"Hey, how many folks are here for the meal? Most are curious to see Matthew's son! Initially, it was all a setup by Liora. She knew what kind of situation Melanie was in when she gave birth!""So it was Liora?" I had thought it was Stella behind this."Keegan has officially become a shareholder in Ardora Construction and invested a whopping seven million dollars. He even brought in a major project! That's why Matthew's head is in the clouds right now!""That’s why Matthew mentioned he has two major projects on hand. Seems like it's true.”Johnson was a bit disgruntled as he grumbled, "Some people have all the luck, even the small-minded ones.""That's not necessarily true!" I retorted.I was secretly overjoyed because this was fantastic news. It would be ideal if Keegan was in charge of Matthew's projects.I wanted to make these three forces unbeatable. This was all thanks to Liora's trap today. She helped me make up my mind.Little did I know that plans were about to change, a

Grayson looked at me as if he had entertained a similar suspicion. Then, he asked, "So, who fell off the cliff? There were witnesses and physical evidence. Even Mr. Atlas saw it with his own eyes!""How could this be?" I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.It was more of a mutter to myself, but suddenly, a memory surged. It was something Atlas had said to me. I recalled him telling me, "Annalise means nothing to anyone, especially not to me!" In light of Grayson's words, Atlas's statement held a different meaning. It appeared that Atlas was keeping something from me. He had said he would reveal it once the clues connected. Coupled with Grayson's revelations, I was now thoroughly convinced that the information they had found didn't add up."What about Rory? Any leads on him?"This man held a certain allure for me. After all, he was Stella's father. Plus, I sensed a certain distance in Stella's attitude toward her parents. It wasn't just indifference but a kind of numbne

The news, to be honest, left me quite unsettled. I immediately sought out Atticus for more details.Atticus's tone was grave. "Yes, I just got this information and called you immediately. I hope you're mentally prepared. Be extra cautious with the projects at ATL Empire. If possible, it's best to disengage from them. This way, you can cut your losses in time." I quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road, listening intently to his call."Why would they want to replace Nick?" I found it hard to believe this news.After all, Nick had been with the Torado headquarters for so long, and his reputation was excellent. Moreover, he had been under Atlas's father's leadership. That was why he had put so much effort into supporting Atlas. Even when we first met, I mistook Atlas for his assistant.How could Celine dare to go after Nick? My heart raced, and I couldn't help but wonder if my actions had affected Nick. After all, Celine was a schemer and narrow-minded. If Nick had

The news from ATL Empire was indeed shocking. They not only replaced Nick, but several other key positions were shuffled as well.Just then, Celine suddenly made Atlas's condition public and even released a photo of him in a coma.Reality was harsher than I expected. As soon as I received the news, I called Nick. His demeanor remained calm and gentle, not avoiding the truth."Mr. Nick, I'm sorry. Is this my fault?" I sincerely apologize to Nick. I felt a heavy weight in my heart."It relates to your situation, but the outcome was inevitable. So, you need not blame yourself." Nick didn't sound reproachful, which made me feel even more guilty."Well... How is Atlas?""There's still no sign of him waking up, but one day he will," Nick stated firmly. "No one can replace his position.""Yes... Mr. Nick, if there's any news about him, please let me know.”"Of course."I sensed he didn't have much more to say, so I reluctantly hung up. Observing the garden through the window, my hear

When he entered my office, his demeanor was genuinely repulsive. It was as if he owned the place, inspecting every corner as if it were his home.The fault was mine. When I took over, I prioritized convenience over renovations. The office remained exactly as it was, untouched.After his inspection, he settled into the sofa, looking at me confidently. He said, "Chloe, you're quite sentimental. It’s obvious from this office. You've never had the heart to change the look. Do you feel like I'm still here?"I let out a cold hum and silently cursed in my heart. The villain thought he was the cream of the crop. Even the way he sat was so smug.I looked at him indifferently, unwilling to engage with his antics. "Alright, what brings you here?""Let's not beat around the bush. I've got too many projects on hand, and they keep pouring in. I can't let such a good opportunity slip away to someone else. That's why I'm here to talk to you. How about merging our companies?"He swayed his

I knew Matthew didn’t expect me to appear so calm while telling him to get lost. It must’ve been a great insult to him since he looked so embarrassed.“Chloe, I came to talk things out with you. You can make amends or face the consequences of defying me. You can choose if this is a friendly discussion or a warning.Suddenly, someone opened my office door. Ryan entered, asking, “Who’s speaking with such authority? Tell me, where are you planning to move to?”Matthew’s lips twitched when he saw Ryan. The former regained his arrogant composure and retaliated, “I didn’t expect to see my senior from college here.”Matthew knew Ryan well, especially when Matthew pursued me in school. Ryan had taken good care of me then. Therefore, Matthew had been wary of him until I accepted Matthew as my boyfriend.Ryan glanced at Matthew and said, “You just mentioned moving, right? Where to?”Ryan confidently sat at the main seat and looked Matthew in the eyes, saying, “The difference between a man

I had been preoccupied with Atlas’s injuries these days and neglected work. Ryan noticed my skepticism and smiled, saying, “I’m confident we can succeed.”“How are you confident about this? Are you saying..." I hesitated in making assumptions."Unless something unexpected happens, then yes." Ryan grinned.I stared at him, dumbfounded. Considering his calm demeanor, he didn’t appear to be joking. I cautiously asked, “Are you saying we might secure phase two?”Ryan nodded with a smile. "Why not? Who says we can't secure a major project?""Are you serious?" I felt elated. "Were you working on this all along? I wondered why you were rarely around."“You wouldn’t have trusted me with this job if I sat around all day hoping for projects to come to me. We can't let Matthew win,” Ryan said smugly.I laughed, "Haha! Tell me the details. How’d you manage to get in touch with them? If we secure this, we'll have a smooth road ahead."Ryan explained the process to me in detail. Evidently, w

It was survival of the fittest in the business world, and I was determined to make Liora relent. If I didn’t, it would be over for me.Conveniently, Matthew's groundbreaking ceremony had just concluded. I thought it was the right time to put my plan into action.Ryan assured me, "You can get a good night's sleep this time. I’ll consider us established in Foswood once we have the capital to be independent.”I wholeheartedly agreed with his sentiment.However, ATL Empire added to my pressure when the retested inspection reports returned. Surprisingly, they showed elevated levels of harmful substances, rendering the project non-compliant.Immediately after, ATL Empire ordered all remaining construction to halt. If we couldn’t resolve it, the project would never continue. Since we sold all the units, I would be in serious trouble if the homeowners complained.ATL Empire didn’t give me a chance to address the issue. The work stoppage was just the first step. Then, they sent an outrage

Atticus quickly answered the call. He said hoarsely, "Hmm, Ms. Chloe? What's the matter?"I glanced at Lauren, and she nodded reassuringly, urging me to speak."Um... are you at the company? I'd like to discuss something with you," I said, still lacking confidence."Sure, go to Vanderberg Palace. I'll be there in a while," he responded promptly.I felt dazed because I did not know what Vanderberg Palace was. Lauren saw my confusion and patted my hand, signaling me to end the call."All right, see you later," I replied awkwardly before hanging up. Then I turned to Lauren and said, “I don’t know where Vanderberg Palace is.”Lauren laughed at me mockingly. I felt embarrassed and asked, “Hey! Why are you laughing?!”“Because I know where it is. Hahaha,” Lauren continued to tease me, “I should’ve driven you around more when we had nothing to do. You should have some fun driving around. Geez, you embarrass me sometimes.”Soon after, we arrived in front of a tranquil courtyard. Lauren

Atticus showed no surprise and nodded. “Go ahead.”I explained my purpose and then looked at him, asking, "Can you give me some advice?"Atticus didn't respond directly. Instead, he contemplated momentarily before saying, "I can't help you with this."My mind went blank, and my heart dropped. I realized I might’ve been too hopeful since I wasn’t close to Atticus. It was unrealistic for him to help me for no reason. As I was about to provide a way out for myself, Atticus continued, “However, I can offer a suggestion.”I looked at him in surprise and waited for him to continue."Do you know Pinnacle Group?" he asked.I nodded. Pinnacle Group was the country's leading company and the most renowned real estate brand. They had properties worldwide and were well-known for their quality."Go to them. Their building materials undergo rigorous selection and meet national standards. I noticed the items you used identified as non-compliant are the same ones they use. Wouldn't that be quite