Chapter 335 Desperate Survival
Just as I was about to head out, Nicholas called out, "Diana."
I froze, anxiety creeping in at the sound of his voice.
"These two bodyguards will be with you and Skylar from now on. They'll keep you safe when it matters most," Nicholas said, sounding concerned. But I knew these bodyguards were more about keeping tabs on me than protecting me.
I turned around slowly, forcing a smile. "Godfather, you really didn't have to. You've already done so much for us."
Nicholas replied, "Last time, I only assigned you one bodyguard, which was a mistake. This time, I'm giving you two. Sebastian and Nathaniel are highly trained and trustworthy. With them, I can rest easy."
I knew I couldn't refuse Nicholas's orders, so I just thanked him again.
With Skylar and Melissa in tow, and Sebastian and Nathaniel following behind, I headed towards the estate's gate. Just as we reached the entrance, I saw Lucas and Lila getting out of a car.
Lila, seeing me, excitedly moved forward to greet me but stopped when she noticed the bodyguards. I gave her a look, signaling her to stay quiet.
Lila looked puzzled but kept silent.
Under Lila's confused gaze, I got into the car with Skylar, and we slowly drove away from the estate.
From the rearview mirror, I saw Lila still standing at the gate, watching us leave. I knew she must be wondering why I was acting so strangely, ignoring her like that.
Skylar chattered away about the fun she had at Nicholas's estate, but I was too distracted to pay much attention.
Once we got home, I asked Melissa to take Skylar to her room to play while I sat on the living room couch, lost in thought.
I needed some quiet time to think: the Cooper Group was embroiled in financial disputes, and the Howard Group's most profitable project had been handed over to Nicholas. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on.
I didn't know how much time had passed before my phone rang, shattering the silence.
I picked up the phone and saw it was Lila calling. After a moment's hesitation, I answered.
"Diana, what happened today? Why did you ignore me?" Lila sounded a bit upset.
I tried to keep my voice steady, hiding the turmoil inside me. "I'm fine."
Lila was silent for a moment, then said, "Diana, are you in some kind of trouble? I overheard Lucas arguing with his dad about something related to the Howard Group."
My heart skipped a beat. "They were arguing about the Howard Group?"
Lila replied, "Yes, listen."
"Why did you take the project from Diana again, Dad? She's just one woman. Do you really need to push her so hard?" Lucas's voice came through the phone, though it was faint and not very clear. I could only imagine where Lila was hiding to eavesdrop on Nicholas and Lucas's conversation.
I held my breath, straining to catch every word.
Nicholas's voice was cold. "You don't understand! The Howard Group's tech project has huge potential. Everyone's watching it. Diana can't handle it right now. It's better off in my hands than left to fail under her."Lucas sounded defiant. "But she's your goddaughter. Won't it damage your reputation if people find out?"
There was a loud thud, like a teacup being slammed onto a table.
Then Nicholas said, "Reputation? In the face of absolute profit, reputation means nothing! If she wasn't useful, I wouldn't have taken her in as my goddaughter!"
I bit my lip, struggling to contain my anger. So, in Nicholas's eyes, I was just a pawn to be controlled. The so-called goddaughter relationship meant nothing when it came to profit.
Just then, I heard a door open and hurried footsteps, followed by heavy breathing.
I held my breath, worried for Lila's safety.
After a long while, things quieted down.
"Diana, did you hear that? The situation doesn't look good for you," Lila whispered.
"I heard. It's definitely not good," I replied coldly.
Lila was indignant. "Diana, this is too much! You need to come up with a plan. You can't let Nicholas get away with this."
Her concern touched me deeply. I reassured her softly, "Don't worry. I have my own plans. I won't be defeated so easily."
But at the same time, I became more determined: I couldn't let Lila know my plans—not yet.
In fact, I had already started taking action the moment I agreed to Nicholas's terms regarding the tech project. Yet I wasn't ready to share this with Lila.
For one, Lila was well-versed in law but not in business. More importantly, she was Lucas's wife. I feared that her open and trusting nature might inadvertently reveal my plans to Lucas or even Nicholas.
If Lila knew my plans, she would undoubtedly rush to help me, but that would only put her in danger.
After hanging up, I went to Skylar's room. She was playing with puzzles with Melissa.
I knelt down and hugged her tightly, planting a deep kiss on her forehead. "Skylar, I have some important things to take care of. You and Melissa should go to bed early, okay?"
Skylar's bright eyes dimmed with disappointment. After a moment, she nodded slightly, her voice choked with emotion. "Mommy, come back soon. I'll be good."
Seeing Skylar's sad face made my eyes well up with tears. I wished I could drop everything and stay with her, but reality was too harsh. I had to fight through this storm to secure a safe future for her.
Back in my study, I spread out the documents related to the tech project, meticulously going through them page by page. Hours passed without me realizing it. Just when I was about to lose hope, an unassuming document caught my eye.
It was a supplementary agreement about the ownership of the project's core technology patents. The agreement clearly stated that while most patents belonged to the Howard Group, a crucial portion was still held by a programmer from the original development team, who was still employed at the Howard Group!
I found the programmer's email in the Howard Group's personnel records and immediately wrote to him, explaining the situation in detail and expressing my desire to collaborate.
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