Chapter 103

Annie's POV

Howard sat in thecar with an unusually serious expression. As we drove toward the company, his brow remained furrowed,lost in thought.

He hadn't spoken since we left home, which was unusual for our morning commute.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, noticing his contemplative state.

Howard rubbed his temple before answering. "I just realized that perhaps our plan has been too optimistic." He sighed deeply. "We've been assuming Lucy will take over the company after she graduates from college.

"But we haven't considered what happens if she's not interested in running the company."

This was indeed a valid concern we had yet to address.

After a moment's hesitation, I asked, "Are there other potential heirs?"

Howard shook his head firmly. "No."

"There are some distantrelatives with children," he continued, his voice steady. "But I don't trust them."

"They're too far removed from Lucy," he explained, genuine concern in his eyes. "If I gave the company to them, how would I ensure they'd provide Lucy with appropriate living expenses?"

I couldn't help but smile at his long-term thinking. "Aren't you thinking

too far ahead?"

"Either way, I'm her father," Howard replied calmly. "These are things f need to consider."

"True," I agreed, patting the back of his hand reassuringly. "But all these worries are based on the assumption that she doesn't want to take over the company."

"Howard, canI't interest be cultivated?" I suggested.

Howard looked at me with surprise.

"If you're willing to gradually influence her, I believe she'll learn to enjoy making money someday," I continued confidently.

My words seemed to dispel Howard's concerns. "You're right."

I completely understood his position. In business and corporate matters,Howard was always confident and decisive. But when it came to raising a child, he lacked experience. This inexperience sometimes led him to overthink.

I held his hand, offering silent support.

Howard's demeanor relaxed. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome," I responded with a gentle smile.

After arriving at the company, we each returned to our respective offices.

I had just begun working on my children's book drafts when my phone suddenly vibrated with multiple notifications. Opening the messages, I was surprised to find they contained screenshots of several chat conversations.

Checking the sender. I saw it was Caroline Gluck-Sarah's friend. She rarely contacted me, so sending these must be related to Sarah somehow.

Caroline followed with an explanation: "Last night. Howard added Sarah with a private account and chatted with her until late."

"Is this what a man who loves you would do?" she added sarcastically."Not very impressive, is it?"

Frowning. I opened the screenshots to examine the content. Sarah's profile picture was the one she always used, chatting enthusiastically with an account labeled "Howard Thompson" that was sending numerous messages.

"Howard's" responses were cold and brief.

I stared at the screenshots, feeling a mixture of confusion and unease.Howard had been with me all last night; we'd stayed in bed until late.This morning he'd risen early to tell Lucy stories, then we'd had breakfast together before driving to work. Howard simply couldn't have had time to chat with Sarah.

Were these screenshots fake? Or was there something I didn't know about?

Suddenly,I remembered Howard mentioning on the balcony yesterday that when I publicly exposed Sarah's behavior, he would also give me a surprise gift. Was this what he had been referring to?

I needed to find out. Setting aside my work, I took my phone and left my office, taking the elevator up to Howard's floor. His secretary Susan saw me and nodded with a smile, indicating I could go in directly.

I knocked lightly on the door and entered Howard's spacious office. He was focused on his computer screen but looked up when he heard my

footsteps.

"Is this the gift you prepared for me?" I asked tentatively,showing him the screenshots on my phone.

Howard glanced at them briefly. "Yes."

"But don't worry," he reassured me, "I don't have time to waste on her."

"The person chatting with her daily is actually her ex-husband, Robert."

This statement made everything clear. I quickly understood Howard's strategy.Sarah currently had two men she could manipulate: Philip and Robert. But evidently, that wasn't enough for her-she was also trying to entangle Howard.

"You've got Robert pretending to be you while chatting with Sarah," I articulated the first part of the plan, "so when the true father of the baby in her womb is finally revealed..."

Howard's eyes flashed with appreciation as he nodded for me to continue.

"...she'll immediately lose Philip's support," I analyzed. "After losing Philip.she would naturally try to secure you as a backup. But when she discovers she's been talking to Robert all along..."

"She'll completely collapse, losing her final escape route," Howard finished.his eyes gleaming with admiration.

"You invested in Robert's business, didn't you?" I asked, already certain this was part of the plan.

Howard raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "How did you know?"

"That's the most perfect revenge," I reasoned.′′Robert remained poor,

Sarah wouldn't care about losing him. But if Robert regains his wealth..."

"She'll deeply regret losing a man who not only loved her but was also financially stable," Howard picked up my train of thought. "The psychological impact will be devastating."

Howard nodded appreciatively. "You understand my thinking well."

"Is it fair to target only Sarah?" I questioned, thinking about how Philip had been equally despicable in our marriage.

Howard squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, that's already ín the plan."

"You just need to wait."

Philip was a fool who would believe anything Sarah said. With what we knew-that Sarah's baby wasn't Philip's, and that Philip had already alienated his own son-the situation was already primed for disaster.

Sarah, to ensure the interests of her unborn child,would likely convince Philip to undergo a vasectomy. When Philip discovered the child wasn't his, it would be too late-he would permanently lose the ability to have more children.

Howard didn't need to intervene much. He just needed to watch Philip's life crumble.

"Alright," I replied, soothed by Howard's confirmation.′′Ijust wanted to make sure it wasn't you chatting with her, to avoid any misunderstandings.

"

Howard's gaze softened with approval. "I appreciate that you're willing to discuss these concerns with me. That's good."

"Keeping things bottled up damages our relationship, even when nothing actually happened."

"Yes," I agreed, reflecting on my past with Philip. I had tried to communicate openly with him, explaining my feelings and concerns,but Philip never cooperated.

He would impatiently dismiss my worries, saying things like, "Why are you bothering about these trivial matters?"

Or he would insist that once something was in the past, it should be forgotten.

He always made me feel like I was being petty or overly sensitive.

Eventually, I stopped trying to communicate and became silent.

Now, finding someone whose thoughts aligned with mine brought me genuine happiness.

"Howard, I really appreciate that you consider my feelings," I said sincerely.

"You're welcome," Howard replied, taking my hand and gently stroking it with his thumb. "I just made some minor adjustments to your original plan."

Just then, Howard's phone rang. He answered and put it on speaker."Hello?"

"Mr. Thompson, Robert Johnson is waiting for you in the meeting room.

When would you like to meet him?" his secretary's voice came through.

"Right away!" Howard responded. He had specifically cleared his morning schedule for this meeting. He quickly stood up and said to me, "I'm going to discuss business cooperation with Robert. You continue with your work."

I couldn't help buit smile. "Of course."