The taxi sped steadily along the road and arrived at its destination half an hour later, stopping in an alley on Gaoxin Road. Sean paid the fare and got out of the car, walking into the secluded alley. Serena Sterling slowly lifted her head from the driver’s seat. Through the windshield, she looked ahead and saw that a figure in black was already waiting in the alley. Sean walked over and whispered something to the black-clad figure. A clear and sharp fragment of light flashed in Serena’s bright eyes. This black-clad figure was not Seth Sullivan; could it be a trusted subordinate of his? Her guess was correct. Sean was indeed the variable at the media conference. It was apparent that Sean’s feelings for Tiana Ford were genuine, but the fact that Seth could make Sean stand out and publicly tear into Tiana showed that Seth was someone who could masterfully manipulate and hypnotize people! Seth even knew the secret of Tiana’s feelings for Old Man Knight. What mysterious power was he hiding? Serena felt both wary and apprehensive of Seth. The human heart has been the most fickle since ancient times, and for Seth to be able to manipulate it with such ease was truly terrifying. She did not feeling at all; she deeply disliked being spied on by Seth. She wanted to catch Seth with her own hands! At this moment, the black-clad figure in the alley turned his head and directly saw Serena. The black-clad figure hesitated for a moment, clearly not expecting Serena to be there. He finished his conversation with Sean and quickly turned to leave. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet Serena immediately opened the driver’s door and ran out, but the black-clad figure had already vanished without a trace, as if he had never appeared. In frustration, Serena stomped her foot. She hadn’t caught Seth! Now she could only wait for him to show up next time. Serena turned and left. With Serena gone, the black-clad figure emerged from a dark corner. He took out his phone and dialed a number while watching Serena’s direction as she disappeared. Very quickly, the call connected, and the black-clad figure reported in a low voice, "Palace Master, Miss Sterling pulled a move like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. She disguised herself as a driver and followed me. I almost got exposed." Seth Sullivan’s clear voice slowly conveyed from the other end, "She is not an ordinary girl. Be extremely cautious when dealing with her in the future. Once the matter is handled, return." "Yes, Palace Master." The black-clad figure disappeared into the alley. The Knight family took emergency public relations measures and immediately issued a legal statement, declaring that the Academy of Sciences had severed all ties with Tiana Ford and made the decisive decision to expel her from the academy due to her numerous misdeeds. The Knight family’s PR team was quite strong. Besides deleting and blocking current online discussions, they also hired online influencers to guide public opinion. They managed to quell the situation quickly. However, the gossip about Old Man Knight and Tiana still got spun into little stories, becoming a topic for idle chatter in the City of Aethelgard. Now, when people think of Old Man Knight, their first thought isn’t that he is the honorable dean of the Academy of Sciences but his little romantic stories. Serena later heard that Old Man Knight threw a huge tantrum, overturning everything in his office. She simply smiled it off. Old Man Knight had once embroiled her in a scandal with several men, so she decided to return the favor with a widely circulated colorful story, becoming an indelible stain on him! With this matter settled, Serena focused on how to get the key that Yvonne Knight possessed, which had become a priority. On this day, Serena received a call from Old Mrs. Rathborne. Serena answered the call, "Hello, Old Mrs. Rathborne." "Serena girl," the loving voice of Old Mrs. Rathborne quickly came through, "In a couple of days, it will be my eightieth birthday. The Rathborne family will host a birthday party. Serena girl, you must come over to celebrate with me." Old Mrs. Rathborne invited her to attend the birthday party at the Rathborne family. Serena’s eyes lit up. She had been fretting over how to enter the Rathborne home to find the key, and now the opportunity presented itself. Although she was taking advantage of Old Mrs. Rathborne’s affection for her, she would sincerely celebrate her birthday! "Old Mrs. Rathborne, happy birthday in advance. Since you have invited me, I will definitely be there on time." Old Mrs. Rathborne was immediately elated, "Wonderful, Serena girl. I knew you would come. I’ve already sent someone over with an evening gown for you. Remember to check it out." Old Mrs. Rathborne had already sent over an evening gown? At this moment, Iris Blue entered with an exquisite box, "Serena, how come people have been sending you things frequently these days? Just now, another box arrived." This must be the evening gown sent by Old Mrs. Rathborne! "Mom, let me open it and see." Serena got up, walked to the bed, and opened the exquisite box. Inside the box lay a deep blue, strap-style starry evening gown, simple and exquisite in design, embellished with star after star, breathtakingly beautiful. Iris exclaimed, "Oh my God, this evening gown is so gorgeous, Serena. The size seems perfectly tailored for you." Serena also marveled at the gown’s beauty. It takes a long time to tailor a custom evening gown. Could it be that Old Mrs. Rathborne had been preparing this for quite some time? Serena felt even more guilty. How could she repay Old Mrs. Rathborne for her immense kindness? Serena went to the radio station and, from a distance, saw Annette Rathborne surrounded by a group of girls who were chattering and gazing at Annette with excitement and envy. Annette, in a few days, it will be your grandmother’s eightieth birthday. As the Rathborne family’s little princess, your evening gown will surely be beautiful, right? Annette swept away the gloom of past days, her pretty face showing a proud smile, "Yes, let me tell you a secret. My grandmother had a royal embroiderer custom-make a starry evening gown for me!" "A starry evening gown? Wow!" The girls’ eyes sparkled. "My grandmother didn’t tell me about the starry gown. I accidentally found it in her room. She probably wanted to give me a big surprise. My grandmother really dotes on me!" The grand celebration of Old Mrs. Rathborne’s 80th birthday was a momentous event in the City of Aethelgard. As the Rathborne family’s little princess, Annette naturally returned to the dazzling spotlight. Her gowns for past parties had also been custom-made. Yesterday, when she entered her grandmother’s room, she stumbled upon the starry gown! At this moment, Annette looked up and saw Serena already approaching. She immediately smirked, "Serena Sterling, you’ll attend my grandmother’s 80th birthday party, right?" Annette eagerly anticipated Serena’s participation in the party. Not long ago, her grandmother had visited the Sterling family to give Serena a boost. But this time, Annette wanted everyone to clearly see who was the wild bird and who was the phoenix!