerard's voice deepened with sincerity. "No matter what happens, I've got your back."

She smiled again. "Thank you."

"Oh, before I forget... someone has been digging into your digital records," he added.

Her fingers stilled. "Who?"

"The trace leads back to the Warren Group headquarters," Gerard said, his tone turning serious.

Kathryn's eyes narrowed. So Liam had already started investigating her? Interesting.

Thoughts of Liam's inscrutable gaze flashed through Kathryn's mind. Of course he'd be suspicious, and she had expected nothing less.

"I understand," Kathryn replied in a steady tone. "Let him dig all he wants. Just make sure the only information he finds is exactly what I want him to see."

"On it," Gerard replied.

Before Kathryn could say anything further, a knock sounded at her door.

"Miss Brown," a servant called politely from the hallway. "Mr. Warren asked me to arrange a driver for you. Once you're rested, he'd like you to take a stroll and pick up anything you might need."

Kathryn closed the DarkNet interface, wiped every trace clean, and shut her laptop.

"Alright, thank you," she said. It was actually perfect—she needed to restock her essentials anyway.

A few minutes later, Kathryn stepped out with her belongings in hand.

The driver waiting for her appeared to be a simple, middle-aged man, but Kathryn immediately sensed something deeper—his calm presence, his posture, and his controlled movements. He was clearly skilled. So Liam hadn't just sent someone to drive her; he'd sent someone to monitor her.

The car moved smoothly through the city until the driver finally spoke.

"Miss Brown, we've arrived in downtown Ardwell. Mr. Warren said you may take your time and purchase anything you require."

The vehicle stopped in front of an upscale shopping mall, gleaming with high-end storefronts.

Kathryn thanked him with a nod and stepped out.

With the driver following at a respectful distance, she headed straight toward a luxury boutique.

Clothes were her first priority—practical ones, stylish ones, and ones that fit her current life, not the outdated pieces she had back at the Browns' house.

As soon as she walked in, Kathryn selected several outfits without hesitation.

"Miss, just so you're aware," the sales assistant said in a patronizing tone, eyeing Kathryn's simple outfit, "these pieces are new arrivals, and most of them cost over a hundred thousand each."

Kathryn looked at her evenly. "I can afford them."

The salesgirl clearly didn't believe her, but before Kathryn could say anything more, someone stepped inside the boutique.

"Miss Brown, welcome!" The sales assistant practically lit up, abandoning Kathryn immediately and rushing toward the newcomer with all the enthusiasm in the world. "You're here just in time. We received some new styles. I'll bring them out for you."

"Sounds great. I'd love to see them," a soft, sweet voice responded. Kathryn didn't need to turn around to know who it was—Jolene.

Jolene entered with two well-dressed friends, each of them looking perfectly polished. Clearly, this was one of their usual shopping spots.

The moment Jolene spotted Kathryn, her eyes briefly flickered with surprise before she plastered on her gentle, fake concern. "Kathryn? I'm so glad you're alright; we were all worried," Jolene said with practiced sweetness. "But what brings you here? The clothes here are quite expensive. You probably didn't know that since you just came back from that underdeveloped place."

Her friend, Paige Hudson, let out a small laugh. "Jolene, is this the sister you mentioned? The one from the countryside? Should we tell her the fast-fashion store next door is having a sale?"

The sales assistant joined right in, eager to show loyalty to the richer client. "Yes, Miss Brown, this lady picked all the most expensive items in the store. I was just trying to remind her of the prices."

Kathryn's eyes narrowed slightly. Without a word, she reached into her bag, pulled out the black card Liam had given her, and placed it directly into the sales assistant's trembling hands. "Ring up everything I selected."

The boutique fell silent in an instant.

The card was sleek black, edged with delicate gold trim—a prestigious unlimited-credit card from one of the world's top banks. It wasn't just a payment method; it was a rare status symbol, held by only a handful of people in all of Ardwell.

The sales assistant's face went pale, her voice shaking. "Th-this is..."

Jolene and her friends stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief as they stared first at the card, then at Kathryn. How on earth did she get her hands on something like that? Who was the mysterious benefactor behind her?

A hint of jealousy showed in Jolene's eyes, though she forced a polite smile. "Kathryn, did you find someone to support you? You just left the family, so watch out. Not everyone's as trustworthy as they seem."

Kathryn's eyes narrowed with icy indifference. She turned to the sales assistant and said curtly, "Wrap everything up. That includes the new dresses you were just showing Jolene."

Her gaze lingered on the several long, elegant gowns Jolene had been admiring, and a slight, almost cruel smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I'll take those too," she added smoothly.

"What?" Jolene's face twisted in shock and anger. "I saw those first!"

"Saw them first, but can't afford to buy them, right?" Kathryn raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, her tone thick with mockery. "Isn't the Brown family's monthly allowance only a hundred thousand? That's barely enough to cover one of these."

Jolene's fingers clenched in frustration. She hated having her financial struggles exposed like that.

"If no one has paid, then whoever checks out first gets them," Kathryn said, signaling the assistant to process the payment.

The assistant didn't hesitate. With practiced efficiency, the items were carefully packed up. She glanced at Kathryn with a newfound respect that Jolene couldn't help but notice.

Jolene's fury simmered visibly, her nails digging into her palms so hard they almost broke the skin.

Her friends fell silent, too intimidated to even breathe.

"Kathryn, was all this really necessary? We're still family, after all." Jolene tried to soften her tone, playing the guilt card with watery eyes.

"Family?" Kathryn laughed bitterly, as if hearing the word for the first time. "When you arranged my kidnapping, did you think we were family? Jolene, save that act for your doting brothers and my blind ex-fiance. It won't fool me."

Jolene was left speechless and utterly humiliated. Her voice rose shrill with desperation. "Kathryn! You think you can act so superior just because you've become, what, a kept woman for some guy? If Mom and Dad found out, they'd be ashamed of you!"

The driver stepped forward, ready to intervene, but Kathryn raised a hand to silence him.

Stepping closer, she spoke softly, but every word carried a chilling authority. "Then you should run and tell them now. Let them know their pride and joy has fallen short of someone they deem 'shameless.'"

She laughed coldly, her eyes showing no kindness.

"You have no shame!" Jolene's voice shook, struggling to keep calm.

This time, Kathryn didn't reply with words. Instead, she raised her hand and slapped Jolene across the face.

The sharp crack of the slap broke the store's silence, catching everyone's attention.

A bright handprint appeared on Jolene's pale cheek. She touched her face, stunned. "You... you actually hit me?"

Kathryn's eyes grew icy as she looked down at her. "That slap is a lesson to watch your mouth. Don't assume everyone's as gold-digging as you."

Her voice was low, but every word cut deep, draining the color from Jolene's face.

"Consider this a warning. Stay out of my way. Don't you dare make a scene," Kathryn said, arching an eyebrow coldly. "Because next time, it won't just be a slap."

Turning her back without another glance, she addressed the sales assistant.

"I want to activate my Black Card privileges. Please notify mall management and security immediately." Her eyes flicked back to Jolene and her friends. "Make sure these people never step foot in this store again. Ban them indefinitely."

"Ban us? Who do you think you are, acting so high and mighty? Do you even deserve it?" Jolene sneered.

"Sorry, ladies," the sales assistant said politely, stepping forward. "You're blacklisted from the store. Please leave."