In the hospital.

Terry, barely opening his eyes, woke up after three long weeks of recovery following his operation. His gaze was fixated on the ceiling, but it was evident that his eyes were filled with hopelessness and despair.

As the reality of his situation sunk in, Terry couldn't help but question his own actions. "Why did I do that?" he murmured to himself, his voice trembling with emotion. The memory of the incident that resulted in him getting shot was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't shake off the regret and the pain.

The weight of his mistakes seemed to bear down on him as he lay there, alone with his thoughts. The once energetic and carefree Terry was now a shadow of his former self, consumed by the consequences of his actions.

Just as he was about to continue to berate himself for doing that and thinking of ways to save himself, someone entered the room but since he could not turn due to his body still being in pain he could do nothing but wait for the person to move to him so that he knows who he or she is

"You seem to have awakened and are healing quite well," a voice spoke as the person drew nearer to him.

At the sound of the voice, Terry's hope was instantly rekindled, as he recognized it to be that of Charlotte - the secretary of the man he was spying on.

Though it was a struggle to speak due to the painful bullet wounds on his chest that were still healing and making it difficult for him to breathe, he forced himself to respond. "Yes, miss," he managed to say.

"Good, that means you can hear and comprehend what I'm going to tell you now," she said.

Terry couldn't shake off the ominous feeling that gripped him, as he detected a foreboding tone in Charlotte's voice as she spoke to him. The unease that settled within him only added to his already considerable discomfort.

After Terry gave a nod, Charlotte proceeded to speak. "Once you're fully healed, the head of the family will have a discussion with you. You'll serve as an example to all of the workers, and it's crucial that you remember to never speak about Sir Arieh, regardless of what they do to you. If you fail to comply, your parents and relatives will face the consequences," she threatened, her tone menacing.

Upon hearing this, Terry was overcome with an intense desire to scream at Charlotte for abandoning him after using him for over four years, under a promise that had yet to be fulfilled.

However, before Terry could even attempt to voice his thoughts, Charlotte turned and left without waiting for his response. She seemed confident that her warning would be enough to keep Terry from ever mentioning Sir Arieh's name, especially if he cared about the safety of his family. Terry was left alone, with only his thoughts and pain for company.

"You are abandoning me now!!!" Terry shouted in his mind, afraid that if he attempted to voice his thoughts aloud, he might rupture and reopen his wounds.

With the realization that his hopes of receiving aid from Sir Arieh were now dashed, Terry was overcome with a sense of desperation. He began to frantically consider alternative ways to save himself, knowing that he was now on his own. The weight of his circumstances bore down on him, and he was filled with a mix of fear, anxiety, and determination to survive.

...

Alexander was in his workroom back home in Eden, having returned about two weeks ago from attending meetings with other revolutionary leaders.

In front of him, his laptop was open, displaying the news that had been announced earlier that day.

[

A TELECOMMUNICATION JUGGERNAUT IS BEING BORN

The four major companies, TeleSignal, ComBros, Theory Telecom, and PeakPitch had been bought out for a whopping $150 million and were now in the process of being consolidated into one giant corporation named CONNECT.

The new company aims to provide high-quality and affordable internet connectivity to every corner of the country.

The spokesperson of the company stated that the company planned to invest more than $100 million to modernize the infrastructure, which would result in internet connection speeds almost triple the current speed and allowing everyone to have access to high-speed internet.

While some people raised concerns about the potential consequences of having a single entity control the internet connections of an entire country, the government seemed to have approved this consolidation as a way to improve the infrastructure inorder to attract further investments.

The new company also pledged not to increase prices before they were permitted by the government and would be subject to government regulations to ensure that they adhered to their promise.

Consolidation of telecommunication companies can have several benefits, such as more efficient use of resources and economies of scale, resulting in lower costs for consumers. Consolidation can also lead to more innovation and research and development, resulting in better quality products and services.

However, consolidation can also lead to monopolization, resulting in higher prices and lack of innovation.

Consumers can voice their concerns to the government and regulatory bodies to ensure that the new company adheres to its promise of providing high-quality and affordable internet connectivity to every corner of the country.

]

Alexander felt his heart rate increase significantly when he read the article, as he finally believed that Aron had really chosen to keep his promise.

Alexander felt a surge of hope when he learned that they had obtained the dictator's permission to buy the company a few weeks ago. However, without seeing any progress, he didn't dare to believe it would happen. Today, seeing the news article confirming the purchase, he finally realized that the countdown to the liberation of their country had officially begun.

Alexander knew what Aron planned for the telecommunication company beyond just providing affordable and high-quality internet connectivity.

This was why he was so excited after reading the news article, as he knew that the company's acquisition was a crucial step in their plan to overthrow the dictator and bring about a new era of freedom in their country.

"Now how are you going to handle the other revolutionary leaders who will try to block you when you start to use the telecommunication company to its fullest?" Alexander asked Aron, despite him not being within the room to answer him.

It was just his curiosity, as he was not seeing any way to do so without turning all the members in their groups into enemies unless he assassinated them and blamed it to the dictator, but that would not be the best choice.

Alexander sighed and turned back to his work, but his mind kept wandering to the possibilities of a free and just country. He couldn't wait for the day when they would finally be able to break free from the dictator's grip and build a society that truly cared for its citizens.

....

Rina paced nervously inside her office, alone with her thoughts. Hoping and praying that the plan she had come up with, along with Nova's help, had worked.

Her anxiety was understandable, as it was the first time her plan (along with Nova's) was being executed without her being present to oversee it.

Rina's confidence in her plan wavered as this was the first time she was not present to oversee its execution, which made her nervous.

This was understandable, especially since she had gained her confidence from using the plans to force the board members to swear their allegiance to her.

She continued pacing back and forth in her office until there was a knock on the door. Quickly, she composed herself and walked over to her chair before calling out, "Come in," and welcoming the visitor inside.

"What's up?" Rina asked Chloe after she entered the office.

"We received a letter from the head house" Chloe answered, showing the letter in her hand as she approached Rina and handed it to her.

Rina took the letter from Chloe and quickly opened it to see its contents.

When Rina saw the heading of the letter, which said "Appointment Letter," she immediately stood up and hugged Chloe in happiness. Chloe was surprised but still hugged Rina back, even though she didn't know what had made Rina so happy.

"What is it, miss?" Chloe finally asked Rina after they separated from the hug.

"I finally got a position back in one of the family companies," Rina said excitedly.

When Chloe heard the explanation, she hugged Rina back in excitement. She had felt quite sad for her boss when she was relieved of all her posts in the family companies.

Riina did not stop her hug but also hugged her back again. After an awkward short moment followed, Chloe bid farewell to Rina and left her Alone in the room.

[Congrats on getting a position once again] Ava congratulated Rina after they were left alone.

"No, it was all thanks to you, your mother, and Aron's help," Rina humbly replied to Ava's congratulations.

[You're the one who worked hard to accomplish and bring the plan to life. All we did was give you the tools and guidance, but you did it yourself, Rina,] Ava said back to Rina, who was giving them all the credit.

"Thanks for saying that" Rina expressed her gratitude to Ava for her kind words, as she had started to feel like she was simply being used as Aron's pawn and was losing her independence and free will.

Ava's words made Rina realize that despite the plans given to her by others, she always had the choice to follow them or not. She also came to the realization that she was benefiting the most from their cooperation and that she was becoming selfish.