Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 491 - Chapitre 500

The surveillance footage was clear and had timestamps and dates. There was no room for dispute.What should have been the end of the meeting dragged on for over twenty more minutes. Liesel, Howard, and Neal showed no signs of wrapping up, so everyone else had no choice but to endure. The researcher, who was visibly annoyed at first, now wore an awkward expression."Non-operators are prohibited from handling equipment, turning devices on or off, or tampering with tools and instruments. These rules were established jointly by me and Mr. Durham. I'm not about to be the one to break them. Since you all want to discuss this today, let's settle it."Liesel picked up her phone and cast another video onto the screen.Neal's subordinates sat on one side of the long conference table, while Howard's team of researchers occupied the other. Hardin Group's staff was visibly uncomfortable when one of Howard's researchers accused Liesel of breaking lab protocol by entering the lab in high heels. B

Not making an enemy of Liesel was the smartest decision Neal had ever made. She was ruthless and calculating. If she could dismantle Howard, no one else stood a chance with her."Liesel, must you be so confrontational with me? I thought we had some kind of friendship—" Howard placed the contract down and sighed. He was trying to ease the tension.Liesel interrupted with a smile. "Mr. Durham, we don't have any of that. If there's a connection, it's between you and Ms. Mallone, not me."She had no feelings for Heather, much less Howard. Neal couldn't hold back a chuckle.Howard remained silent for a long moment before turning his glare toward Jacob. His frustration was palpable, but even in his anger, he refrained from directing his fury at Liesel.His veneer of arrogance and devil-may-care detachment had been stripped away. He had seen Liesel as an intriguing toy, but now he realized she saw him as nothing more than a tool.As his pride shattered, an unfamiliar emotion crept into

The translators' expressions turned increasingly peculiar. Their gazes occasionally flicked to Liesel's radiant smile. It was a sight that made their hearts skip a beat.Their strained smiles froze, leaving them rooted to the spot.The reality was that their presence wasn't even necessary. Liesel herself could communicate flawlessly in multiple languages. Their sole role now was to relay the foreign dignitaries' remarks to Hardin Group's executives in Draskian.Already somewhat intimidated by Liesel, the translators now felt a sense of reverence. Her smile earlier seemed more like a silent warning for them not to disclose anything they shouldn't.They dutifully conveyed only the praise and admiration the foreign dignitaries expressed for Liesel while conspicuously omitting any mention of Shifter Corporation.The Hardin Group executives were entirely unsurprised by the high regard for Liesel. After all, she had been instrumental in numerous acquisitions during her tenure at the For

Liesel smiled. It was a smile that carried an edge of cold detachment.She hadn't sought Andre out, but he'd come to her. He was far too taken with his status and power to recognize the imbalance.Liesel said something in Gildrennian, and Andre looked confused.Andre wasn't Gildrennian, nor was he particularly curious or bright. He was a brute with more muscle than mind. There was no way he could understand what Liesel had said. The translator standing beside him, however, began to sweat.Andre glared at the translator, who forced an awkward smile and said, "Ms. Sharp says her one true love is Mr. Hardin."Of course, that wasn't what Liesel had said, but the translator didn't dare relay her actual words.Andre snorted. "You must really be into that whole platonic love thing."Liesel knew exactly what he meant. He was insulting Elijah.She idly fiddled with an experimental device on the Shifter Corporation's display table. Her fingers tapped lightly against the surface as her ey

"Mr. Durham," Liesel said as her fingers rested lightly on the edge of the table. She tapped on a newly issued research file and arched a brow slightly as she continued, "Your next task is to focus on cancer-related research. Beyond that, you'll need to delve into areas involving intelligent systems."I suspect you'll be very busy, Mr. Durham, so I suggest you take advantage of any opportunity to smile now."Because soon, you won't have much reason to smile."Howard's smile froze."Liesel, I'm not sure I can deliver what you're expecting in such a short timeframe."Unbothered, Liesel responded with the same coolness. "That's fine. If you fail to produce the results I need by the deadline, I have alternatives. Surely, Mr. Durham, you understand what I mean. Or are you already admitting that your abilities pale in comparison to the Mallones'?"The others around them didn't catch the subtext, but Howard did.She had made it clear that if Howard couldn't deliver, she'd take over her