In the meantime, inside the VIP suite of the South Business Club.Soft music played in the background, and the air reeked of luxury and confidence. Sharon stood straight, chin raised, as she respectfully placed the bag on the table and slid it toward Lawson.Her voice carried unmistakable pride. “Mr. Sultan, Mr. Dawn, I have smuggled out the sample and the confidential information on the liver cancer vaccine developed by Rift Group, exactly as requested.”The moment the bag landed on the table, Lawson and Badan exchanged looks.Their eyes lit up.Lawson was the first to break into laughter. “Hahaha. Excellent work, Sharon. Truly impressive.” He leaned back in his chair, satisfaction written all over his face. “Once our laboratory finishes testing the vaccine sample and confirms the data, I will personally transfer the promised one billion to you immediately.”Sharon’s heart pounded.“T-thank you so much, Mr. Sultan,” she said hurriedly, bowing slightly. Her voice trembled despite her

The moment those words left Sharon’s mouth, Selena’s face drained of color.She stared at Sharon as if she were looking at a stranger. The person standing in front of her no longer resembled the considerate friend she once trusted. Every sentence Sharon spoke now felt like a blade, sharp and deliberate.Before Selena could say anything, Jenny completely lost her composure.She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Sharon, do you have no shame at all?” Jenny snapped, her voice trembling with anger. “Have you already forgotten who helped you when you were at your lowest?”Sharon raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.Jenny continued, unable to hold back anymore. “You couldn’t even afford your rent when you were unemployed. You were about to get evicted. President Verrick was the one who gave you this job. She trusted you and even offered you an annual income of five hundred thousand when no one else would give you a chance.”Her eyes reddened as she went on.

Jaden looked at her with undisguised contempt and spoke calmly, “Are you sure Obsidian Corporation is going to produce a liver cancer vaccine instead of glucose solution?”The room fell silent.Sharon froze for a split second before snapping back, “What do you mean?”Jaden let out a soft chuckle, his expression relaxed, almost amused. “Nothing much. I’m just telling you the truth. The sample you smuggled out of Rift Group was plain glucose solution. It was never a vaccine to begin with.”The words landed like a bomb.Everyone in the conference room stiffened.“What?”“That’s impossible…”“Glucose solution?”Selena stared at Jaden in shock, her eyes widening. “Jaden, are you serious?”Her voice trembled, but beneath the disbelief was a surge of relief she could not hide.“Yes,” Jaden replied without hesitation. “I noticed something was off when she started acting strangely. From that moment on, I had people watching her. Before she ever left the building, the real sample and the authen

She knelt before Selena, her pride completely crushed, and cried uncontrollably. “President Verrick, please… please do me one more favor. We’re best friends, right? We grew up together. You can’t just watch me die like this.”Her voice cracked as she grabbed Selena’s sleeve desperately. “I have to return Lawson his money. If I don’t, I’m finished. Completely finished.”Everyone in the room understood one thing clearly. No matter what happened next, Sharon and Selena could never go back to what they once were. That bridge had already been burned. Trampled. Reduced to ashes by Sharon’s own hands.Yet Selena hesitated.Her heart softened despite her reason screaming at her to stay firm. Memories surfaced against her will. The two of them studying late into the night. Sharing meals. Confiding secrets. Supporting each other when life was at its worst. Sharon had once been the person Selena trusted most.Even after the betrayal, Selena could not bring herself to completely abandon her, not

In response, Selena shot Jaden a sharp glare and snapped, “Jaden, you’re such a rascal!”Before he could react, she lifted her heel and kicked him lightly, more annoyed than angry.Jaden froze on the spot.It took him a few seconds to process what had just happened. When realization finally hit him, his expression stiffened. Only then did he understand how badly his words had come across.So that’s how it sounded.His lips parted, but no explanation came out. He could only sigh inwardly. I didn’t mean it like that, okay?Trying to explain it now would only make things worse. Sometimes, silence really was the safest option.At the same time, far away in the Obsidian Business Club, Lawson was in the middle of another explosive tantrum.The luxurious private room was filled with the sound of smashing glass. A crystal ashtray shattered against the wall, fragments scattering across the carpet. Badan stood off to the side with a grim expression, not daring to intervene.Lawson paced back an