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.

primary objective

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

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

entirely reckless in her pursuits. She refrained from tampering with Joseph’s work computer, instead focusing

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

1/3

12:03

Chapter 148

hand. “Yeah, I talked to him. We exchanged some heated words. He knows the

revelation. When she saw the photos, she had

Ruby away from you,

solemn tone, “Yeah,

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

“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

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

like a waste of

face a

have a normal conversation without

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,

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

as the

saying

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

He had previously mocked Trevon Wilson for not having Sherri’s number, and now he found himself in the same situation. He couldn’t

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

approached her with genuine concern. “Dr. Landor, is everything okay?

Just had a

sense of humor. However, seeing that

looking a bit bewildered. “It’s nothing. I’m just not fully awake yet. I stayed up late last night binge–watching

I’m not a TV enthusiast, but this one is truly captivating Would you like me to recommend it to you, Dr.

she had been longing for an engaging TV series. “Really? What’s the drama