Chapter 8
“Pierce,” I said calmly, “in the past three months, I invited you fourteen times. You rejected me fourteen times.”
“Every time, your excuse was that you were too busy with work.”
My gaze shifted to Leah.
“Later I found out that every time you rejected me, you were actually with her.”
Pierce’s eyelashes fluttered, but he quickly raised his chin: “So what? Who I date is my freedom!”
“We’re just a childhood arrangement from years ago. We never legally registered!”
“Of course.” I nodded, “I just wanted to ask-do you know why every proposal you made went through smoothly?”
“Do you know why your competitors always mysteriously withdrew from bidding?”
“Do you know why the bank suddenly approved loans you weren’t qualified for?”
Pierce’s face changed: “You… what do you mean?”
Mr. Blake Sr. sighed heavily, walking to my side with his cane.
“Pierce, the reason Blake Group was able to go public smoothly and triple its stock price over the past six months is because Miss Stone has been working behind the scenes.”
“Impossible!” Pierce’s voice became shrill, “Those were all results of our team’s efforts!”
I took out my phone and projected a document onto the screen.
“Pierce, over the past six months, I’ve used seventeen business relationships from the Stone family to clear all obstacles for Blake.”
The screen scrolled through shocking names and numbers.
“Including persuading Sterling Properties to withdraw from bidding on Manhattan land, allowing Blake to acquire prime real estate at a low price.”
Leah suddenly crawled up from the floor, screaming frantically: “Liar! These are all fake! Pierce, don’t believe her!”
Pierce’s father kicked her knee, and Leah fell to her knees again.
“Shut up! You bastard!”
I watched this scene with no emotion in my heart.
I picked up my coat and draped it over my arm.
“Mr. Blake Sr., Uncle, since you’re here, I should leave now.”
“As for the childhood engagement between our families, it ends here.”
“Miss Stone!” Mr. Blake Sr. hurriedly blocked me, “This is the Blake family’s fault, but the engagement…”
“Grandpa!”
Pierce suddenly interrupted him, tears in his eyes but his head held high stubbornly.
“Let her go! I don’t need a fiancée who uses her family background to suppress me!”
I quietly looked at Pierce, this man who had been engaged to me since childhood.
“Very well”
I nodded, took out a bracelet from my pocket, and placed it on the table.
Chapter 8
“This is the engagement token my grandfather exchanged years ago. I’m returning it to you now.”
Pierce’s father’s face turned pale, Mr. Blake Sr. closed his eyes, as if aging ten years in an instant.
As I turned toward the door, I stopped but didn’t turn around.
“By the way, starting tomorrow, Stone Group will fully withdraw from all cooperation with Blake Group.”
“Including five ongoing projects and financing agreements about to be signed.”
Pierce gasped: “You… you can’t do this! Those projects are related to Blake Group’s ten-year plan and the livelihood of thousands of employees!”
I turned back, giving Pierce one last smile.
“I can.”
“Just like you could reject me fourteen times for a female assistant.”
As I pushed open the conference room door, I heard Mr. Blake Sr.’s desperate cry.
“Miss Stone! Please give the Blake family one more chance!”
I didn’t stop.
