LOGIN“Imogen?” Jay scoffed loudly, waving his hand with utter contempt. “Just a nobody. A workshop girl who got ahead of herself.”Across the glass desk, Rowan’s eyebrows lifted. He leaned forward, catching the sudden shift in atmosphere.Up until this point, when Rowan asked Jay a question, he would answer immediately, but this time not only did he hesitate, his tone changed and he couldn't hide the hurt and hate in his voice.“A workshop girl?” Rowan asked, his eyes narrowing with keen professional interest. “Interesting. You didn’t hesitate once when we were talking about Maxwell Sterling. But the moment I mentioned Imogen Bell, suddenly you don’t want to talk. What happened between you two?”Jay felt the heat rising in his collar. Being reminded of the humiliation he suffered at Bell Precision that morning made his blood boil all over again.He scoffed without saying anything and looked away. “I don't want to talk about it.” He declared.“Fair enough. If it’s too personal, we’ll leave
Hazel leaned towards the phone.“The proposal includes thirty million for modernisation and another thirty million through the expansion facility. I’ll ask Legal and Finance what support can be made available under the order.”“The new equipment can wait,” Imogen replied. “Right now, I need to keep the workers we already have.”Bell’s employees had not concealed agreements or dragged anyone into court. Yet they were the ones whose wages were becoming uncertain!Sterling could afford to argue in court for months. Bell could not tell hundreds of workers to wait that long for their wages. What use would Maxwell’s promised contract be if the factory had already closed by the time he could give it to them?Maxwell looked at Hazel.“Get Philip’s figures. Wages, urgent supplier payments, everything they need to keep operating. I want a funding proposal today that our lawyers have checked against the order.”Victoria turned to Hazel. “Have Finance join you. Philip needs an answer today.”Maxw
The black executive sedan glided into the private underground garage of Sterling Tower, the security gates rolling shut behind them.Maxwell and Natasha took the private elevator to the executive floor.Across the lounge, the wall monitors displayed footage from the courthouse. Jay Harcourt’s smug face appeared beneath a banner claiming Sterling’s six-hundred-million-dollar initiative had been halted!Several assistants looked up as Maxwell passed.The order concerned the disputed Harcourt orders, but anyone watching that broadcast would think his entire initiative had collapsed!Maxwell entered his office. Natasha followed and closed the door.Not long afterwards, Hazel, Julian and Kieran arrived, followed by Victoria.“Well, that was humiliating,” Julian said. “Losing to those rats. Jay will be talking about this for the next ten years.”Victoria sat opposite Maxwell.“He’ll have plenty of listeners. Every manufacturer considering your offer will be watching what you do now.”“I kno
Maxwell nodded. “It’s possible.” At this point he was almost entirely sure, some kind of injustice was happening. “That’s a serious allegation, Maxwell.”“The Zeniths managed to keep Dorian’s release hidden for six months. Is it impossible that someone influenced this hearing too?”Maxwell looked towards the courthouse. “Even if nobody paid her, she still wasn’t fair.”The lawyer had no answer to that.“Can we appeal this?” Maxwell asked.Before he could reply, a fresh wave of shouting drew their attention towards the steps.Edmund Harcourt had emerged with his lawyer.The two attorneys noticed each other immediately. Sterlings industries and Harcourt industries had faced one another more than ten times, representing different clients. Every encounter had given them another reason to dislike each other.Harcourt’s lawyer smiled as they approached.“I trust your client understands the order?”“He understands it,” Sterling’s lawyer replied. “You can leave advising him to me.”“Of cour
"You thought you were a genius, didn't you?" Jay taunted, making sure every microphone caught his words. "You ran to Bell Precision this morning thinking you could steal our factory and hand our orders to Imogen Bell! You even had her security drag me into the street. And what did your little scheme accomplish? Nothing! The judge shut you down in twenty minutes! Imogen bet on the wrong horse, and now she will not receive a single dollar from Sterling Industries!"Jay leaned closer, his voice dripping with venom."How does it feel, Sterling? Your very first move as CEO, and you lost!"Maxwell looked down at the finger pointed toward his chest. He did not show anger, and he did not step back."Are you finished barking, Jay?" Maxwell asked, his voice calm enough to cut through the clicking cameras.Jay's sneer faded slightly at the insult, but his arrogance quickly surged back. "Barking? I am holding a federal court order in my hand, Sterling! You are the one who is legally chained!"“If
Maxwell, Natasha and the lawyer left the courtroom not long after. The heavy oak doors of the courtroom swung shut behind them, cutting off the noise of packing briefcases and murmuring spectators.Maxwell walked down the wide corridor with casual steps, his jacket unbuttoned. Beside him, Natasha walked with hurried strides, holding a thick leather folder against her side. Her face was flushed with anger, and she could no longer hold back what she had witnessed inside that room."That was not a normal hearing Max," Natasha said, her voice filled with disbelief. "It was shocking. From the very second that judge took the bench, she had already decided she was going to rule against us and hand the Harcourts everything they wanted!"Maxwell listened to her and didn't comment on it yet. But wasn't that the plain truth? Anyone with eyes could see what had just happened!"Look at how she handled the arguments," Natasha continued, counting the blatant contradictions on her fingers. "The mome







