Facade

Queenie abruptly sat up from the massage table when she read the reply on her phone. Her reaction startled the women undergoing spa treatments next to her. 

“What’s wrong, Queenie? one of them asked. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

queen elized she had overreacted. She simply smiled and then casually reclined back. 

“It’s nothing. I’m simply discussing a collaboration with a hacker called Raven.” 

She pretended to be calm, but her inner turmoil went into overdrive when she learned that the price tag soared to two hundred times the original price. 

The asking price had exceeded six hundred million. Unexpectedly, Raven had jacked up the price by a hundred times in just a few days. Queenie couldn’t help but wonder if the hacker Raven thought money grew on trees. 

“Raven? The country’s top hacker? My son is always raving about him and thinks he’s amazing. With just a snap of his fingers, he’s made eight figures. It’s impressive to see you negotiating with him,” another woman remarked. 

“My son is also obsessed with Raven. He’s been skipping 

ng his studies to learn computer hacking” 

“If you manage to recruit Raven, it’ll be like obtaining a guardian angel for the Gaskells. Who would dare mess with your family? 

“At this rate, your family is headed to the top. Soon, you’ll be mentioned among the four influential families.” 

“In the future, it won’t just be the four influential families anymore. I’ll be the five influential families,” 

As they showered Queenie with compliments and attention, she felt a wave of contentment wash over her. It even soothed the effects of her earlier inner turmoil 

Queenie aimed to elevate the Gaskells to the same level of prominence as the four influential families 

So, she obtained Raven’s contact information from Amelia with the intention of recruiting him. Without hesitation, she drafted and sent out the message. 

At Cavenridge, the Terranish teacher was in the middle of teaching a lesson in class. 

Hera’s chin was resting on her hand. She was absentmindedly playing the new Candy Crush game that Katie had recommended. 

Then, a WhatsApp message popped up on her phone. It was from Piglet. 

“Raven, Mrs. Gaskell has agreed to the new price. 

“However, she has one condition–she wants to meet you in person. This time, she appeared quite desperate and responded unusually fast.” 

Hera narrowed her eyes and wondered if their desperation was genuine or if it masking their intentions. Nonetheless, she held the upper hand in the negotiation. 

“Alright. But the price won’t be the same as before,” she replied. 

Piglet was taken aback. 

“You’re planning to increase the price again? Are you doing this on purposehi 

Hera responded, “If she agrees, pass along my contact information.” 

Piglet asked, “So, how much then? Three hundred times?” 

She texted back, “Depends on my mood.” 

Piglet sent a flexed bicep emoticon and commented, “Your answer implies that you’re the one behind the Gaskells‘ setup.” 

Back at the beauty salon, Queenie frowned as she read the message 

The price was raised again. She felt the situation was an endless cycle of demands. 

Considering the Gaskells‘ ambition and observing her friends admiring glances, Queene surmised that news of the Gaskills interest in collaborating with Raven must have already spread through gossip. 

If the Gaskells couldn’t close the deal with Raven, their reputation would take a hit, and their company’s systems might collapse