Chapter 22X
D
The secretary was stunned. “President Murphy, you can’t! The board meeting starts in an hour, and you’re the one leading it. The investors are already displeased. If you leave now…”
“Get out of my way,” he snapped coldly, grabbing his suit jacket and striding out of the office.
The secretary panicked. “President Murphy! This isn’t the time to act rashly! If you walk out now, the company–“>
“Without her, what do I need this company for?“}]
Brynn stopped, his eyes bloodshot as he turned back, his voice chilling. “What do you think I’ve been holding on for all this time?“”
The secretary froze.
“Bring the car around.” Brynn tossed the words behind him as he stepped into the elevator.
After Brynn left, the tension in the boardroom thickened.
Forty minutes passed, and he still hadn’t returned. The secretary’s repeated excuse that the “President had an emergency” no longer held weight.
A board member sneered. “Leaving at such a critical moment? Immature.“>
“No wonder the Collins family is jumping in now.”
“I’ve been thinking about selling my shares for a while.”
Within ten minutes, two major shareholders quietly rose and left the meeting, whispering among themselves.
As they exited, more news arrived.
“Collins Corporation has made a high offer to acquire Murphy Corporation’s floating shares. The first round of offers is generous, and six small investors have already agreed.”
This was no accident. Brynn was the prey, and the trap had been carefully set.
One by one, the board members hesitated, whispering quietly to one another.
The boardroom was beginning to feel more like an auction house than a place of business.
The foundation of Murphy Corporation had already begun to tremble the moment Brynn rushed out of the company.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all sat in a private lounge, elegantly flipping through a bridal magazine.§
Hayden had changed into a light–colored casual suit and sat gracefully on the sofa, two glasses of champagne resting on the table beside him. I was in the changing room, slipping into my wedding gown.
He glanced at his phone, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly.
The private detective had already sent word: Brynn was headed toward Willowcrest.}
Hayden quietly took a sip of his champagne, his eyes calm yet hiding a darkness that ran deep.
Brynn still didn’t know; the information from the detective was bait Hayden had carefully planted.
All to deliver one final, crushing blow.
Hayden sighed lightly, stood up, and walked to the fitting room. He knocked softly.”
“Natalie, are you alright? Do you need help with the zipper?”
A muffled voice answered from inside.
“No, no need. I’m almost ready…”
“Then I’ll wait for you.“%
He leaned gently against the door, his fingers grazing the fabric of the dress I had just taken off, his gaze growing darker.
I stood before the mirror, draped in the custom handmade Serena wedding gown. The hem swept across the floor, the train stretching over two meters long, layers of tulle floating like clouds.
“So beautiful..” The fitting assistant couldn’t help but murmur in awe.
But I remained silent, my fingers tracing the lace at my waist.“!
This gown had cost over a million, and Hayden had signed the receipt without a second thought.
But my mind drifted back to my wedding with Brynn. I had worn a made–to–order dress from online shopping.
At the time, he had just started his business and had little to spare. Even the venue had been a modest rented banquet hall. The gown had only cast five thousand, and he had saved three months‘ worth of wages to buy it for me.
I had felt such joy then I thought that as long as it was him, everything would be worth it.
1 chuckled softly, my eyes tinged with a hint of red, not from sorrow.
I thought of the child who never had the chance to be born.
She had come so suddenly and left just as quickly%
Yet she had been like a lucky star in my life, guiding me through the fog of confusion, showing me the truth behind the illusion of “love.” and making me see Brynn for what he truly was.
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