All Chapters of Contract Over: You're Free to Go: Chapter 261 - Chapter 270

A maze of cramped, run-down homes in an old neighborhood lay beyond the door. The streets were too narrow for police cars to get through, with makeshift sheds and tangled power lines crisscrossing overhead like a giant web.Clutching the bag, Carlton fled like a desperate fugitive. He rolled and scrambled on all fours before bolting into a foul alleyway reeking of stagnant sewage and rotting vegetables."Stop! Police!"He heard the car doors slam open behind him, followed by stern shouts and a chaotic chorus of footsteps.Carlton dared not look back. He had never run this fast in his entire life.While ducking through lines of dripping laundry, he knocked over a bin of food waste by the side of the road. He plunged headlong into the deepest corners of the slum amid the wild barking of stray dogs.He managed to escape the first round of pursuit, but deep down, he knew that he was doomed.Without a passport, money, and with all domestic contacts wiped out, he was now a wanted man

A sudden burst of applause echoed through the door, reverberating through the space.Silas and Avery turned around to see that Miranda had arrived at some point. She wasn't dressed in a business suit tonight, but in a beautiful velvet dress with a light coat over it. In her hand, she carried a bottle of vintage Dom Perignon that was clearly worth a small fortune.She stood at the main entrance, stunned in her tracks.When she looked up, her eyes traveled across the beams of light cut by the louvers, then from the vaulted ceiling to the red-brick wall. Finally, they landed on the sunken atrium water feature."Ms. Cane," Silas said, walking over. "My apologies for not meeting you outside the gates.""A masterpiece like this doesn't need any of those hollow corporate pleasantries."Miranda withdrew her gaze and turned back to look at Silas and Avery as they approached. Brimming admiration overflowed in her eyes.She handed the champagne to Avery, stepped down the stairs, and walked

Avery looked at Silas and suddenly leaned in a little closer.The earlier champagne combined with the beer started to ferment in her blood. A faint flush bloomed across her pale cheeks, and her eyes took on a playful, mischievous sparkle that showed only when she was completely relaxed."Since we did so well…"She held out one hand to Silas and curled a half-serious, half-joking smile on her lips."Don't you think it's time we settled our accounts, Mr. Langston?"Silas looked at her outstretched hand, stunned. "Settle what accounts?""The interest, of course."She raised her brows matter-of-factly, rubbed her fingers together like a loan shark collecting debt, and continued, "When Martin discovered that rotten mud under the foundation, I sold my downtown studio apartment for 20% below market value. It had an amazing view and top-tier renovations."I sold it at two million dollars for cold, hard cash, just to fill your bottomless pit without even batting an eye."She leaned sli

"Honey…"Walter's dry, shriveled lips trembled as a hoarse whisper escaped his throat. "They didn't ruin our mill. Just look at how bright and spacious it is… From now on, you can soak in the sunshine right here every day…"This was the same stubborn old man who usually drove developers out the door with a broom and was impervious to both soft words and harsh threats. But right now, standing before the wooden shelf, tears silently streamed down his aged face like beads from a snapped string.Silas watched him from a short distance away with a flush of warmth welling up in his eyes. He turned around and walked to the temporary supply box behind the first-floor bar.Inside were a few small bouquets of fresh flowers the janitors had brought earlier that day to freshen up the air.He pulled out a small bunch of baby's breath that hadn't fully bloomed. Then, he quietly walked over to Walter and bent over to gently place the dew-kissed bouquet of baby's breath next to the black-and-whit

The coffee bar on the first floor was immediately swamped with orders. Avery had to take off her blazer, roll up her sleeves, and help Silas pack drinks."One iced coffee and one oat milk latte. Your pickup number is 87. Please wait in the atrium." Avery handed over the receipt while holding her phone between her shoulder and ear. In the past hour alone, it had barely stopped ringing.Answering another call, Avery said, "Hello, Mr. Stone. Yes, those photos were taken here. What? Your brand wants to use our atrium for a pop-up event for next month's fall product launch?"Her eyes instantly lit up. She glanced toward the 500-square-foot space she had insisted on converting from cafe seating into an Immersive Brand Curation Space.Now, thanks to its sophisticated use of open space, countless visitors were using it as the perfect backdrop for photos.Avery immediately switched into business mode. "That should be doable, Mr. Stone. But our atrium is already booked through the second