The other party would rather forgo the initial costs than continue with the cooperation.
“Don’t bother me with these trivial matters. What’s the point of me earning a high salary to support you all? Just get out. All of you!” Jeffrey shouted, completely losing his composure as chairman.
Peter glanced at his father, who had clearly lost his calm. His bloodshot eyes conveyed the weight of their situation. “Dad, our company probably won’t last much longer. It’s obvious that someone is intentionally targeting us.”
“Targeting us?” Jeffrey’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Paul doesn’t have the capability, and Joe would never listen to him. It doesn’t make sense for someone to target a well-established company like ours.”
Peter’s voice grew even more serious. “It’s not Paul, and it’s not Joe. The person targeting us must have enough power to force other companies to cancel their cooperation. There are only a few people in Jipsburg who can do that.”
Jeffrey’s frown deepened as he pondered. “We’ve been heading in the wrong direction. We shouldn’t focus on trying to retrieve the lost companies. What we really need to do is find out who’s behind this.”
Suddenly, a name came to Peter’s mind. “Could it be Skylar? She hates us.”
Peter had often wondered why Skylar seemed to resent them. She had grown up in poverty, but her life had improved significantly after moving in with the Williams family. Could it be dissatisfaction that fueled her animosity?
Jeffrey scoffed at the idea. “Her? She doesn’t have the capability to do this on her own.”
“But she could if she had a powerful benefactor,” Peter countered. “Maybe we’ve been wrong all along. Skylar doesn’t have the means, but her benefactor does. Someone influential in Jipsburg.”
Jeffrey’s face darkened, the thought unsettling him. He hated to admit it, but Skylar was more attractive than Maisy. Men of all ages were drawn to young, beautiful women, and Skylar certainly fit that description.
After a moment, Jeffrey calmed down but still spoke with venom. “If she’s behind this, I’ll make her pay. We need to find out who’s supporting her.”
Peter nodded. “I’ll have someone look into it.”
Meanwhile, Kenny, who was at the company for a routine check, overheard the conversation from the door. He felt uncomfortable and frowned. “We haven’t exactly been kind to Skylar all this time.”
Jeffrey glared at Kenny. “What do you mean? Ever since we found out she’s part of our family, we took her in. We let her live in our home and offered to send her abroad to study. She’s just too greedy, always wanting more and constantly defying us. We’re better off without someone like her.”
Peter also disagreed, asking, “Kenny, what’s going on with you? Why do you keep defending Skylar? We’ve treated her the same way since she came to live with us. Didn’t you say she was disobedient?”
Kenny hesitated, then admitted, “I think we’ve been too focused on Maisy and never really considered what Skylar might be thinking. The more I think about Maisy and Christopher, the more uneasy I become.”
Peter’s frustration was evident. “Kenny, do you trust Skylar more than Maisy? We’ve watched Maisy grow up. If we treat Skylar the same, wouldn’t Maisy feel hurt? Skylar should care about Maisy, but instead, she’s cold toward her. If she had been obedient, none of this would have happened.”
Kenny remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
Outside the Gardner Group, Harvey paced back and forth, occasionally glancing toward the entrance. As it neared lunchtime, Skylar suddenly dashed out of the building.
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