Chapter 3

Before I could say another word, Stanley threw a punch squarely into the side of my face.

I had just been kicked by him, and the ache in my shin hadn't even faded yet. This time, he put his full force into the punch, and it sent me sprawling to the ground.

"Let's see if you still dare to spout nonsense. I'm going to make sure you walk the other way every time you see me from now on. You lot, hang him up."

At his command, several underlings immediately grabbed my arms and lifted me up. Then, Stanley kicked me hard in the abdomen, as if I were a punching bag.

Despite landing several kicks, he still wasn't satisfied. In the end, he even recorded the whole thing.

"Once I'm done with you, I'm going to show this video to Susanne. She'll be thrilled I helped her get rid of such a huge nuisance."

The pain was so intense I couldn't utter a word, and there seemed to be a thick, metallic taste of blood lodged in my chest.

Stanley seemed to have lost his mind. Each blow he delivered was heavier than the last. Perhaps he truly never intended to let me leave this restroom alive.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at me and put the call on speakerphone.

Soon, the anxious voice of his assistant came through. "Mr. Quinn, where are you? The clients are here today to inspect and accept the machines, and they're waiting in the conference room right now."

"Got it. I'll be there right away."

After hanging up, he gave me one last look. "Looks like I won't be finishing you off today. I have an important meeting to attend, but I'll deal with you once I'm done."

Machine inspection?

It suddenly hit me. Last time, I had passed the proposal to my half-brother, Hubert Maynard. He seemed genuinely interested, which was why he decided to invest in Susanne's company.

If it weren't for me, Susanne would never have stood a chance with Maynard Group. Yet, she was convinced it was all thanks to her own exceptional talent. In truth, both the proposal and the connections were offered solely out of respect for me.

"Hey, I'm talking to you here. Why aren't you saying anything?" Stanley slapped the back of my head hard. "Are you dead already? Ugh, forget it. You're too much of an idiot to understand even if I told you.

"You probably don't realize that Susanne's position as general manager is rock-solid precisely because she secured the project with Maynard Group. Not to mention, the company holds her in especially high regard.

"I have to go upstairs for this meeting, but it's inconvenient to leave you alone down here. So, I'll take you up with me first, and once the meeting is over, we'll continue where we left off."

If I went upstairs, I'd finally see Hubert and Susanne. Maybe this whole thing should have ended a long time ago.

"You're obsessed with Susanne, right? After the meeting, I'll have her personally tell you who she chooses to spend the rest of her life with."

Stanley grabbed a wad of toilet paper from the stall and stuffed them into my mouth. Then, with his underlings, he hauled me upstairs.

The elevator went straight to the top floor. When the doors opened, Susanne was standing right outside.

Stanley stood in front of me, completely blocking my view. He bounded over to Susanne, eager to claim credit.

"Honey, you won't believe the shameless creep I caught today. He actually kept insisting you're his. But we've been together two years, so you're mine. Even so, he still wouldn't back down, so I brought him right up. Will you tell him yourself?"

Stanley shifted to the side. Just as Susanne was about to see me clearly, a sharp voice cut through the air from behind her.

"Susanne! Stanley! What on earth are you doing?"