:: Breaking news: An accident has occurred this morning involving several police officers and reporters. A recording has been circulating on social media and across news channels, alleging that two major families in Camphrian City are behind the incident. ::

:: Indeed, it has been reported that the daughter of the Lin family, previously suspected in connection with the kidnapping case of Damien Raphael, was involved in the events that unfolded this morning. ::

:: Things are taking a troubling turn as individuals who had reported on the kidnapping have been murdered in a blast. We have obtained the recording of that tragic event, and we invite the public to make their own judgments. ::

"What in the world is happening?" The man in the office yelled, hurling his phone against the wall, where it shattered on impact. Anger boiled within him as he watched various media houses seemingly siding with the Crimwell family, refusing to acknowledge the truth.

"How could all of this occur? Get Amelia on the phone right now!" The heads of the criminal families could sense their world crumbling around them. The media's aggressive push of this narrative was alarming, especially after the Crimwell family had clearly denied any involvement in the events.

Just as the media had previously propagated the kidnapping of Damien Raphael, the news about the murder of ten individuals spread like wildfire this time. The shocking events were being broadcasted by almost all popular news channels in Camphrian City.

While some smaller news agencies hesitated and chose to present the news without commentary—simply airing the recording to let the public form their opinions—this restraint was not shared by the more prominent and influential news organizations, which were linked to powerful families within the city.

"Y-yes sir," the system standing beside him responded, quickly dialing the number he had specified before passing the phone to him. He yanked the device from her hand, irritation bubbling to the surface.

"Hello? Amelia, didn't you say not to save Edward? How could you even attempt to rescue him yourself?!" He pressed the phone to his ear, his voice escalating as he berated his daughter for the sheer absurdity of acting without informing him in advance about making arrangements for Edward's escape from the police headquarters.

To complicate matters, a recording released by one of the reporters who died in the incident indicated that Edward was the one who had killed everyone involved. Considering Edward's skills and his formidable mentor, the leaders of the Crimwell family knew well that retaliation from him was not only possible but likely.

:: Umm… Hello? What's going on, Dad? :: Experience the best from m|v|l|e|mp|y|r

A groggy voice, unmistakably Amelia's, broke through the line, the sound of someone who had just woken up. Her father felt his fist clench as he slammed it onto the table in frustration.

"Kyaaa~!" His secretary shrieked as the items on the desk scattered, and she flinched at the sight of her boss's furious, red eyes glaring ahead as he abruptly stood from his chair.

"You idiot! At the very least, shouldn't you have told me?!" he shouted, his blood pressure rising as he contemplated the disastrous consequences of Amelia's reckless action to save Edward.

:: What? Wait, did you just say I saved Edward? Are you joking, Dad? Didn't I already refuse your proposal last night? ::

"Shut up! You ungrateful brat! You've caused nothing but trouble!" He yelled again, bewildered that his daughter couldn't recognize the mess she had created.

:: Why are you yelling at me? At least try to use common sense! Do I have the manpower or the strength to orchestrate an escape from prison?! ::

Amelia's voice had turned sharp, reflecting her discontent over being wrongfully accused of an act she hadn't committed.

"You—!" He opened his mouth to shout once more but halted mid-sentence, grudgingly realizing that it was indeed improbable for someone like Amelia, who was primarily focused on business and had little involvement in the darker realities of life, to have the resources necessary to orchestrate Edward's escape.

With a begrudging sense of clarity, he concluded that either Edward had managed to break free on his own or there was an unseen force at work, pulling the strings in a conspiracy aimed squarely at the Crimwell family.

"Courting death!" the man silently yelled as he disconnected the call, barely handing the phone to the secretary's outstretched hands before it clattered onto the desk. Clenching his fists and resting them on the surface, he felt an urgent need to resolve this situation swiftly and clear the name of the criminal family.

However, as he perceived the media outlets' unwillingness to heed his words, it became increasingly clear that someone far more powerful and influential than him was manipulating the situation from the shadows.

"Call that incompetent fool! I want to speak to him!" He rubbed his forehead in frustration, his jaw clenched tightly as he instructed his security personnel to dial the number of the police chief of Camphrian City.

"S-Sir, but he's missing," the secretary stammered, relaying the information she had obtained that morning. Desperate to resolve the crisis, she had attempted to contact the police chief to better understand the status of Edward, whom her boss had ordered to be released on bail. However, it appeared that the man had vanished from prison just the night before.

"Damn it!" The man slammed his hand on the desk, frustration surging through him as his blood pressure spiked and his heartbeat quickened. It was painfully evident to him that the police chief's disappearance was no simple case of fleeing. Instead, he suspected that the man had likely been kidnapped or, worse, eliminated.

The only individuals capable of removing someone of the police chief's caliber—someone who wielded significant power and oversight over the justice system and police—could only belong to a formidable and influential family.

"S-Sir? What are your further orders?" The secretary asked, observing her boss clasping his forehead with both hands, appearing utterly exhausted and distressed. Holding her files tight, she felt a pressing need to help resolve the situation urgently, as failure could lead to losses in business and cause several investors to reconsider their commitments.

In the worst-case scenario, they could even lose crucial projects if this incident remained unresolved.

"Haah... Dial a number," he finally said, collapsing into his chair with a sense of defeat. S~eaʀᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.