A dark, triumphant smile soon returned to his face, wiping away the brief flicker of unease that had clouded his mind.​Alex Crown, that arrogant, pathetic fool! Dennis thought to himself, a thrill of pure malice coursing through his veins. Alex had actually allowed himself to be provoked so easily into storming out, throwing a dramatic tantrum and leaving everything behind over a single staged incident on the street. It was nothing short of a heaven-sent, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity handed to him on a silver platter!​Dennis understood with absolute clarity that he had to make full, ruthless use of Alex's impulsive departure. He had to seize this golden chance, perform exceptionally well during this critical military inspection, and gradually make Selena Sterling become completely accustomed to relying on him for every single operational need instead.​Step by step, day by day, he intended to erase Alex Crown's lingering influence, memory, and presence from Selena's heart complete

Clara had long heard of Dennis's glowing reputation within the corporate tower. Among all the ambitious new hires who had joined the company over the past year, he was undeniably the one most favored, pampered, and protected by President Selena Sterling herself. There were even rampant, whispered rumors spreading through every breakroom that Selena secretly preferred Dennis over her own husband, Alex Crown, indulging his every whim and taking his side in every dispute. Among the newer, younger employees, this scandalous dynamic was hardly a secret at all.​Clara calculated the situation rapidly in her head. If she could proactively establish a close, loyal working relationship with Dennis right now—becoming his trusted right-hand woman on this project—there would be nothing but endless promotions, bonuses, and prestige waiting for her in the near future!​Seeing that someone had finally stepped up to openly support his bold ideas, Dennis Doom felt even more energized, vindicated, and

She repeatedly took every single opportunity during department huddles and corridor chats to openly belittle Alex Crown's past approach as completely outdated, cowardly, and overly conservative. Holding her digital tablet high like a badge of honor, Clara strutted between the testing benches, her voice loud and full of sharp, mocking contempt for the man who was no longer there to defend himself. "Honestly, looking at the old logs, it’s unbelievable how much time was wasted under the previous management," Clara scoffed loudly, making sure the entire room could hear her sharp words. "Alex Crown kept this entire department moving at a snail's pace because he was simply too frightened to push boundaries! Look at what we’ve done under Mr. Doom's leadership! Within just a few short days, we have successfully completed full parameter recalibration, extensive process optimization, and comprehensive production-line improvements! In less than a single week, we have accomplished what Alex Crow