2025-10-27 17:37:59In the most luxurious top-floor office of the DeGrand Group, a woman of striking elegance rose swiftly to her feet, gesturing for several security personnel to follow her. She then strode into the elevator and stabbed the button for the first floor.
Her face was grave and deathly pale, her eyes fixed on the descending floor numbers as if willing the elevator to reach the ground floor instantly.
But at the 8th floor, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. The secretary outside spotted Ivy and bowed her head with delight and deference. "Miss Harrington, I've successfully brought the VIP up. We're saved!"
Miss Harrington had repeatedly instructed her that once they secured this important guest, their current crisis would be resolved!
But the moment she finished speaking, the secretary felt an inexplicable chill wash over her. She looked up in confusion, only to be met with the horrifying sight of Miss Harrington glaring at her in fury.
"I just received a call from our VIP guest. He sounded extremely displeased and said he's still waiting on the first floor. Bianca, who the hell did you bring up?!"
What!
Bianca's mind went blank. She had brought up the wrong people! If this angered their VIP, then she, then she...
SLAP!
Ivy struck her secretary hard across the face, leaving a vivid handprint on her cheek!
"What are you standing there for? Get downstairs with me right now and apologize to our guest!"
The secretary finally snapped back to reality in terror. Ignoring the stinging pain on her face, she quickly lowered her head and hurried to stand behind Ivy, drenched in cold sweat, not daring to look up.
The elevator doors slammed shut. When they opened again, she saw the man she had barely glanced at earlier now calmly sweeping his gaze over her before fixing it directly on her boss, Ivy.
Ivy moved forward, her high heels clicking urgently across the marble floor. Bianca followed uneasily as Ivy strode straight up to the man, then watched in mounting dread as Ivy's body tensed and she bowed slightly in apology.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Ivy's cheek and dropped to the ground.
"Mr. Smith, I sincerely apologize for my tardiness. My secretary failed to receive you properly. Please forgive us!"
With that, Ivy shot Bianca a pointed look. Bianca immediately rushed forward and dropped to her knees before Mr. Smith with a thud, her heart pounding wildly.
"Mr. Smith! Please forgive me. I—I was blind and foolish. I didn't recognize your identity. It was all my fault. Please, don't hold this mistake against me..."
But to the secretary's despair, Donald glanced at her and said nothing.
The secretary felt her hope crumble.
Just then, Ivy suddenly stepped forward, her figure casting a shadow over her. Then Ivy pointed to the red, swollen handprint on her face.
"Mr. Smith, I've already disciplined this foolish subordinate of mine on your behalf. So perhaps..."
Ivy looked at Donald with a mixture of tension and anticipation.
For a moment, Donald simply maintained an impassive exterior while regarding Ivy with a hint of appreciation beneath the surface.
He had only used the secretary incident as a way to observe how Ivy treated those around her. Now he got it.
On the surface, she was being ruthlessly harsh with her secretary, but in reality, she was doing everything in her power to protect her.
Moreover, her beauty surpassed Jane's in every aspect—both in refinement and sharpness. No wonder the warden said there wasn't a man in Boston worthy of Ivy's attention.
The corner of Donald's mouth curved into a faint smile. His voice was calm yet cutting.
"It's nothing. I'm not so easily rattled. What I want to know…" His eyes locked onto hers. "…is what you want from me."
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Chapter 213
Donald stood beside the window, looking down at the glowing streets. His mind worked rapidly, piecing together every detail Marcus had given him earlier.The attempt to acquire Ivy’s company shares had not been random.It was deliberate.And Donald knew exactly who was behind it.Marcus entered the office again, holding a tablet.“Sir,” he said, “our investigation team traced the investment firm that attempted to buy Ivy’s company shares.”Donald turned.“And?”Marcus handed him the tablet.“It leads back to a network of shell companies.”Donald glanced through the files.“Of course,” he said quietly.Marcus continued, “But one of the financial routes connects indirectly to a holding group previously associated with the Lewis family.”Donald’s jaw tightened.“So it is them.”Marcus nodded.“They’re moving carefully. They’re not attacking you directly. Instead, they’re trying to weaken people around you.”Donald walked back to his desk slowly.“That means they’re desperate.”Marcus loo
Chapter 212
Inside the Harrington headquarters, the atmosphere was focused and disciplined. Donald had ordered that no one celebrate prematurely. For him, victory was not a moment of excitement—it was a position that had to be defended carefully.Marcus entered Donald’s office that morning with a stack of fresh reports.“Sir,” he said, placing them on the desk, “the market has reacted strongly. DeGrand’s value has increased nearly twelve percent since the announcement.”Donald glanced through the documents calmly.“That’s expected,” he said. “Stability always attracts confidence.”Marcus nodded. “Investors believe the company is safer under Harrington leadership.”Donald leaned back in his chair.“Good. But confidence is fragile. One mistake, and the market will panic again. We must show the world that DeGrand is not just stable—it’s stronger than ever.”Marcus hesitated before speaking again.“There’s something else.”Donald looked up.“What is it?”“Our analysts detected unusual communication a
Chapter 211
Donald sat back in his chair, letting the quiet hum of the office settle around him. The city was waking up, unaware of the seismic shift that had occurred overnight. DeGrand Corporation was no longer just a company under threat—it was a fortress under Harrington control, and Donald was at the helm.Marcus, still processing the previous night’s events, leaned against the desk.“Sir… Don Lewis… he’s not just going to sit back, is he?”Donald’s gaze stayed on the skyline.“No. He’s furious, and he’ll try something. But here’s the key: he won’t have the element of surprise anymore. Everything he does from this point forward will be watched, analyzed, and countered. We’ve forced him into a predictable pattern.”Marcus nodded.“So, what’s the next step? Do we confront him directly?”Donald shook his head.“No. That’s the mistake most people make—they try to fight with force instead of strategy. We don’t need to confront him directly. Every move he makes now can be used against him. Our adv
Chapter 210
Donald hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he studied the city skyline through the glass wall of his office. The lights of the metropolis twinkled, but beneath the glittering surface, a storm was brewing—a storm only he knew how to navigate. Every move Don Lewis made had been meticulously calculated, but now, the initiative had shifted. Donald wasn’t just defending DeGrand anymore; he was about to go on the offensive.Marcus, still trying to absorb the news, finally broke the silence.“So… you’re going to buy the parent company tonight? Just like that?”Donald turned to him, calm but deadly serious.“Yes. We move fast, and we move decisively. Don Lewis thinks he can corner DeGrand. But he’s underestimated me—and me alone.”Marcus exhaled, a mix of admiration and disbelief crossing his features.“Do you even know how much capital he has deployed for this?”Donald smiled faintly.“That’s the beauty of it. All that money is frozen in suspicious accounts. Ban
Chapter 209
The phone rang twice before the person on the other end answered.“Hello?”Don’s voice was calm but carried a weight that immediately commanded attention.“I need the second phase to begin.”There was a short pause before the man on the line responded.“So soon?”“Yes,” Don replied coldly. “Donald Harrington has begun interfering. I expected it, but he moved faster than anticipated.”The man sighed quietly. “That means things will get messy.”Don smiled faintly.“They were always going to get messy.”Across the city, Donald was still working from his office late into the night. The lights in the Harrington building had gone out hours earlier, but his floor remained bright. Files were stacked neatly on the desk while multiple screens displayed financial data from DeGrand Corporation.Marcus returned with fresh information.“Three more board members confirmed loyalty tonight,” he reported.Donald nodded.“Good. That stabilizes the voting balance.”Marcus sat down across from him.“But t
Chapter 208
Donald sat quietly in his office late that night, the city lights flickering across the glass wall behind him. The reports spread across his desk told a story that most people in the corporate world would never notice—but Donald was not most people.He studied the pattern again.Three executives suddenly stepping down from key committees.Two shareholders quietly transferring voting rights to unfamiliar proxy firms.A sudden wave of internal disputes inside DeGrand Corporation.None of these things were dramatic on their own. But together, they formed something far more dangerous.A coordinated disruption.Donald slowly leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together.“Someone is pulling the strings,” he murmured.Across the desk, his assistant Marcus waited patiently.“Do we know who?” Marcus asked.Donald shook his head.“Not yet. But whoever it is… they understand the system very well.”Marcus placed another file on the table.“This just came in from one of our contacts inside
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