Chapter: 111

She edited the messages while eating.

Her reply read, “We can meet to discuss, but I don't want to repeat what happened in the cafe last time. Set up a time."

Norah savored a bite of the delicious dish and narrowed her eyes, acknowledging her cooking skills hadn't diminished.

Reflecting on what Sean had said during the journey back home, she sent another message, saying, “Watch Madeline closely. Don't let her pull any moves behind the scenes. I'm letting the Oceanic Treat Cafe incident slide for now, but if she tries anything similar, I'll hit back just as hard."

Concerned Derek might miss her point, Norah took the time to search for a video and forward the Link.

Sean had tipped Norah off that a video from the Oceanic Treat Cafe was circulating. The footage, showing Madeline's feigned innocence against Norah's calm demeanor, painted Norah as the villain.

The barrage of comments was unanimously harsh, accusing Norah of manipulation and dishonesty.

Norah was uncertain about the number of sponsored commenters active in the comment section. However, the video's rising popularity was undeniable, evidenced by Sean's attention.

As Norah enjoyed her soup, she resolved to address this matter later.

Madeline shouldn't think she'd overlook this simply because the mastermind remained unidentified. No, she was set on compiling evidence!

Derek's response was prompt, with two messages arriving shortly after, saying, "Pick the time and place."

“This isn't about Madeline. The cafe was crowded. Why point fingers at Madeline?"

Norah couldn't help but scoff at Derek's blind devotion. No matter Madeline's actions, Derek seemed ready to defend Madeline at every turn. She had to concede that Derek's adoration for Madeline was unmatched.

Norah chose Friday for their meeting. Finalizing their divorce earlier seemed the logical step.

After her meal and cleanup, Norah positioned herself at her desktop computer in the bedroom. This wasn't the sleek, portable kind favored by many her age but a setup with a separate monitor and CPU, the 24

-inch display casting a soft glow.

Norah drew the keyboard closer and dove into coding.

Code streamed out behind the cursor unceasingly. Norah's fingers flew across the keyboard, their movement a blur.

Launching the program, she couldn't suppress a grin as "Derek idiot" appeared in the corner of her display.

Accessing the site hosting the controversial video, Norah set to work with a smirk. She navigated from the video uploader's IP address to those commenting, the screen filled with data. With a keen eye, she sifted through the information.

The uploader's IP address pinpointed Derek's villa as the exact location, and a significant portion of the comments came from paid posters, all echoing the same sentiments from matching IP addresses.

Following the trail of these commenters led Norah to their collective chat. She breached their server and uncovered dialogues between Madeline and the group owner, capturing every exchange.

Norah had a hunch that Madeline was behind the popularity of the footage video in the coffee shop.

It seemed to Norah that Madeline spent her days plotting to tarnish her name. Norah couldn't think of anyone else who would hold such a grudge. Any previous enemies she had were now long gone.