Semua Bab Contract Over: You're Free to Go: Bab 101 - Bab 110

Standing in front of the slightly rusted iron security doors, Teresa took a deep breath and knocked three times.From behind the door came the faint sound of shuffling slippers before it opened with a soft click.Silas wore a faded gray cotton sweatshirt and a pair of blue-light blocking glasses. In his hand, he held a bunch of freshly washed lettuce he hadn't had time to dry.When he saw Teresa standing outside the door, he paused slightly, but there were no traces of surprise or defensiveness on his face. His gaze was calm like a dried-up well."Can I help you?" His voice was dry and raspy.Teresa stared at him.It had only been a few days since she last saw him, but he seemed like he had lost even more weight. The oversized sweatshirt hung loosely on his frame, his lean cheeks were slightly sunken, and a dark layer of stubble had grown over his chin."I… I'm here to see you."Teresa's throat felt dry and painfully tight.Silas looked down at her expensive heels, now splashe

Stepping out of the run-down red-brick building in Cedar Lane, Teresa felt as if a layer of her skin had been torn away raw.The next morning, when she walked into TRS Group's headquarters with swollen eyes that had barely subsided after half a night of ice packs, the front desk receptionists and employees dared not make a sound.Last night's silent breakdown had drained every last bit of her energy. Yet in the adult world, especially as the head of a corporation with thousands of employees, there was no time for her to stop and wallow in heartbreak.Her marriage was a ruined heap of mud, while her company was still dangling over the edge of a cliff."Ms. Sloan, the 150-million-dollar bridge loan was returned to Seek Capital's corporate account yesterday afternoon in full. The legal notice terminating the partnership was sent at the same time."In Teresa's office, CFO Joe Barker and Lester Wood, the head of the legal department, stood side by side, neither looking particularly wel

"Go ahead and sue me," Carlton taunted. His tone sounded like that of a shameless scoundrel who had absolutely nothing left to lose."Every proxy server I used to download the data was a one-time foreign burner, and you had personally approved the account I used with the highest administrative access."If you want to fight a cross-border lawsuit, be my guest. We can drag it out for three to five years, but I guarantee you that long before the court even registers the case, your rivals will have poached all your clients by undercutting your bottom-line prices."He paused, then slowly laid down his final ultimatum like a cold-blooded executioner holding the power of life and death."You're a smart woman, Teresa. You can either sign a partnership agreement that dismisses this whole mess, or stand by and watch half of TRS Group collapse overnight. The choice is yours."I'll be waiting for the notarized agreement by 3:00 pm."The line went dead after that.Teresa stared fixedly at he

Lester sighed and dropped his head onto the table. "Whatever you do, keep this under wraps. We've been pulling our hair out in the office all day, and we couldn't come up with a single damn plan. Carlton has lived abroad so long that his counter-surveillance skills are highly professional. He didn't leave a single scrap of leverage behind."William quietly set his glass down.An hour later, he was carrying two takeout containers of soup when he knocked on the rusted security door of No. 14, Cedar Lane.In the house, Silas sat at his old desk, revising an interior design blueprint under a small desk lamp."It's late. What are you doing here?" he asked, putting his pencil down to look at his uninvited guest.William placed the food on the desk and pulled up a worn folding chair. He looked at the blueprints pinned all over the wall, then glanced at Silas' calm expression.After a long hesitation, he announced, "Ms. Sloan, your soon-to-be ex-wife, is about to take a massive fall th

Carlton's expression instantly changed. "Teresa, are you trying to see your company burn—""Carlton, I've had the legal department prepare a high-resolution translation of the wire fraud arrest warrant issued for you by Nesselton State Court. Ten minutes ago, it was simultaneously delivered to the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit and the private inboxes of the three core partners at Seek Capital."Every word coming out of Teresa's mouth landed like the brutal blow of a sledgehammer to Carlton's head.With a dull thud, the wine glass slipped from his fingers, crashing onto the thick carpet and splashing deep red liquid across the floor."H-How on earth did you get your hands on that? That's impossible! The case is still under seal…"Carlton's voice was completely distorted. Terror and sheer disbelief turned his voice into a high-pitched panic."How I get it is none of your business," Teresa said with a cold laugh, her tone carrying absolute, crushing dominance. "But if you dare