Matthew nced up at ire, eyebrows raised. "What''s the n after this? Just leak it all?"


    ire didn''t answer right away. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers on the desk, deep in thought. Then, with a sudden decision, she buzzed her inte. "Sandra, get me the jet ready. I''m heading to France." Sandra''s voice crackled through the speaker, steady as ever. "On it, Ms. Peterson."


    Matthew''s eyes went wide. "Wait, wait, wait-France? You''re going to France? Like, right now?"


    ire smirked. "What better way to deal with udia than face-to-face? I''m not going to sit back and y digital chess. I want her to see meing."


    Matthew crossed his arms, eyebrows knitting together. "But, ire,e on! You can''t just—”


    ire held up a hand to stop him. "I can and I will. Besides, I prefer confronting her directly rather than dealing with this mess from a distance. She''s not going to get away with this."


    Matthew sat up straight, shaking his head. "Then let mee with you. I''ll be there to back you up! You know, in case things get... messy."


    ire rolled her eyes, already anticipating his argument. "Matthew, I need you here in London. You''re better off at the office, tracking udia''s movements. If she''s pulling strings, I want to know about it, and you''re the best at sniffing out her next moves." Matthew slumped in his seat, looking like a disappointed kid who''d just been told he couldn''t go to Disnend. "But... France! Come on, ire! I wanna help!"


    She chuckled softly, used to his whining by now. "I''ll bring you back a souvenir," she teased, unable to resist.


    Instantly, Matthew''s face lit up, his childish grin spreading ear to ear. "Deal! But it better be a cool souvenir. None of that cheesy Eiffel Tower keychain stuff."


    ire shook her head, smiling despite herself. She had no idea how someone so calcting and brilliant could also be such aplete child sometimes. Standing up, she slung her bag over her shoulder and started for the door.


    Just as she reached the threshold, Matthew called after her. "ire."


    She turned, eyebrows raised in question. His expression had shifted, the yfulness reced by something serious. "Be careful, okay?"


    For a brief moment, ire softened. She gave him a small, appreciative smile and nodded. "Always."


    Leaving her office, ire strolled down the hallway to where Sandra was waiting at her desk. "Have my car ready in the lobby," ire instructed, and without missing a beat, Sandra got to work on her phone. ire made a quick call, her mind already focused on the confrontation ahead as she stepped into the elevator.


    By the time she reached the lobby, the reporters camped outside had thinned out. Maybe they''d grown tired of waiting for hours with no response. ire didn''t so much as nce in their direction as she exited the building, her focus unwavering. She ignored the rapid-fire questions hurled her way, slipping into the backseat of her waiting car.


    The drive to the airport dragged on longer than she''d hoped. After an hour of sitting in traffic, ire huffed in frustration, muttering under her breath. "Should''ve taken the helicopter."


    The car finally pulled up at a quieter entrance, one designed for private use. ire wasted no time, hopping out of the car the second it stopped. The air stewardess and pilot were already there, greeting her as she hurried up the stairs into the jet.


    But the moment she stepped inside, she froze. There, sitting casually in one of the plush seats, was Adrian, looking like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.


    ire stammered,pletely caught off guard. "Adrian? What are you doing here?"


    He smiled in that easygoing way of his. "Heard you were headed to France. Figured I could keep youpany."


    Crossing her arms over her chest, ire gave him a knowing look. "Let me guess-Matthew Finnegan gave you a call?"


    Adrian chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Guilty. He thought you might need a partner in crime."


    ire rolled her eyes, amused despite the surprise. "That little sneak," she muttered, before dropping into the seat across from Adrian. "You didn''t have toe, you know. I can handle this."


    Adrian leaned back, stretching out in the seat, clearly unbothered. "I''ve got plenty of time, and besides, what better way to be productive than to hang out with you?"


    ire narrowed her eyes at him, her lips twitching upward in a smirk. ''Productive, huh? You just want a front-row seat to the chaos."


    "Maybe a little," Adrian admitted, a yful glint in his eye. "But also, this is important. I read what happened online and I don''t know what are you nning but I want to be there for you." ire sighed, running a hand through her hair. "That''s thoughtful of you, Adrian. Thank you."


    The jet started to hum as the


    engines roared to life. ire leaned


    back in her seat, ncing out the window as the ne taxied down the runway. Adrian, though usually lighthearted, seemed more focused than usual. She knew he wasn''t just there for entertainment. He was the kind of guy who had her back, no matter how messy things got.


    As the jet lifted into the air, Adrian broke the silence. "So, what''s the game n once wend? And who are we facing?"


    "udia Wright." ire says her name with coldness in her tone.


    "Walk up to udia''s doorstep and say ''surprise''?"


    ireughed, shaking her head. "Definitely not that. But I haven''t really thought about it. However, since I want to get this done fast, head over to her office, vineyard whatever ce she might be at."


    ire was in her element, flipping open herptop with a flourish and ncing at Adrian. "Alright, ready for a little show-and-tell?" she teased.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, leaning in. "Do I have a choice?"


    "Nope," ire replied with a smirk, hitting y on the video Matthew had uncovered. On the screen, udia Wright appeared winess in hand, tipping it over the waitress without a second thought. Adrian let out a low whistle. "Wow, that''s cold. And she''s the one trying to look like a saint?"


    "Exactly." ire''s tone was sharp, but there was a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "This all started with Alexander, of course. He''s the one who dragged me into this whole mess." "Alexander?" Adrian tilted his head, already sensing there was more to the story.


    ire leaned back, crossing her legs as she exined. "Yeah, it started with that press release when things started spiraling out of control. udia saw an opening to get involved, and since then, it''s been one disaster after another. The whole scandal, the


    usations-everything. She''s been pulling the strings from behind the


    scenes."


    Adrian nodded his face a mix of curiosity and amusement. "So, she''s been trying to tear Alexander down, and she''s doing all this while acting squeaky clean in the public eye?"


    "Pretty much." ire sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I think she thought she was invincible."


    Adrian chuckled, looking out the window as thendscape below sped by. "She probably will be shocked seeing her past video when you show it to her."


    ire grinned. "That''s the point of it. It''s always the people you don''t seeing who turn the tide."