The half-open waiting room door revealed female bodyguard Mildred peering out, her eyes meeting Blake’s with such casual innocence that it was even more unsettling.

Had Mildred truly been unaware of Clark’s whereabouts? Blake had left Debbie alone then believing the female bodyguard would protect her if necessary.

Looking back, perhaps the female bodyguard had already been bought by Baron Bakran, considering she too had disappeared.

That was his first mistake—trusting Mildred and leaving Debbie there while he moved alone. The moment he pursued Baron Bakran, the man’s henchmen ambushed him, disguised as Gray.

Realizing this was a trap, he barely managed to evade the knife-wielding gang and escape. When he hurriedly drove back, Debbie was walking away alone, oblivious to everything, with thugs following behind her.

“Haaah…”

Blake exhaled roughly, composing his breathing as he recalled that moment. Perhaps if he had abandoned Debbie then and tracked Lorraine instead, he might have caught up with her.

“No, if I had revealed everything to Debbie from the beginning… we could have moved together without splitting up.”

That was his second mistake. If he had brought her in earlier, Lorraine might not have acted foolishly alone. Fret’s anger was understandable, though he couldn’t have left Debbie to go alone that day.

Either way, he had helped Debbie and consequently lost Lorraine. That outcome remained unchanged.

Though he had knocked Debbie unconscious, put her in his car, and belatedly given chase, he ultimately lost track of Lorraine. He searched everywhere Baron Bakran and his subordinates might have hidden her.

“Even if I had found the culprits’ hideout after hearing Debbie’s account, I couldn’t have brought back someone already dead.”

Too late, again too late, completely too late.

“Sigh.”

Blake’s breathing grew rough as his temperature rose.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Debbie asked with concern, noticing his labored breathing.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not… Please say something if you’re in pain. Should I call a doctor?”

“No, that’s unnecessary. I’m just a bit tired.”

Blake pressed his fingers against his temple and furrowed his brow.

“That doesn’t look like fatigue. A doctor—”

“I hear you’ve been asking questions around town?”

“Pardon?”

“The butler told me. When someone is murdered, punishment for homicide is natural—at least in a country governed by law.”

Blake diverted the conversation, pretending to be fine while struggling to steady his irregular breathing.

“For a murder case to be established, there must be a corpse, and witnesses are needed for testimony. But if there’s a group that professionally disposes of bodies and silences witnesses even when murder occurs, can justice still be served according to law, Reporter Debbie Jones?”

Though he had taken painkillers before arriving, they weren’t sufficient, and the pain surged through him.

“Aren’t laws made to punish such people? Who are laws supposed to protect?”

Debbie’s voice trembled as she realized why he was saying this.

“Power. You’ve experienced firsthand how it enables manipulation and cover-ups. Being falsely charged with absurd treason and displayed on city walls as an example. What do you think really killed them?”

At Blake’s words, Debbie’s heart sank as the shock of that day resurfaced.

“Despite having no reason to help me as someone’s illegitimate child, the Clarence marquis family kept supporting me. The more I investigated the source of this kindness, the more endless ugly secrets of the Clarence family emerged. But as you know…”

Blake gritted his teeth, fighting off dizziness.

“The Clarence marquis family is Dowager Empress Stella’s maiden family. The current Marquis Clarence, the empress’s brother, has escaped justice for all manner of dirty deeds thanks to her influence. It may seem contradictory for me to say this, having benefited most from their protection, but I wanted to use all my power to bring down the marquis family.”

Debbie’s eyes trembled at these unexpected words. Blake still couldn’t look directly into her eyes, feeling she might blame him for her parents’ deaths.

“And the result is Lorraine’s death. Look at their response. Security Chief Jonathan Goodell is Marquis Clarence’s puppet, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase Kelden openly serves as his footman.”

He finally managed to look directly at Debbie’s face with difficulty.

“In this situation, what would come of investigating Lorraine’s death? Against a marquis with such an excellent body disposal team at his command.”

“So that’s why the morning paper published such an article before a proper investigation…”

Debbie’s face had turned deathly pale from the shock. Blake unconsciously gave a bitter smile.

“I, and Fret, will certainly uncover the truth behind Lorraine’s unjust death, so stop clumsily investigating this matter. Just complete your probationary period at Troublesome and find another job. I promise as the president that you won’t have to pay a single penny in contract penalties.”

He explicitly told her, since she seemed oblivious despite all his hints.

“Why are you showing me such kindness?”

After hearing Blake out, Debbie responded with a stiff expression.

“Because I’m afraid you’ll end up dead like Lorraine.”

Blake finally uttered the words that had been weighing on his chest.

“Why?”

Looking into her clear eyes, he recalled their childhood meeting on the hill. A small kindness had created a butterfly effect, leading to this moment where he desperately wished for her survival.

“What do you mean, ‘why’? I’m telling you to let go of Lorraine’s case now. I don’t want multiple people meddling and giving our enemies a chance to cover their tracks and escape cleanly.” 

Blake responded gruffly, afraid his thoughts would be revealed.

“Is that the only reason?”

“Besides, this is an adult magazine company. Would you have taken the job if you’d known from the start? This isn’t a newspaper of record or a detective agency. Debbie Jones, this isn’t a request anymore—it’s an order. Stop it.”

At that moment, Debbie’s expression became as solemn as when she had suddenly started undressing at the hotel.

“What’s this? Why is she suddenly becoming so serious again?”

Blake grew increasingly anxious at her unexpected reaction. Her expression was about to explode like a bomb, but he couldn’t predict whether she was angry, troubled, or imagining something completely different.

Debbie’s forehead twitched, and her lips quivered with displeasure. Watching her, Blake felt like he was sitting next to a lit fuse connected to explosives. The longer her silence stretched, the more his heart burned.

“I’m proud to be a reporter for Troublesome magazine.”

“What?”

“Where would you have me go? As you said, I’m a rookie, and before joining here, I lived a life far from publishing. I’ve just started learning the job, and I like it here.”

Blake’s heart pounded. He had thought she was bound only by contract, but she was here voluntarily.

“Writing columns was difficult at first, but I’ve learned so much. It opened up a new world that already existed but I never paid attention to. Besides…”

Debbie responded with more conviction than ever before.

“I enjoy how I’m changing! These are topics that no other newspaper or magazine would ever cover! Being honest about emotions that were ignored for the sake of propriety, discovering that lifestyles can be so numerous and diverse—these are things I would never have known if I hadn’t done this job.”

Debbie spoke with all her sincerity.

“…So I want to continue working here.”

Her face looked more solemn than ever.

“Even if you offered me several times the penalty fee, I won’t leave. Unless you bring a legitimate reason for dismissal from the employment department, I’m staying here to work!”

“Aren’t you embarrassed to work for an adult magazine?”

When he asked her this in bewilderment, she responded matter-of-factly.

“Why should I be embarrassed? Are you ashamed of this publishing house, Mr. President?”

“You have to face people’s prejudice all the time.”

Debbie fanned her face with her hand, seemingly unable to believe the president would say such things.

“My role model is Reporter AB. Everything in the world is connected and forms organic relationships! Whether pretending to be noble or showing one’s lowest side, it’s all human… My goodness, every word is a profound statement. I didn’t know this person existed before, but now I do.”

Her eyes sparkled more brightly than ever as she spoke.

“Do you know with what mindset I write my columns? Even though people read s*x columns with prejudice, I write with the feeling of communicating sincerely with everyone in the world.”

Blake’s eyes widened.

“If I hadn’t gotten this opportunity, I wouldn’t have realized how biased my perspective was. I thought I was just writing for a living, but that was my arrogance.”

Debbie took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“Once my writing leaves my hands and someone reads it, it becomes their indirect experience. Whether I intended it or not, it has the potential to influence someone. So what if it’s a s*x column? There’s no hierarchy in writing. Just as Reporter AB influenced me, I absolutely don’t want to miss the opportunity to have a positive influence on someone as a journalist.”

By now, Debbie was radiating vitality. Unlike her usual disapproving looks toward him, her eyes shone whenever she mentioned “Reporter AB”—bright and clear, like that day when she had begged him for her first experience.

Gulp. Blake unconsciously swallowed.

Her face, illuminated whenever she admired something, was unfolding before him again. Her eyes would grow so round when talking about something she truly loved.

Yes, this was what he had wanted to see again. That sparkle, like green leaves glistening in the summer sun.

“You like Reporter AB that much?”

He couldn’t understand exactly when she had fallen for this AB reporter whom she had never even seen. But he asked with a ticklish feeling somewhere in his heart.

“How strange. It feels like I’m asking which part of me she likes.”

Blake tugged at his necktie, feeling oddly constricted. His side still hurt, but Debbie’s praise of “Reporter AB” made the pain seem insignificant.

“Of course! I love his writing so much that every night I excerpt his columns from back issues and savor each sentence over and over!”

This is unbelievable…

Blake’s face flushed hot.

He had received countless confessions in his life, but never had he heard someone say they loved his s*x columns—not even literary works—so much that they savored the sentences night after night.

It felt like the most intense love confession he had ever received.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

Had he said such things to her face, she might have thought he was flattering her. But he was hearing this confession directly, in the position of a third party.

No wonder his mind was growing dizzy, like a shy boy hearing a love confession for the first time.