All Chapters of The Intelligence Edge: From Zero to Billionaire: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Katie had intended to slip into the passenger seat, but when she caught sight of Emma sulking with a perpetually sullen face, she rolled her eyes and tugged her into the backseat with her.The Bentley glided smoothly out of the villa district.Inside the car, Katie caressed the glittering necklace at her throat, its exorbitant price tag reflected in the way she couldn't keep her hands off it. She cast a sidelong glance at her silent sister, then lowered her voice, her tone dripping with smugness and disdain."Emma, did you see that? Now this is what a real man looks like. Shawn is a truly capable man. A single gift, and it's a necklace worth tens of thousands. Unlike that useless Chris. Married two years, and he hadn't even given me so much as a flower."Emma bristled at the jab, her brows knitting in protest. "Katie, you can't put it that way. No matter how successful Shawn is, is he as gentle as Chris? Would he make you hot milk every night, or run across half the city in the r

Evan grew more agitated as he spoke."My boss wants me to show my face around, get familiar with the big shots, let them at least know our company's name."Chris blinked, caught off guard, then gave a wry look. "Then why aren't you working now?"Evan rolled his eyes."Work, my ass! Look around. This place is crawling with glamorous elites, and I don't know a single one of them. How am I supposed to 'show my face'? What, paste my smile onto their cold shoulders?"With that, he slumped deeper into the sofa, adopting the air of a man resigned to his fate."To hell with it. I'm staying put until this circus is over."Chris couldn't help laughing, shaking his head.The two were chatting idly when Chris's gaze suddenly slipped past the crowd and froze at the banquet hall entrance. His pupils tightened.It was Emma. She walked in just behind a tall, broad-shouldered man in a tailored suit.Though there was no intimate contact between them, their side-by-side posture suggested to any

Chris sneered inwardly. 'This bastard just insulted us on purpose.'Emma's face went pale in an instant. She was about to explain, but Chris spoke first.Without so much as glancing at Shawn, he turned casually to Emma and asked in a tone so offhand it cut deeper than any blade, "Emma, who's this idiot with eyes higher than his eyebrows and nostrils so upturned he could catch rain with them?"The moment the words fell, the air froze.Evan's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His expression screamed, 'Holy shit. Savage!'Emma stood stunned, her mind blank from the verbal detonation. She opened her mouth, instinctively trying to smooth things over."T-This is Mr. Peyton..." She darted a frantic look at Chris, silently begging him to stop before it was too late.Mr. Peyton?Chris caught on instantly. In his head, the system's cold chime rang out:[Target detected: Diamond Bachelor, Shawn.]Oh. So this clown was a Diamond Bachelor.Only then did Chris lift his gaze and properly

"Yes," Chris replied, nodding as if he were simply admitting he'd eaten his lunch. His tone was matter-of-fact. "Useless ol' me made over 500,000 dollars in less than three days."He paused, his gaze sweeping leisurely across Shawn's face, now twisting with barely contained rage, and let a faint smile play at his lips."I just wonder," he drawled, "since you're supposedly my... successor, could you also make 500,000 dollars in three days? Just to broaden my horizons?"The moment the words landed, Shawn's complexion shifted like a painter's palette—flaring red, then paling to sickly white. He opened his mouth instinctively to scoff, to say that a mere 500,000 dollars was nothing to him.But Chris cut him off before he could breathe a word, as though reading his very thoughts."Oh, right," Chris added, his voice light, almost playful. "Let's not count situations where you start with ten million and scrape together 500,000 dollars in profits. That doesn't count."His smile carried a

Shawn had been listening the whole time.At first, he froze, but then the fury and contempt he had forced down suddenly found an outlet and erupted like a flood."Hah... ha... hahaha... hahahahaha!"He doubled over laughing, tears nearly streaming from his eyes."Crestholm Technologies?" He jabbed a finger at Chris, as if pointing at a lunatic beyond saving."Are you here just to make us laugh? The entire market knows Crestholm's core technology was leaked. It's finished! The news is everywhere! And you want Emma to buy into that mess?"Chris, I really overestimated you! I thought you were just stupid, but it turns out you're rotten as well! You want to drag everyone down with you, bury that pathetic demolition payout alongside you?!"His voice cracked sharp and shrill, brimming with ridicule.The commotion was loud enough to draw every gaze in the banquet hall. Guests turned their heads, whispering behind raised hands."What's going on over there?""Looks like that Peyton bo