Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 148

Hackett wasted no time dialing Frank’s number after hanging up the phone. The phone rang for an

eternity before a raspy voice answered, “Hackett, do I owe you something? Did I disturb your peace?”

Calling him every morning was driving him insane. Didn’t he realize that Frank ran a bar and kept late

hours? He needed to find a way to teach this guy a lesson.

Hackett forcedly smiled as he replied, “Bro, I need your help. Name your price, and help me eliminate

the trending topics.”

Still with his eyes closed, Frank kept the speaker on, sounding rather nonchalant, “Which celebrity is it

this time? Isn’t it a common occurrence? Just ignore it.”

Hackett felt the urgency mounting, worried that with each passing minute, the photos of Ruby would be

further circulated. “No, it’s more complicated this time. Please, do me a favor and take care of it. Name

your price, and I’ll agree to it.”

Suddenly, Frank opened his eyes, curiosity gleaming in his gaze. He wanted to see what could make

Hackett go to such lengths and offer any price to seek his assistance. “Don’t go back on your word

now.”

The tone of Frank carried a clear sense of threat, leaving Hackett no choice but to pay a hefty price.

Money couldn’t outweigh the safety and well–being of Ruby, who was undeniably adorable and

innocent. Protecting her from any harm was his utmost priority.

With unwavering resolve, Hackett asserted, “No backing out. I urgently need your help, my friend. Take

down the trending topics and use your technical expertise to track down those who downloaded the

photos. I want them exposed and every single picture erased. Not a trace should remain.”

Frank hadn’t seen the trending topics yet, but he couldn’t help but speculate, “Did they capture

compromising photos of

you

Hackett reminded himself to stay composed. He needed to maintain a respectful demeanor while

seeking assistance, despite the overwhelming urgency he felt. “No, first take a look at the trending

topics.”

“Alright. I’ll hang up now. Just remember to honor your promise once this is resolved.”

“I understand. I won’t go back on my word.” Hackett would have been more cautious in the past,

constantly negotiating terms before agreeing to anything. But this time, he unconditionally accepted

Frank’s help without any conditions being mentioned.

Frank opened his phone with a frustrated expression, taking a closer look at the pictures. Goodness

gracious, it was none other than Trevon’s ex–wife’s daughter. How did she end up having such a blast

with Hackett?

Examining the photos more closely, all traces of confusion vanished from Frank’s face, replaced by an

irrepressible grin. Instead of immediately tending to Hackett’s requests, he saved all the photos from

the trending topics to his phone’s gallery. Without delay, he got serious and turned on his computer,

ready to take action. In no time, all traces of the trending topics. disappeared. Following that, several

phones were hacked, including Natalie’s.

Inside the office, Natalie furrowed her brow as she stared at her mysteriously blacked–out phone

screen. Had it been infected with a virus? She hadn’t watched any questionable videos, only anatomy

lessons from reputable websites.

But within a few seconds, her phone’s brightness returned, alleviating her fears of a virus. She

unlocked her phone one by one, checking each app. The money in her online banking app was still

there, relieving her Next, she checked her notes and, finally, her photo gallery. To her dismay, the last

saved photos of Hackett and Ruby were gone. Opening her chat records with Sherri on WhatsApp, she

realized the missing photos.

Therefore, the primary objective was the photos.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Natalie reopened the trending topics page, only to find it empty. There was

no trace of the bustling scene that had unfolded earlier that morning. It seemed as if the trending topics

had never even existed. Sherri must have enlisted the services of a highly skilled individual to not only

delete the saved photos but also erase any evidence of their viral presence.

Natalie had never ventured into the realm of hacking or programming, but she was familiar with the

concept through her cousin Ava Ava had a penchant for infiltrating others‘ computer systems,

especially when Joseph provoked her. Joseph had been forced to fortify his devices with multiple layers

of advanced security measures to protect himself from Ava’s relentless hacking attempts

However, Ava was not entirely reckless in her pursuits. She refrained from tampering with Joseph’s

work computer, instead focusing on his phone and the family computer.

Judging by the sophistication of today’s cyber–attacker, it was clear that they were a highly skilled

individual. If Ava were to discover their exploits, she would undoubtedly see it as a challenge and seize

the opportunity to demonstrate her prowess. Natalie dialed Sherri’s number from her contacts, eager to

share the news that all the information had been successfully deleted. However, she knew that

memories couldn’t be erased, a fact they couldn’t control. Tve checked the trending topics. and they’ve

all been taken down. The photos I saved on my phone are gone too. It seems someone hired a skilled

hacker to do the job. Have you spoken to Hackett?”

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Sherri, also at the inpatient department, sighed heavily and rested her cheek against her hand. “Yeah, I

talked to him. We exchanged some heated words. He knows the truth about our daughter.”

Natalie wasn’t surprised by the revelation. When she saw the photos, she had already anticipated this

outcome.

“You’re worried that he might try to take Ruby away from you, aren’t you?” Natalie empathized.

Sherri replied with a solemn tone, “Yeah, I am.”

“Well, it’s not necessarily the case. You have yet to have a proper conversation with him, so how can

you be sure he would try to take her away from you? Besides, it doesn’t seem like Hackett orchestrated

the trending topics incident. After all, he would save hiring someone to take down the trending topics.

He’s a real estate developer, not someone well–versed in programming. Please don’t worry about this

prematurely. I suggest you confide in Juana about this matter.”

Sherri let out a weary sigh. “I’ve been thinking about that too. It’s disheartening that the people I least

wanted to know about it now have all the information. There’s no point in keeping it from Juana any

longer. I’m trying to figure out how to approach her, and the same goes for Edward. He asked me

before about the father, and I vehemently denied knowing.”

She pondered the idea of coming clean tonight. After all, Edward was currently overseas, so the

immediate repercussions would be minimal. It seemed like the right course of action, and after

discussing it with Natalie for a few minutes, she felt a sense of relief.

She added humorously, “My daughter is stunning, and it feels like a waste of my genes if there aren’t

any scandals surrounding her.”

Natalie couldn’t help but laugh at Sherri’s remark. “Is that face a reflection of your genes? Are you sure

you’re not mistaken?”

“Oh, come on! Can’t we have a normal conversation without you teasing me?”

“Alright, but it doesn’t change the truth.” In reality, Natalie shared the same concerns. While Sherri’s

child was registered under her name to divert attention, now that Hackett knew about it, it wouldn’t be

long before Trevon discovered their child was his. Would he try to claim the child from Sherri?

However, she chose not to divulge the situation to Sherri then. Sherri was already agitated and didn’t

want to add to her troubles. Instead, she decided to take it one step at a time and handle each

development as it unfolded. After all, goes, “Cross the bridge when you come to it.”

as the

saying

On the other hand, Hackett dialed Sherri’s number, having witnessed all the trending topics being taken

down Unsurprisingly, the call was promptly disconnected, and he was placed on her blocklist. A

mechanical voice echoed through the line, leaving him to send her an SMS message instead. “My dear,

it wasn’t me who orchestrated the trending topics, but I did invest a considerable sum to have them

taken down. Can you please remove me from your blocklist?”

He couldn’t help but feel frustrated. He had previously mocked Trevon Wilson for not having Sherri’s

number, and now he found himself in the same situation. He couldn’t afford for Trevon to find out about

this situation. He dreaded the potential ridicule he would face.

Sherri received the message but had no intention of responding. She swiftly deleted it and placed her

phone face down on the table. Hackett’s plea to be removed from the blocklist seemed far–fetched to

her. She wasn’t about to easily forgive and forget his actions.

A nurse approached her with genuine concern. “Dr. Landor, is everything okay? Are you feeling unwell?

Did someone upset you?”

Sherri smiled strained and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. Just had a little encounter with a naughty dog”

The nurse looked puzzled, unable to fully grasp Dr. Landor’s sense of humor. However, seeing that Dr.

Landor could crack a joke, the nurse assumed everything was fine.

Sherri noticed the nurse standing there, looking a bit bewildered. “It’s nothing. I’m just not fully awake

yet. I stayed up late last night binge–watching a TV series.”

“Oh, I understand. I’ve come across a fantastic show recently. I’m not a TV enthusiast, but this one is

truly captivating Would you like me to recommend it to you, Dr. Landor?”

Sherri’s interest was piqued. Lately, she had been longing for an engaging TV series. “Really? What’s

the drama called?”

Excitedly, the nurse replied, “The Legend of the White Snake Lady.”

Sherri’s expression froze momentarily. Why didn’t you recommend ‘Empresses in the Palace“? You’re

not well–versed in TV dramas. That one is a true masterpiece.

The nurse misunderstood Sherri’s reaction and assumed she didn’t like that kind of drama. “Oh, Dr.

Landor, you’re not into that genre?”

Sherri cleared her throat and responded, “Well, I’ll check it out when I get home. Thanks for the

suggestion.”

The nurse assumed Sherri was also interested and smiled, saying, “No problem! It’s always fun to

share great shows with others, don’t you think?”

After leaving the Wilson Group, Trevon headed straight to the Lithern Club to find Frank. To his

surprise, Frank was already

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up and about when he pushed open the office door. Trevon had expected to go to Frank’s room to

hurry him along.

The Lithern Club wasn’t open last night?”

Frank, with his legs propped up on the desk, contemplated what kind of reward he should ask for from

Hackett. He absentmindedly toyed with his phone, responding, “The early bird catches the worm.”

Trevon gave him a skeptical look as if silently questioning the truth behind Frank’s words. He calmly

took a seat on the sofa. “Starting today, I need you to disable the surveillance cameras at Evergreen

Gardens every night at 11:30”

Frank smirked, his lips curling in a sly smile as he locked eyes with Trevon. “If you want to play the

sneak, you better think twice about Natalie’s lofty residence on the 25th floor. Can you even scale that

high when the Turner family’s bodyguard guards the entrance?”

Trevon casually lit a cigarette, crossing his legs with an air of nonchalance as he released a slow

stream of smoke. “If I want it blacked out, it’ll be blacked out. Save your breath and get to the point.”

Frank, with a hint of amusement, took an unlit cigarette and placed it between his lips. With a

mischievous glint, he reached for his phone and addressed Trevon, “Got a little gift for you.” Without

hesitation, he sent him the entire collection of saved photos.

With a distinct chime, Trevon opened WhatsApp, his demeanor unexpectedly calm. He leisurely

glanced at the photos, and to Frank’s surprise, a faint smile graced his lips. “Seems like Hackett has

quite a resemblance.”

Observing Trevon’s composed reaction, Frank realized that he had likely already seen the trending

topics earlier that morning “So, it appears my efforts were in vain, wasting valuable memory. Tell me,

who were you planning to scale the wall for? Natalie or…?”

Trevon remained in high spirits as he leisurely indulged in his cigarette, paying no heed to Frank’s

jibes. He reclined on the sofa with an air of nonchalance, exhaling wisps of smoke that danced

gracefully.