It wasn’t that I was silent.
I was simply replaying Victor’s words: “Graham is nothing but a useless cripple.”
“Hey.” Without hesitation, I grabbed his tie and pulled him closer. “Are you even capable?”
Graham’s eyes twitched slightly.
He slowly set the wine bottle down, his movements calm and deliberate.
Then, lifting his gaze to meet mine, his eyes were calm and inscrutable, but the mole near the corner of his eye added a striking touch of intensity.
He pinched my chin lightly and said, “Care to find out?”
If Graham Harlow wasn’t capable–not just as an ally but as a man–wouldn’t my entire plan fall apart?
A month later, the spectacle 1 had promised Graham finally unfolded.
1/2
+15 Bonus
Victor’s real estate subsidiary was at a critical juncture, preparing for its initial public offering.
Victor personally flew to New Valley to negotiate with investment banks.
Naturally, Yvonne went along–under the pretense of “broadening her horizons.”
But in New Valley, an “accidental” disagreement between the two sparked a heated argument.
In a fit of anger, Yvonne stormed off and flew back to Ashford, leaving Victor stranded.
Victor had planned to wrap up negotiations in two days and return, but things didn’t go as expected.
Back in Ashford, Yvonne began spreading rumors, painting him as a heartless man who had moved on from her and was now
mistreating a mute woman.
The story caught fire, igniting a media frenzy.
Headlines, interviews, and a flood of criticism quickly spiraled out of control.
Overwhelmed by the backlash, Victor struggled to keep the negotiations on track, but the pressure was too much.
In the end, he was forced to halt the IPO plans and rush back to Ashford.
Once home, Victor realized that Yvonne wasn’t nearly as heartbroken as she claimed.
In fact, she was happily granting one interview after another, accusing him of being cold and ruthless.
The fallout was immediate. Stock prices plummeted, partnerships began to unravel, and investors pulled out.
To make matters worse, shelving the IPO left Victor with a serious cash flow crisis.
When he attempted to cover the shortfall with his personal assets, he was stunned to discover just how little he had left.
During this time, Yvonne had been quietly siphoning off Victor’s funds to invest in her own livestreaming company.
However, Victor couldn’t swallow his pride and ask William for financial help.
“Time for the second move.”
I sent a message to Graham.
I planned to expose Yvonne’s lie about being mute.
Victor had always firmly believed that Yvonne’s love for him was the purest of all.
Even when she cried and accused him of abandoning her for another woman, his only response was a faint sigh, “Yvonne just
cares about me too much.”
But once he discovered her deception, would he still be able to utter such nonsense?
Graham had long since planted a few trusted people close to Victor, and it didn’t take much effort to make someone who could
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Chapter 8
already speak reveal themselves.
That day, Yvonne was livestreaming a sales event using sign language.
Suddenly, the camera shook, and a cup of coffee splashed across Yvonne’s face.
Startled, Yvonne let out a sharp cry and instinctively snapped, “What the hell is wrong with you!”
Off–camera, someone shouted angrily, “Yvonne, drop the act! There’s nothing wrong with your voice!”
Yvonne’s expression shifted wildly, cycling through shock, panic, and embarrassment in a matter of seconds.
The livestream clip quickly went viral, and her deception about being mute was exposed for all to see.
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