176-180

*Chapter 176: The Justice and Principles of the Idealists*

Currently, Twitter is recruiting experienced senior-level employees for several positions.

Hawk traveled to downtown Los Angeles to have an in-depth discussion with Glorious International. The two sides quickly signed a headhunting agreement.

In addition to the positions Hawk discussed with Jet Brown, a video platform architect was also needed.

Jet Brown was put in charge of Twitter's senior talent acquisition.

Meanwhile, Twitter was also recruiting regular employees. Caroline, Harland, and Qasim submitted several suitable candidates, but after reviewing the list, Hawk rejected three Indian candidates for the second round of interviews.

Hawk's reasoning was straightforward: if you hire one Indian, more will follow.

He didn’t want Twitter to become an enclave for Indians.

Perhaps this was prejudice, but he agreed with a saying: the world’s abnormalities are divided into mild, moderate, severe, and… Indian.

After all, their practices—like the infamous "third sister-in-law" memes—seemed to deviate even from the norms of humanity, let alone mammals.

Hawk believed it was the responsibility of a boss to consider the safety of both male and female employees—even the safety of their car exhaust pipes, for that matter.

---

*Beverly Hills, Century City Mall*

Edward accompanied Deborah and Indio Downey out of a supermarket.

Several shopping bags were loaded into Deborah’s Bentley.

Indio clamored to go to the amusement park nearby.

Edward was about to accompany him but suddenly spotted a familiar figure. He glanced again to confirm that he hadn’t mistaken her identity.

The woman wore a sun hat, sunglasses, and loose-fitting clothes, making her hard to recognize unless one knew her well.

On a June afternoon in Los Angeles, such attire was commonplace.

Edward quickly placed the shopping bags in the car and said to Deborah and Indio, "I have something urgent to take care of at work. I’ll catch up with you both later."

Deborah looked displeased. "You’ve been so busy with work these past few months."

Indio pouted, "You never spend time with me anymore."

"This phase will pass," Edward reassured them. "It’s a crucial period for my career. Please try to understand."

Deborah remained silent, but Indio sulked, "You never keep your promises."

Edward prioritized his responsibilities, grabbed his baseball cap, and left, blending into the crowd as he discreetly followed the woman ahead.

He was certain: the woman was Gretchen from Fox News.

Although Edward hadn’t done much paparazzi work since 2003, his instincts from his half-year stint as a freelance journalist kicked in. He pulled out his latest Motorola camera phone and discreetly activated the camera.

Gretchen walked into a coffee shop.

Edward recalled that this coffee shop had a side door leading to the mall. He bought a newspaper, entered the mall, and used the side entrance to position himself inside the coffee shop, choosing a spot with a good vantage point. Scanning the area, he spotted Gretchen seated in a corner, talking to another woman.

Maintaining a low profile, Edward held up the newspaper, concealing his phone as he snapped several pictures of the two women.

After selecting the clearest image, he sent it via MMS to Hawk’s backup phone.

A while later, Hawk replied, "I just had someone look into it. The unfamiliar woman is Harley, a Fox News reporter and Gretchen’s confidante."

Edward remembered the materials Hawk had sent to Fox News. "Should I follow her?"

"Go ahead," Hawk replied, "but don’t get caught."

Edward ordered coffee and waited patiently for the women to leave.

---

Chapter 177: How to Take Down Hawk

Seated at the head of the conference table, Black leader Sisko remained silent, ceding full control of the meeting to Grant.

Grant's gaze fell on Steve Nutt. “I’ve heard you’re quite familiar with Hawk Osmond?”

Steve, knowing the man from Sacramento had ulterior motives, replied bluntly, “We’ve worked together twice.”

Grant continued, “Since you’ve joined the Blue Party, you must serve its greater interests in California. Brian Ferguson and Hawk Osmond have directly caused Sacramento’s current predicament. The higher-ups want him taken out.”

He locked eyes with the former baseball star. “Steve, this is your chance to shine.”

Steve was no longer the naive athlete who first collaborated with Hawk. The experiences of the past six months, especially his two dealings with Hawk, had broadened his horizons and sharpened his political instincts.

His decision to join the Blue Party was pragmatic—his style and goals aligned better with it. But that didn’t mean he was willing to sacrifice his future for anyone else’s agenda.

“Sorry,” Steve replied. “Hawk Osmond is a friend. Standing on the Blue Party’s side, the most I can do is remain silent.”

Grant stared at him.

Unintimidated, Steve met his gaze, sharp as a sword.

If it were Governor Gray Davis himself, Steve might have hesitated. But for one of Davis’s lackeys? Not a chance.

Seeing he couldn’t sway Steve, Grant turned to Will Smith.

Will, even sharper than Steve, preempted any pressure by saying, “I’m flying to Asia in an hour to promote Bad Boys II. I don’t have time to deal with L.A.’s issues.”

Grant pressed on, “Will, are you really going to let them get away with this?”

Will chuckled, shaking his famously large ears. “The whole situation was just part of Bad Boys II’s promotion. That’s how we got $55.11 million at the North American box office in the opening weekend.”

“Anyway, I’m in a hurry. See you later.” Will rose and left the room.

Spike Lee casually made a parting remark before following Will. Outside, he commented, “You really gave him no face in there.”

Will shrugged. “I’m not about to ruin myself over this.”

When it came to contractual disputes, Hawk Osmond wasn’t the only one who could find loopholes. Even Will had thought of ways—like claiming the paparazzi kept copies that were later stolen by hackers or thieves.

That video was too damning to risk.

Once Will and Spike left, Steve Nutt also took the opportunity to slip away. He had no intention of getting involved in this mess.

Steve had joined the Blue Party for personal gain, not to act as someone else’s pawn.

He knew all too well: if Hawk Osmond could elevate him to a saintly status, he could just as easily tear him down.

In the conference room, Grant looked displeased.

Sisko remarked, “The Alliance is just a civilian organization with limited sway.”

Grant nodded. “I wasn’t expecting much, but their help would’ve simplified things.”

Waving dismissively, he stood to leave.

Meeting his assistant Augusto outside, Grant climbed into a business van and instructed the driver to return to their temporary office in Los Angeles.

Mid-ride, his phone rang. Answering, Grant listened briefly before responding, “The two Black candidates you recommended are useless. Relying on old Black leaders or their indoctrinated lackeys won’t work. Owen, if we want this done, we’ll have to handle it ourselves.”

On the other end, Owen replied, “Last time, Brian Ferguson relied on Hawk Osmond. At best, Brian is Hawk’s puppet. We can’t directly target the Ferguson family—doing so would spark a vicious cycle that could endanger us. But if we sever Brian’s connection to Hawk, he’ll be powerless against me in the race for Covina’s mayor.”

“I’ll deal with him,” Grant promised.

“I’m counting on good news,” Owen replied before hanging up.

Grant turned to Augusto. “Call a meeting as soon as we get back.”

Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the Aon Center downtown.

In the temporary office, Grant convened his team in a small conference room.

Seated at the head of the table, he declared, “We have two primary objectives. First, ensure Owen’s re-election as mayor, securing the Blue Party’s dominance in Los Angeles. Second, eliminate the root cause of Sacramento’s issues—Hawk Osmond!”

“Without Brian Ferguson and Hawk Osmond, Sacramento wouldn’t be in this mess.” Looking at his subordinates, he said, “Share what you’ve gathered.”

Hailey spoke first. “Hawk Osmond founded Twitter, which has become a sensation in the past two months. According to data we’ve obtained, Twitter now has over 20 million registered users worldwide.”

She paused to glance at her notes before continuing. “Hawk has a deep, long-term relationship with Fox Television. He rarely appears publicly, making it difficult to use media attacks without alerting him.”

Grant nodded and turned to Madison. “What about your findings?”

“I confirmed through LAPD contacts that Hawk was the one who captured the ‘Yachtgate’ footage involving Erica Ferguson and Dwayne Johnson,” Madison reported. “Later, he collaborated with the LAPD to dismantle the Mule Gang’s operations in Los Angeles. When the gang retaliated by sending 21 gunmen to attack Erica Ferguson’s villa, they were all killed.”

Madison emphasized, “Reliable sources indicate Hawk personally took down 12 of them.”

Augusto chimed in, “So an armed assault isn’t a viable option?”

“Not unless we can launch a decisive, large-scale attack,” Madison replied. “Anything less would provoke fierce retaliation from the Ferguson family. Hawk isn’t just Erica’s boyfriend; he’s the founder of Twitter, where the Fergusons are the second-largest shareholders. Their interests are deeply intertwined.”

Grant zeroed in on the key issue. “The relationship between Hawk Osmond and the Ferguson family.”

Madison agreed. “That’s something we must consider carefully.”

Staring at the wall, Grant mused aloud, “The crux is Hawk and Erica’s relationship. If we can turn them against each other…”

Hailey added, “When a woman breaks up with a man, the fallout can be explosive. She might become his worst enemy.”

“And there’s another factor—capital greed,” Madison noted. “If Erica and Hawk split, the Fergusons will likely try to seize Twitter, making Hawk their adversary.”

Grant concluded, “Good. We’ll start by targeting their relationship and tearing it apart completely.”

---

Chapter 178: Brian’s Campaign

Ocean Park Avenue, Twitter Headquarters.

In recent days, the company’s entrance has been bustling with people coming and going, with a steady stream of job applicants.

Korn Ferry recommended five managerial candidates, and Hawk selected two from the list. Jet Brown began targeted efforts to poach talent.

Ordinary programmers and architects were primarily recruited directly by Twitter.

Hawk vetoed Indian candidates but had no specific requirements for other ethnicities or genders. As long as the candidates were qualified, Twitter would give them the opportunity to excel.

Over the course of several days, a dozen new employees joined the company.

More than two-thirds of them were male, with only a small proportion being female, aligning with normal company hiring trends.

It’s widely acknowledged that having too many female employees in a company—especially in office settings—can sometimes lead to challenges.

Of course, there are also exceptional female employees.

At the Monday meeting, the technical director, Harland, specifically mentioned an incident:

“One of our newly hired female employees, Bella Sain, who previously worked in Silicon Valley, has proposed a new user interaction algorithm. It could potentially improve efficiency by 10%.”

Hawk asked, “Is it feasible?”

Harland replied, “We’re in the process of validating it. She’s very capable and has unique insights when it comes to creativity.”

“Let’s check it out after the meeting,” Hawk said directly. “Let her know that if it’s viable, bonuses and promotions won’t be a problem.”

After today’s meeting, Caroline would be heading overseas with her team to focus on English-speaking markets.

Hawk had a few more words with her before the meeting ended.

Afterward, he followed Harland to the technical department.

Kassim was leading a team to test the new algorithm.

Harland introduced the developer of the algorithm to Hawk: “This is Bella Sain, who joined us last week.”

Bella greeted Hawk with a polite nod, saying, “Hello, boss.”

“Hello,” Hawk replied, giving her a brief once-over.

She appeared to be of mixed Latin heritage, with a fairer complexion than most Mexicans. Among the oil-stained programmers in the department, she stood out as quite attractive—somewhat resembling Jessica Alba.

Hawk quickly dismissed her appearance and focused on the task: “Is the new algorithm viable?”

Neither Kassim nor Harland took credit, allowing Bella to respond.

Pushing up her glasses with a serious expression, Bella said, “There are still a few areas that need improvement and further optimization.”

Hawk nodded.

Bella didn’t say anything more and got back to work at her station.

Hawk stopped by Harland’s office to chat briefly with him and Kassim.

On his way out, he glanced over at Bella’s workstation.

She was fully absorbed in her work, typing code furiously on her computer.

Hawk didn’t understand code, so he left the technical department quickly.

Stopping by HR, he requested Bella’s file. She was a Stanford graduate and a top-tier talent who had previously worked in Silicon Valley. Her former company faced difficulties starting in 2003, leading to instability and prompting many employees to seek new opportunities—Bella included.

This was all fairly normal. People look for jobs primarily for financial reasons.

Dreams don’t pay the bills.

In the afternoon, Hawk received a call from Brian, inviting him out for drinks that evening.

They agreed to meet at 7:30.

Hawk left the office a bit late. As he stepped out of the elevator, he encountered several technical staff members working overtime.

Kassim greeted Hawk while continuing a technical discussion with others.

Among them were two new employees, one of whom was Bella Sain.

Completely engrossed in the technical discussion, she was talking with Kassim about the feasibility of another algorithm.

Most of the purely technical staff simply nodded or casually greeted Hawk as he passed by.

Not wanting to disturb them, Hawk exited the building, got into his Mercedes, and headed to the bar Brian had mentioned.

It was a lounge bar located amid Los Angeles’s high-rises.

When Hawk arrived, Brian was already there with a bottle of tequila.

Pouring Hawk a drink, Brian said, “In the past two months, your Twitter venture has made quite the splash online.”

Hawk responded honestly, “Without your family’s support, it wouldn’t have gone this smoothly. A month ago, some big players would’ve come to carve up the pie.”

Brian raised his glass to Hawk. “Cheers to you, future billionaire.”

Hawk took a sip and said, “Right now, it’s all about burning cash like crazy, with almost no income.”

“What about ads?” Brian asked, having some understanding of business.

Hawk replied, “Not officially launched yet. Right now, the focus is on attracting users and building engagement. Early commercialization wouldn’t be beneficial.”

Brian nodded in understanding. “So, you’re planning to bring in new investors?”

“That’s inevitable,” Hawk said. Social media platforms require massive early-stage investment. Both Hawk and Twitter couldn’t sustain it on their own.

Brian sighed, “Too bad my focus is on politics now.”

Hawk teased, “I’m waiting to see us collaborate in the classic ‘business-politics collusion’ style.”

“You’re the master of high-stakes business moves,” Brian said, recalling their last collaboration. “Remember what I told you last year?”

Hawk replied jokingly, “About your HIV testing efforts?”

Brian shot back, “Hey, man!”

---

Chapter 179: Framing

With Caroline away on a business trip, Edward went to meet Campos. The top floor was unusually quiet.

Hawk suddenly heard a knock at the door. He capped his pen, placed it on the desk, closed Brian's file, and covered it with a newspaper. "Come in," he said.

The office door was pushed open from the outside, and Bella Sein entered, dressed in a chiffon blouse and pencil pants, wearing a pair of work-style high heels. She held a company-issued USB drive in her hand.

Hawk asked, "What's the matter?"

"Boss, we've made a breakthrough with the algorithm," Bella said as she approached the desk, placing the USB drive on it. "Harland and Kasim are both busy conducting interviews and won't be back anytime soon. I need backend authorization to continue the next stage of development."

She stepped closer, maintaining the same professional demeanor she always had. "I'm on a roll right now and don't want to lose the momentum."

Though Hawk didn’t understand programming, he knew inspiration was crucial for developers. As he picked up the USB drive, he caught a faint whiff of perfume.

Bella quickly scanned the office, finding nothing unusual, and subtly adjusted her position. Hawk powered on his laptop, preparing to insert the USB drive, when he noticed Bella had moved to the side of his desk.

Assuming she was about to explain the algorithm, Hawk instinctively heightened his alertness—a habit ingrained from repeated sabotage attempts and a prior attack.

In a confined office, with two people standing closer than the safe distance, Hawk moved his mouse to open the USB drive.

Bella, noticing his attention on the screen, appeared to twist her ankle in her high heels and lunged forward as if falling toward him.

Her hand reached out toward his waist.

Sensing the sudden movement, Hawk reacted.

Most people would reflexively help a falling woman, displaying basic chivalry.

But Hawk pushed off with his foot, sliding his wheeled chair to the side.

At the same time, he reached under the chair, pulling out a compact Glock 19 and letting it rest by his side.

Bella collapsed to her knees with a thud, her hands bracing against the floor. The neckline of her chiffon blouse fell open, revealing a large expanse of pale skin.

Propping herself up with her hands, Bella knelt on the ground and looked at Hawk.

At this point, hesitation would only mean missing the last opportunity.

Bella grabbed her blouse collar and tore it open, yanking off her bra and clutching her chest dramatically.

She flung her head toward the desk, striking her face against its edge, leaving a visible mark.

Hawk watched this unfold and immediately understood her intentions.

But instead of intervening, he pushed off again, sliding further away.

At that moment, one person and one phrase came to Hawk’s mind.

Last night, over drinks, Brian had warned him to be cautious of being set up.

"That damn pessimist!" Hawk cursed inwardly. "The prophet of doom!"

It was all Brian Ferguson's fault.

Bella, having taken on this task, clearly had no intention of walking away unscathed.

She ripped a leg of her pencil pants, grabbed a pen from the desk, and aimed it at a certain area of her body.

The lacquered pen, marked with clear fingerprints and fitted with a clip, was thrust with such force that Bella let out a scream, her brows furrowing in pain.

Hawk, sitting in his chair, watched the scene as though it were a performance.

Alone in the office, a beautiful employee accusing her male boss of harassment—

With her disheveled appearance and injuries, plus support from feminist groups and media exposure, the accused would face immense trouble and a lawsuit that could drag on for years.

Would it target the company or Hawk personally? Hawk leaned toward the latter.

Bella shoved the pen into the intact pocket of her pants and slammed her forehead against the desk’s edge again.

This time, she hit hard, tears and snot streaming down her face.

Hawk pulled out his phone and called the security department: "Come upstairs. Bring two female employees with you."

Bella, hearing Hawk's calm voice, stared at him in disbelief.

There was no panic, no nervousness.

Hawk Osmond, the jerk, acted as if she didn’t exist.

With no retreat, Bella grabbed her phone, dialed 911, and wailed between sobs, "Help! Help me! Please save me! I've been assaulted... Please save me!"

She gave the dispatcher the address immediately.

Hawk, sure Bella wasn’t armed, remarked casually, "You’re talented and have a promising future. Why stoop to this?"

Bella screamed, "You beast in human clothing! You saw I was pretty and assaulted me! You’ll pay for this!"

Hawk was curious: who was pulling the strings on this puppet?

He called 911 as well, reporting that someone was framing him.

This setup was meticulous. Bella, clearly vetted through Twitter's hiring process, was a skilled programmer acknowledged by Harland, Kasim, and most of the tech department.

Against an ordinary person, this would’ve worked.

Footsteps echoed faintly outside.

Bella curled up in a corner, trembling and screaming, "Don’t come near me! Stay away from me! Please don’t hurt me!"

The office door was knocked on again.

"Come in," Hawk said.

Security Chief Austin and his deputy, Jerry, entered with two female employees.

The four looked between Hawk and the disheveled, tear-streaked Bella Sein, momentarily unsure of what to do.

Their first assumption? The boss was abusing his power over a beautiful employee—an all-too-common occurrence.

Austin puffed out his chest, his hand resting on the gun and stun baton at his waist.

As a well-paid security chief, he understood his job: clean up the boss's mess.

Jerry, in sync with him, quietly drew his baton.

The two female employees quickly rehearsed comforting words in their minds.

Calling intimidating security clearly aimed to scare Bella into silence.

Their role? Persuade Bella to accept compensation and move on.

In America’s corporate world, women don’t accuse male superiors. That’s just how it works.

In a matter of moments, all four had mentally prepared themselves for their respective roles.

Bella, still huddled in the corner, cried out, "Stay away! Don’t come near me!"

Hawk spoke up: "Ignore her. Just stand by the door."

The group complied, standing guard at the office door.

Hawk moved to the window, phone in hand, and called Brian: "They’ve made a move. I’m their first target. You’re my lawyer—get here now."

Brian asked, "How did they target you? Shooting? That doesn’t sound right."

Hawk replied, "Framing me for assault."

"Oh?" Brian sounded intrigued. "You didn’t actually do it, right?"

"No," Hawk said firmly.

"Got it. I’m on my way," Brian replied.

Austin’s radio crackled. After listening briefly, he told Hawk, "LAPD is here."

Hawk glanced out the window and saw patrol cars below. "Let them in."

Moments later, a male and female officer from the West Division, led by security, entered the office.

The older officer, Nick, immediately recognized Hawk as a friend of his boss, Chief Julian, and LAPD star Erica Ferguson’s boyfriend.

Seeing the officers, Bella ran to them, sobbing, "Please, get me out of here! He assaulted me!" She pointed at Hawk.

Hawk said, "Officers, I’m Hawk Osmond, CEO of Twitter. I’m being framed and slandered by Miss Bella Sein."

Ignoring Bella’s theatrics, he continued, "My office is under surveillance. The footage will make everything clear."

Bella froze, disbelief etched on her face.

Hawk entered an adjoining room, retrieved footage from three minutes before Bella’s entry until the present, and copied it onto storage devices.

He also created additional backups, securing one in a modified safe.

Bella searched the room with her eyes, unable to spot the cameras, clinging to the hope that Hawk was stalling.

Hawk returned, plugged the footage into a laptop, and turned the screen for everyone to see.

As Bella's actions played out on the screen—complete with audio—her face turned pale.

Hawk gestured to Austin and his team, who subtly surrounded Bella.

Her carefully staged plan unraveled before her eyes.

---

---

Austin and Jerry exchanged glances, both wondering to themselves: What kind of hobby does the boss have? Installing such high-resolution cameras in the office—could he be recording everything while doing business with people just to watch it later?

Patrol officer Nick received two notifications from the command platform—both parties involved had called the police.

With the facts now clear, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn’t have to make a difficult decision.

Bella was no longer arguing or causing a scene; she simply stared at Hawk.

When she entered earlier, she had specifically checked the surveillance cameras but found nothing unusual.

This pervert clearly hid the installation—he must have malicious intentions.

Since it was inconvenient for a female officer to restrain the suspect alone, Nick called for backup.

Before long, two female officers arrived. They brought an oversized women’s coat and draped it over Bella before preparing to escort her downstairs.

Bella glared at Hawk. “You’re a pervert! A total pervert!”

The two female officers pushed her out of the office.

Nick took the storage drive Hawk handed him and said, “Mr. Osmond, you’d better come with us as well.”

Hawk replied, “My lawyer will be here shortly. Once I meet up with them, I’ll head to the West Division station as soon as possible.”

Nick acknowledged him with a nod and stayed with Hawk to wait for the lawyer.

Hawk called Austin and the others over. “Word has probably spread through the company. Take a copy of the footage downstairs and let everyone know the full context.”

(End of Chapter) 

*Chapter 180: The Mentally Ill*

Downtown Los Angeles, Financial District.

Hailey sat in the office of the Aon Center, frequently glancing at her phone, but no call came through.

She had already coordinated with the media and feminist organizations aligned with the Blue Party. As soon as Bella Seine caused a stir, these groups would immediately step in, smearing Hawk Osman’s reputation and cementing him as a sexual predator.

The Blue Party had always dominated public opinion, especially in California.

Hailey had used similar tactics more than once.

Though seemingly crude and straightforward, the approach was highly effective—designed specifically to target men, leaving them unable to defend themselves, no matter how many explanations they offered.

As a woman herself, Hailey had focused on women's issues during her time in Sacramento.

The feminist movement in California was thriving, and over the years, she had studied many classic cases in depth.

When women accused men of voyeurism, harassment, or inappropriate behavior, no concrete evidence was needed. All it took was for the woman to speak up, and the man would have to devote all his time, energy, and money to prove his innocence.

Even if the woman’s accusations were proven false, at most, she might say, “I’m sorry,” and sometimes not even that.

If the accusations were accompanied by bruises, torn clothing, or signs of assault, men in a state like California, where public opinion was under the Blue Party’s control, could never wash away the stain, no matter how much they tried.

Take it to court?

Hailey would love for her target to do so. Someone like Hawk Osman would spend a year or more defending against such a lawsuit. Even if he eventually won, it would hardly be worth the effort.

At this thought, she glanced at her phone again.

It had been almost a week since Bella Seine joined the company, but still no updates.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Hailey picked it up and answered, “It’s me. Do you have news?”

At a parking lot near Venice Beach, a man wearing sunglasses sat in a car, watching several patrol cars and other vehicles gradually leave the area in front of Twitter’s office building.

He replied, “It looks like things are moving. Multiple LAPD officers entered Twitter’s offices and escorted a woman out. Hawk Osman also went with them.”

“Keep an eye on things,” Hailey instructed before hanging up. She immediately made another call. “It’s Hailey. There’s a major case at the West Division station. You can go cover it now.”

Elsewhere, a female editor at the Los Angeles Times notified two female reporters.

The pair immediately drove toward the West Division station.

Hailey also contacted a women’s advocacy group to prepare to offer “support” to Bella Seine.

---

*West Los Angeles, West Division Station.*

In the interrogation room, faced with damning video evidence, Bella Seine remained expressionless and simply stated, “My lawyer will be here soon. I won’t answer any questions until they arrive.”

This was her legal right as a suspect.

The officers questioning her didn’t get any answers.

Meanwhile, in the reception room, Hawk finished giving his statement.

As his lawyer, Bryan had reviewed the full video and began formal discussions with the West Division officers.

Bella Seine’s deliberate false accusations against Hawk amounted to a criminal offense. As the victim’s attorney, Bryan demanded fair treatment by the authorities.

Hawk had always maintained a good relationship with the LAPD and even held a senior immunity card.

If Hawk had truly been the perpetrator, the West Division might have considered things differently.

But Hawk was clearly the victim and had ironclad evidence.

The station’s stance was self-evident.

Moreover, Captain Susie from the LAPD’s Media and Public Relations Office at Parker Center had already made a call.

A few minutes later, Erica arrived in a hurry.

Seeing Hawk, she couldn’t help but say, “I expected something like this to happen, but I didn’t think it would be so soon.”

Hawk joked, “After all, I’m a future billionaire.”

With only trusted people in the room, Bryan remarked, “This has nothing to do with being a billionaire—it’s an extension of high-level political battles.”

Erica, familiar with such matters due to her Ferguson family background, looked at her cousin and asked, “Shouldn’t they have targeted you first?”

Bryan, who had always considered himself a primary target, nodded. “I thought so too. By all logic and importance, they should have come after me first.”

Hawk glanced at Bryan without saying anything.

Erica, catching on immediately, turned to her cousin and said, “Could it be that, in their eyes, you’re irrelevant, and Hawk is the real target?”

Bryan fell silent, choosing not to engage further with these two troublemakers.

Hawk broke the silence. “Those idiots sent me a talented programmer who happens to be a corporate spy. It’s infuriating to have something so tempting yet untouchable.”

Erica stifled a laugh.

Given her mother’s involvement, she knew a bit about Hawk’s company and was aware that Twitter was in desperate need of talent.

Seizing the opportunity to tease them, Bryan said, “Why don’t you handle it personally, Hawk? Deal with the spy and make use of their ‘gift.’”

Before he could finish, two piercing glares silenced him, prompting a quick amendment: “Just a suggestion.”

Erica added playfully, “When I take my next vacation, I plan to visit Tijuana. Want to join?”

“Tijuana?” Bryan immediately caught her meaning.

Hawk knocked on the table to refocus them. “Enough jokes. Let’s figure out who’s backing Bella Seine.”

Bryan nodded. “According to the intel, a team from a consulting firm associated with the governor’s office brought someone in. But the leader remains unidentified—they’re operating covertly.”

Erica, angered by the near ruin of Hawk’s reputation, showed her ruthless side. “I’ll find a way to have Bella detained in a men’s holding facility.”

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted their discussion. Bryan opened it to find Captain Julian outside.

Julian entered and said, “Bella Seine’s lawyer has arrived.”

Erica asked directly, “Has anything changed?”

Julian replied, “The lawyer presented a medical record. Over a year ago, Bella was diagnosed with a mental illness at the San Francisco Mental Health Center.”

Hawk shook his head. “She came prepared.”

Julian nodded. “Yes. According to regulations, we can’t detain her in a regular holding cell.”

He added, “Two Los Angeles Times reporters are outside requesting an interview regarding the Twitter CEO’s alleged assault.”

Hawk wasn’t surprised. “They’re fast.”

Bryan chimed in. “If it weren’t for your caution, this situation would have been disastrous.”

Hawk asked, “If mentally ill offenders pose a risk of self-harm, is there a way to place her in a partner mental health facility? We can’t just let her go home and harm herself.”

Bryan recalled the video evidence and pulled up a clip. Pointing at a frame, he said, “Look, Bella picked up Hawk’s pen and made a self-harming gesture. For her safety, LAPD has grounds to take action.”

Erica added, “Severe mental health suspects are sometimes sent to St. Mary’s Mental Health Center.”

Julian rewatched the clip and agreed. “We can cite self-harm concerns to deny bail. Her medical history becomes her admission ticket to St. Mary’s.”

Erica thanked her partner.

Julian, aware of his role and alliances, replied, “Happy to help.”

After he left, Hawk said, “Once she’s admitted, let’s ensure her stay is memorable.”

Erica smirked. “St. Mary’s has individual rooms but mixed-gender housing. Issues occasionally arise—it’s normal.”

Hawk pondered and said, “From a psychological angle, surround her with high-level individuals. If she’s not truly mentally ill, she might find the experience quite unique.”

Erica noted, “I remember a few high-profile cases there. They’ll definitely welcome a new neighbor.”

Bryan rolled his eyes at the pair, muttering under his breath about their shared ruthlessness.

He made a call to expedite Bella’s transfer to the mental health facility.

Meanwhile, Hawk contacted Edward to release an official Twitter statement.

He also called Susie to coordinate LAPD’s clarification.

Within half an hour, Hawk left the station through a private exit, accompanied by Bryan.

The waiting reporters from the Los Angeles Times left empty-handed, returning to the office after being informed that both Twitter and LAPD had made official statements and released video evidence.

This wasn’t a case of a male boss assaulting a female employee. It was a clear-cut case of a female employee falsely accusing her male superior.

(End of Chapter)