“I want to be alone. Don’t follow me.”
Layla Woods’ voice was cold and carried a hint of exhaustion.
This exhaustion was piercing.
It was even more tiring than endless martial arts practice.
It felt as if something she had firmly believed in had collapsed, leaving her empty in an instant.
She had trusted and supported Lilia Hussain through many major events, but in the end, her best friend betrayed her and did something that went against her principles.
Small mistakes could be forgiven, but crossing the line was unacceptable for Layla Woods.
Lilia Hussain stood frozen in place.
She felt uneasy inside.
Tears were welling up in her eyes.
She caught up with Layla Woods and said, “Layla Woods, things are not what you think. Takada Kazuo didn’t tell me about it in the first place.”
“He wanted me to provide a few high-quality companies for cooperation, and I…”
“What happened after that?” Layla Woods interrupted abruptly, staring coldly at Lilia Hussain. The frost in her eyes turned into a blizzard.
“The Shaw family’s company was the first victim. You definitely knew about Takada Kazuo’s conspiracy then. How did you handle it?”
“You acted as if nothing happened instead of telling me the truth and letting me stop him!”
Layla Woods raised her voice, like a bolt from the blue. Lilia Hussain’s heart shrank, and she stood there with her mouth open in shock.
It was clear that Layla Woods was truly angry.
She actually scolded herself.
“I… I was scared at that time. I was afraid that if I told you, Takada Kazuo would withdraw his investment. I couldn’t afford to risk it, as Dragon Gate Group’s reputation would be damaged…” Lilia Hussain’s voice sounded weak, and she lowered her head, biting her lip. There was no trace of her usual powerful demeanor.
“You’re deceiving yourself and making excuses!” Layla Woods raised her voice again, anger seeping into her words. If only you had managed to pull back at the last moment, how did things end up like this today?!”
“You let this matter develop, and in the end, Flynn found out about it.”
“Fortunately, he didn’t take it seriously. But if this matter were exposed now, do you know what consequences you would face?”
“Lilia Hussain, you are supposed to be a phoenix, but your actions are more like an ostrich. You have disappointed me!”
Lilia Hussain’s eyes widened with a broken heart.
Layla Woods’ words were too harsh. She compared her to an ostrich…
It couldn’t be denied that when faced with this situation, she had indeed buried her head in the sand like an ostrich.
Thinking that by doing so, she could avoid risks.
She thought that after Takada Kazuo took the formulas from those seven companies, he would completely stop.
That was what she hoped for.
Anxious and fearful, she prayed for this matter to end quickly.
But now it was all exposed.
“Lilia Hussain, you’ve changed. You’ve become too focused on short-term gains and willing to do anything to achieve your goals.”
“You’re no longer suitable to lead this grand business war. Spare the Sharp’s Group.”
“At the very least, don’t take any more proactive actions…”
Layla Woods left these words behind and walked away without looking back.
“Layla Woods…” Lilia Hussain mumbled as tears streamed down her face.
The mountain wind blew for a long time until it dried the tears on Lilia Hussain’s cheeks. Her eyes gradually turned cold.
“When the arrow is on the string, there is no reason not to shoot. There’s no turning back!”
“I am determined to swallow up the Sharp’s Group! Even without your help, I will win!”
She said these words with resentment but also with confidence.
The billions of dollars in funds in her hands were her confidence!
Not suitable to lead a business war?
She would prove Layla Woods wrong!
She blamed the estrangement between herself and Layla Woods on Flynn. It further strengthened her ambition to merge with the Sharp’s Group.
Without Flynn, Rose Sharp wouldn’t rise again and wouldn’t embarrass her over and over again.
There wouldn’t be this great battle, nor would she have any dealings with Komatsu Conglomerate!
“Flynn, you despicable man! I will definitely kill you!”
Lilia Hussain clenched her fists and walked down the mountain with her head held high!
“Achoo!” Flynn sneezed and rubbed his nose. He muttered under his breath, “Who is talking behind my back?”
His gaze fell on Molly.
She and Scarlet were busy in the kitchen. Scarlet talked a lot, while Molly remained mostly silent.
She couldn’t help but recall how Flynn resettled her bones earlier. It had been quite embarrassing. He even put his hand on her chest!
She knew it was just medical attention, but it was the first time a man touched that area of hers.
However, it was strange. Normally, Molly would have reacted violently to Flynn’s teasing behavior from before. But just now, she didn’t feel that way. Instead, her heart raced, and her face turned red uncontrollably.
After a while, six dishes were brought out.
“Flynn, Layla Woods seems really angry with Lilia Hussain,” Scarlet said as she sipped her soup thoughtfully.
Flynn nodded and said, “Although Layla Woods is arrogant at times, she never compromises on matters of principle. Lilia Hussain providing company information to Komatsu Conglomerate is an unacceptable act.”
“Lilia Hussain has crossed a line. It’s not surprising that Layla Woods reacted this way.”
Molly also chimed in, “Layla Woods cherishes her reputation greatly. Although this is Lilia Hussain’s personal behavior, given their relationship, if things are exposed publicly, Layla Woods will inevitably be affected.”
“Naturally, she would be angry.”
“That’s right.” Flynn nodded and added, “In reality, Layla Woods’ anger is mainly because Lilia Hussain didn’t treat her as one of their own and made her feel betrayed.”
“This woman values friendship greatly.”
Scarlet fell silent for a moment before speaking up, “Lilia Hussain colluding with Komatsu Conglomerate is a great opportunity!”
“If we expose this matter publicly, Lilia Hussain will undoubtedly suffer heavy losses!”
This matter was not much different from treason because of Lilia Hussain’s actions. The formulas of three companies were stolen. If Flynn didn’t kill Takada Kazuo beforehand…
The remaining four companies wouldn’t have been spared either.
If this matter were exposed publicly, not only would Lilia Hussain’s reputation be affected, but she would also face imprisonment.
“Expose it publicly? Is it necessary?” Flynn shook his head with a smile that did not reach his eyes. “It would take too much time and effort to handle this matter through public opinion battles. We have 50 billion dollars. Why bother?”
“Besides,” he continued,” Rose wants to completely defeat the other side. If we bring down Lilia Hussain now, their alliance will definitely withdraw from this business war. How will Rose make money then?”
Of course, even if Lilia Hussain withdrew from the battle, it wouldn’t prevent Rose from shorting stocks to pressure Dragon Gate Group.
But what joy would there be in watching Lilia Hussain lose over a hundred billion, only for Rose to defeat Dragon Gate Group?
In the first scenario, if Lilia Hussain sensed trouble, she would sell her stocks and liquidate her assets.
Even if she lost her allies, she would still have a hundred billion left, giving her a chance to make a comeback.
In the second scenario, if Lilia Hussain poured over a hundred billion into this, she would only be led by the nose by Rose.
Scarlet nodded in realization.
With 50 billion dollars in their hands, they held the key to victory. Why engage in a war of words?
After finishing their meal together, Molly prepared to leave.
Scarlet thought for a moment before following suit.
Everyone’s mood was quite low today due to what happened at Deer Summit.
Flynn wasn’t affected much. He had already prepared himself mentally for Kevin Sharp’s death.
More importantly, he felt that for Kevin Sharp himself… death might have been a form of relief.
Early the next morning, Flynn received a call from his mother’s classmate, Jessica Carr.
“Flynn… your mother gave me a pendant as a gift before. Last night, before going to bed, I accidentally shone some light onto it and found some characters inside…”