Chapter 28
Brielle stepped out from the Haywood residence, exhaling a breath of relief as if she was expelling all the toxicity from her lungs. She had never felt such a sense of liberation.
Next on the agenda was to prepare for her new job thoroughly. She was about to go back and show her colleagues who doubted her what she was truly capable of.
A smile played on her lips as she felt the bright future ahead of her. Without a single hesitation, she hopped into her car. But no sooner had she driven a few blocks, than a blinding beam of high–beam headlights dazzled her eyes. Instinctively, she jerked the steering wheel in a panic.
She thought the high–beam was an accident at first, but from the corner of her eye, she saw the other vehicle barreling towards her. On pure reflex, she swerved, spinning the wheel hard. The car jolted violently, careening around the corner before crashing into a roadside flowerbed.
“Bang!”
Her forehead slammed against the windshield, the pain nearly knocking her unconscious.
With the car’s hood starting to smoke, Brielle unbuckled her seatbelt and saw two men approaching her.
“Ms. Brielle, our boss would like a word with you.”
Her mind was foggy, and for a moment, she even wondered if these men were hitmen hired by Lillian. After all, Lillian had been muddling through Tequila Sunset for ages, and it wouldn’t be out of the question for her to have cozied up to some shady characters behind Spencer’s back. “Who’s your boss?” she demanded.
The two bodyguards wore expressions of ice as they pulled her out, “You’ll know once you meet him, Ms. Brielle.”
Their muscles were notably pronounced, and an aura of cold professionalism enveloped them, clearly trained fighters. Brielle knew any struggle would likely end with a snapped arm, so she stayed put, allowing herself to be dragged to another vehicle.
After a half–hour drive, when she saw the mansion they pulled up to, she knew exactly who had summoned her.
Ryan, Spencer’s father, a board member at Dorsey International, must have caught wind of her pending promotion.
The position was meant for Spencer, a role Ryan had fought tooth and nail to secure for his son, and now it was about to fall into the hands of an outsider.
This outsider was also the person he sent to keep an eye on his own son. If the informant didn’t behave, then they had to be removed. And that car accident? Merely a warning.
Brielle had anticipated trouble from the Dorsey family but hadn’t expected it to come knocking
Chapter 28
so swiftly.
She reached for her phone, almost instinctively wanting to send a text to Max. Not that she hoped he would come to her rescue, but at least someone would know to retrieve her body afterward.
However, the moment she had her phone in her hand, she remembered she didn’t have Max’s private number. Their communication had always been over email.
She let out a wry laugh, realizing she couldn’t even notify anyone to claim her remains.
Meanwhile, Max had just wrapped up an overseas video conference, rubbing his temples. “How’s everything coming along?”
Patrick, standing by, promptly responded, “Mr. Dorsey, we’ve checked. They’re indeed planning a gathering at that building on Friday. The initial funding was mainly managed by Ryan, though the other board members have also benefited.”
Ryan was using Dorsey International’s funds for his own advantage, treating it like a personal piggy bank. The so–called Night of Decadence club gathering wasn’t just for a select few from the Dorsey family. It included top executives from other companies, securing a wealth of contacts and resources for those directors.
Max’s fingertips tapped lightly on the black marble table, his long legs sheathed in suit trousers, the hem riding up to reveal dark grey dress socks.
He was the epitome of restraint, yet that restraint only seemed to amplify his allure, making one want to tear off his suit. Unfortunately, aside from Brielle, no one dared to try..
“Ryan’s appetite sure is growing.”
Max shut his laptop, “What’s Faith been up to lately?”
Faith was the quintessential society lady, and even after years of marriage, she still carried an air of pride, but that pride had been worn down by Ryan’s frequent infidelities.
“She is still trying to reclaim Ryan’s affections, and she’s become increasingly harsh on her son. However, Spencer’s performance has been quite good in recent years. She’s hoping to leverage her son’s success to mend her relationship with her husband.”
Good performance? A layabout like Spencer holding down a Director position was
inconceivable.
It took Max barely a second to think of Brielle, “Get me her file.”
Patrick paused, then quickly compiled Faith’s file and handed it over with reverence.
Max glanced at it and frowned, tossing it into the trash. “I meant Brielle’s file.”
