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
Lauren insisted on driving me back home as I left the Vanderberg Palace. I grabbed a couple of fresh outfits and asked her to take me to the airport.During the ride, I made calls to both Ryan and Grayson. Grayson offered, "I can accompany you, you know. Are you sure you want to go alone?""Your mission is more crucial. Finding evidence is the key to victory. I'll be fine on my own. Trust me," I earnestly advised Grayson.The remorse in Ryan’s voice was clear.I was not worried about the company with Ryan in charge, but he was not good at complicated relationships. His time abroad had dulled his understanding of complex interpersonal dynamics.Teasingly, I said to Lauren, "Your ideas are truly classic. Why do I feel like you're such a smooth operator?"She glanced at me and retorted, "Who's the smooth operator here? You're just too close to the situation. Your brain is leagues ahead of the rest of us. "In my opinion, you've let the company stagnate in the years Matthew ran it