Riley turned her head to the side and looked at Martin again.There was nothing particularly special about him, yet the possibility kept circling in her mind.This man might look extremely ordinary.But that was exactly what strengthened her suspicion."That’s right. That must be the reason. There’s no way Mr. Garvey would come here without someone backing him."That was what she believed.Besides, Riley knew that Alfred had always worked for powerful figures."If he had sent Mr. Garvey to acquire this company, did that mean Mr. Hamilton himself had received instructions from someone else?"Riley didn’t know who that person was.But if she were to guess, it would be someone who could not be underestimated—not even by people from the upper class like herself.“Mr. Garvey, please forgive me,” Riley said.“But are saying you came here at Mr. Hamilton’s request?”If this man nodded, she would have no reason to retreat anymore.“If that’s truly the case, I can understand you. You don’t ne

When George saw Riley looking straight at the shareholder he hated most, he finally realized that the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.“You think you can threaten me with empty words like that?” George scoffed.“What can a child like you possibly do? Before you were even born, I was already ruling this city. No one can do anything to me. No one can touch me.”He then shifted his gaze toward James.“You think you can work together with this girl to push me out?”“Her father may be extremely wealthy, but he won’t lift a finger to help you. You’re alone in this war.”Hearing that, Michael couldn’t help but sneer.He had always been on James’s side.All this time, he had merely been waiting for the chance to repay what George had done to the company’s founder.When Zac arrived earlier, he had nearly lost hope.But now—seeing the situation turn around—his blood began to boil with excitement.The day was not over yet.There was still something he could do to prevent the

“Mr. Garvey, please forgive us.”The two of them stood up from their seats and bowed toward Martin.“We made a huge mistake by not trusting you. We also said things that were completely inappropriate. We are the ones who deserve to be called foolish—utterly foolish. We sincerely apologize.”“Please, take your seats again.”Martin raised both hands, signaling for them to sit back down.“I didn’t come here to cause trouble, let alone make enemies. I’m only interested in doing business with you.”Hearing Martin’s response, they felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from their chests.Smiling broadly, they spoke again.“We’re willing to sell our shares. But…”The two of them glanced at each other before continuing.“Are you willing to pay us the same amount you paid Mr. Talbot?”Martin chuckled softly.“Of course.”He began typing on his phone once again.“Five hundred million transferred to the company account under the names of Mr. … and Mr. …”What?Once again, the room fell

“Martin.”A voice called out from behind him.When he turned around, Riley was running toward him.“I don’t know how you did it, but I’m really happy.”When Riley reached Martin, she slightly opened her arms, spreading them just a little. She really wanted to hug him.But seeing that the man simply stood there, smiling calmly at her, Riley pulled her hands back to her sides.“Thank you,” she said. “If it weren’t for your help, I might never have gotten it.”Riley wasn’t just thanking Martin for helping her obtain the shares.More than that, this man had helped her find the courage that had long been buried deep in her heart.Courage that made her no longer afraid to face Zac—or anyone else.Without saying it out loud, Riley felt deeply indebted to him.“Miss Maddox, it was nothing,” Martin said, shaking his head. “If anything, I should be the one thanking you for helping me.”“No. You don’t need to thank me for anything.”Riley shook her head as she continued to look at him.“Oh, righ

“Sir, should I go now?”Through the phone line, Alfred asked Martin.According to the plan, after Martin successfully acquired Palm Coast, Alfred would approach the Hayes family to negotiate over the oak forest land.“No. Not now. Wait for my next instruction.”“But sir,” Alfred replied, “I’ve heard that the Hayes is desperately trying to find a buyer. I’m just worried we might fall behind if we don’t act immediately.”“They won’t find anyone. The Mercers will block anyone from getting close to them.”Martin answered with certainty.His experience with the people in the boardroom had given him a crucial clue.If a company as large as Palm Coast was powerless in front of the Mercers, then almost no company in this city would dare to make a deal with the Hayes.“I have a feeling the Mercers will make a move,” Martin continued. “But not today.”After Zac’s failure to acquire Palm Coast’s shares, the Mercers certainly wouldn’t want to lose a second time.Still, this time, they would move