Chapter 207 The Third Party's Retribution!
Hailey’s expression was fierce as she glared at the other party, a stark contrast to her usual gentle and clever appearance. This shocked many people.
It was also at this moment that these people realized that Hailey's earlier displays of kindness and generosity had been nothing more than a facade!
In the past, Hailey would have surely feigned innocence to safeguard her own reputation and image. But now, she lacked the energy for such pretenses.
Hailey found solitude in a corner, clutching her knees as she shook uncontrollably.
"Is Hailey crying?" someone whispered.
"Who knows, but it serves her right. She stole Adrian from Natalie, and yet he still betrayed her."
"Let's forget about it. If she suffered a shock and lost her sanity, we'll be the ones in trouble."
Everyone assumed Hailey was silently weeping over her fiance's betrayal. Only Hailey knew she was not crying. She was trembling out of sheer fear.
…
Earlier that morning, Hailey awoke early, basking in the aftermath of love and happiness, filled with joy and excitement. Alas, this excitement was abruptly cut short by a man's voice.
"Hailey, did you enjoy yourself last night?"
A man sat on a sofa not far from the bed, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His features were modest, but he had a refined and elegant air that was shaped by time.
"Edwin!" Hailey's face blanched as she hastily covered herself with the blanket. Looking around, she did not find Oliver. Instead, her gaze fell on a man on the floor, bleeding from the back of his head, naked, with a set of waiter's clothes beside him.
Hailey's mind raced, and she feared the worst.
‘Was the man last night not Oliver, but this waiter?! And why is Edwin here?!’
"Is... Is he dead?" Hailey pointed at the lifeless figure on the floor.
"Don’t panic. He is not dead yet, though his chances of survival are slim," Edwin remarked casually, finishing a cigarette and toying with Hailey's underwear on the coffee table.
"Edwin!"
Hailey's complexion fluctuated between pale and red. Her lips quivered as she struggled to maintain her composure.
"Why are you here? What do you intend to do? What’s your purpose?"
"Don’t be so hostile toward me. I helped you after all. Otherwise, you would have been besieged by reporters by now."
Edwin had planted a few spies on the island, but it seemed like they had not found out anything useful about Oliver.
Hailey was incensed. “Edwin, we have no animosity. How could you…”
Edwin interrupted with a smile on his face, but his voice was tinged with impatience as he said bluntly, "Are you stupid, Hailey? It was Oliver who alerted the reporters. If you want to keep last night’s incident a secret, you have to be mine from now on…”
"Oliver? I don’t believe it!" Hailey shook her head in disbelief. Then, she said with a sneer, “As long as I deny it, what does it matter if you reveal last night's incident? Rumors in our circle mix truth and lies; who would care?"
Edwin remained calm. "Would you like to see the video of you and the man on the floor? Or should I report you for assault?"
"You’re despicable, Edwin!" Hailey exclaimed.
"I have never considered 'despicable' to be an insult. Do you think you’re a good person?" Edwin had long seen through Hailey’s facade, a veneer of gentility masking her inner darkness and cowardice.
"If you disdain me so, why do you wish for me to be yours?" Hailey retorted sharply.
Edwin remained silent. After all, having someone at his disposal for venting frustrations was a benefit he was not willing to forgo. Moreover, he still had other uses for her in the future.
"Fine! Keep my secret, deal with the man on the ground, and I’ll be yours!”
Hailey shut her eyes tightly, feeling as if her dignity were being trampled upon, akin to a slave crushed underfoot.
Edwin's smile broadened with satisfaction. "Very good. Come here. There’s no need for you to put on your clothes!”
Over the next two hours, Hailey came to understand the true essence of humiliation.
…
Meanwhile, Oliver returned to RK Group to attend to his duties.
Natalie was escorted back to Rosewood Estate by Jamie. As they traversed the city center, she requested a stop so she could purchase autumn clothing for Lucas.
"Should we also select something for the young master?" Jamie inquired.
"He already has an extensive wardrobe, and aren't all his clothes tailor-made?" Natalie reasoned, assuming Oliver would find little value in anything she picked out.
"Very well," Jamie replied but silently conjectured that Oliver would find another reason to be displeased upon his return.
…
At the RK Group headquarters, Oliver's day was filled with consecutive meetings and a mountain of critical documents.
Evening had arrived by the time he finished.
Charles presented Oliver with the dinner Natalie had prepared. The sight of the steaming dishes momentarily lifted his deep-seated weariness.
"What should we do with Susan's design draft?"
The design draft was with Charles now, and Oliver had not looked at it a second time.
"Return it to Susan," Oliver directed before continuing with his meal.
He had only bid for Susan’s design draft to extricate her from a mire of public criticism, without any intention of retaining it or examining it further.
“Yes,” Charles replied before he left to execute the order.
Shortly thereafter, Isaac and Wyatt arrived with updates.
"The Harrington family has managed to silence the press through bribery. They've spent this amount," Isaac said as he indicated a sum with his hands; his fingers showed the number eight.
For the Harringtons, the sum was not significant, but it was not negligible either, especially given the family's stock was currently undervalued.
Isaac, who was in control of the media, made an eight-figure profit.
Not only that, but the Harringtons also needed to bribe additional news outlets, resulting in a substantial drain on their liquid assets, amounting to hundreds of millions.
This financial hemorrhage served only to exacerbate the woes of the Watson Group.
The news brought a sense of satisfaction.
Oliver nodded, turning his attention to Wyatt.
Wyatt then shared his report.
"By employing hacking tactics, we've disseminated information among several key stockholding entities. The Harrington Group's shares have plummeted to an all-time low due to Adrian's scandal."
This outcome was anticipated by Oliver. With the situation unfolding as expected, he instructed Charles, "Take control of the Harrington Group's real estate, pharmaceutical, and automotive manufacturing divisions."
Isaac could not help but chuckle at the strategy.
"Seizing these sectors effectively strips the Harrington Group of its most lucrative assets. The automotive manufacturing division, in particular, holds a monopoly in Paykston. This move will cripple the Harrington family's financial base and seal their doom!"
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