LOGINBy Sunday evening, Maxwell had heard enough about the Harcourts to last him a month.Unfortunately, switching off the television did not stop the phone calls, messages or reports arriving from his legal team.There was always another development requiring his attention.But he had promised to take Theo to a football match, and he had no intention of disappointing the boy because Jay Harcourt had discovered how much he enjoyed speaking into a microphone.The lawyers could manage without him for a few hours.Theo had been waiting for this outing all day.By the time they arrived at the stadium, he was practically pulling Maxwell towards the entrance.Now, with kickoff approaching, the two were making their way back from the refreshment counter. Maxwell carried their drinks and a bag of snacks while Theo walked beside him, holding tightly to his free hand.Around them, supporters were heading towards their seats. The noise from the stands grew louder whenever they passed an opening overl
The moment she heard Jay’s voice, Imogen wanted to turn around and leave. After everything he had done yesterday, she could not stand the thought of seeing his face again.But why should she leave her own parents’ house because of him?If anyone was leaving, it would be Jay!Her disgust quickly turned to anger.How dare he come here? Was he really that shameless?And what did he want this time?Knowing Jay, Imogen suspected he had come to pester her family about marrying her again. She had rejected him repeatedly, yet the man still refused to accept that she wanted nothing to do with him!Imogen walked into the living room, ready to order him out.Instead, she found her younger brother stretched across the sofa. Their mother sat nearby with a cup of tea.To her surprise, Jay was nowhere in sight.His voice, however, continued.Imogen turned towards the television and finally understood.He was on the news.She felt relieved. At least she would not have to deal with him in person.On t
By Friday morning, Maxwell Sterling’s humiliating defeat had become one of the biggest business stories in the country.Almost every major financial network was covering it.The headlines were brutal.STERLING INDUSTRIES BLOCKED BY FEDERAL COURTMAXWELL STERLING’S $600 MILLION SUPPLIER PLAN IN TROUBLENEW STERLING CEO SUFFERS MAJOR DEFEAT DAYS INTO TENUREA six-hundred-million-dollar initiative!When Sterling Industries announced it, countless manufacturers had believed their chance to rise had finally arrived. Some had spent days preparing their applications, afraid of missing even the smallest opportunity.Who would have expected a court order to stop everything before it properly began?Clips from outside the courthouse had spread everywhere overnight.And naturally, Jay Harcourt had made sure his face appeared in as many of them as possible.He had spent nearly twenty minutes before the cameras, accusing Maxwell of arrogance, recklessness and trying to destroy an eleven-year partn
The dinner between Gideon and Lenora Pembroke had ended far worse than he expected.The moment Gideon asked his sister to ensure Maxwell Sterling continued losing in court, Lenora's attitude changed completely.She refused.Helping him once was already pushing dangerously close to a line she had spent decades protecting. Gideon had originally convinced her that the Harcourts deserved enough time to defend themselves before Sterling Industries destroyed an eleven-year business relationship overnight.Sixty days.That was all he had asked for.Sterling Industries was one of the largest corporations in the country. What damage could sixty days possibly do to such an enormous company?That was how Lenora had justified it to herself.Even accepting the three envelopes afterward had made her deeply uncomfortable, although Gideon eventually convinced her to treat the money as nothing more than a gift.But asking her to deliberately make sure Maxwell lost whatever came next?That was differen
The judge reached for her handbag. “I should head back. I have an early docket tomorrow morning.”“Wait a moment,” her brother said.He reached inside his heavy wool coat and pulled out three thick, bulging envelopes. Without a word, he dropped them flat onto the white tablecloth.The judge froze.The comfortable smile on her face vanished instantly. “What is that?”“A little something for you,” her brother replied smoothly.He pushed the envelopes across the table until they rested inches from her hand.She did not touch them. Instead, she leaned back against her chair, her expression freezing over.“Take those back right now.”“Come on,” her brother said with a helpless chuckle. “Don't be like that.”“I said take them back.”The warmth between siblings had evaporated. Her voice was colder than ice.“Why are you making this difficult?” her brother asked, leaning back.“Because I agreed to do you a favor,” she said, staring straight into his eyes. “I never agreed to be paid for it!”W
Arthur glared at Maxwell and Julian as if he had just been slapped across the mouth!His face turned an ugly shade of dark red, the veins along his neck swelling with sudden outrage!"How dare you!" Arthur shouted, his voice filled with fury. "How dare both of you stand there and question my loyalty to this company! I spent twenty-five years at Marcus Sterling's side building this business while you were nobody! And now you dare accuse me of playing spy for an outside supplier?"The two directors beside him kept their heads lowered, completely unwilling to get caught in the blast radius.Arthur turned his furious glare entirely onto Maxwell.“No one is accusing you of anything,” Maxwell said calmly. “We're asking a question.”“Oh, fuck off.” Arthur sneered with bitter disgust. Without another word, he spun around on his heel and stormed toward the double doors. The two directors hurried out right behind him, pulling the heavy doors shut with a sharp click.Inside the office, Julian la







