Chapter 124

Howard's POV

"I was just about to bring the evidence to you when Mr. White suddenly called, saying that if I'm willing to tell you that Bill has already apologized to Catherine..." Morgan paused on the other end of the line, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. "...and that my daughter has explicitly stated she's willing to forgive Bill, he would agree to continue investing in my company."

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. From the beginning, this entire situation had carried an absurd quality that defied common sense.

"Mr. Morgan," I replied, my tone measured yet firm, "let me confirm the facts with you." I proceeded to detail exactly how Bill and his girlfriend Grace had confronted Catherine in our company restaurant, ensuring I didn't omit a single relevant detail.

The line went silent for a moment. When Morgan finally spoke again,his voice was tightly controlled, barely containing hisindignation. "If I hadn't called you about this and blindly agreed to his demands, wouldn't that make me an incompetent father who sells out his daughter for business interests? That's absolutely unacceptable!"

I could hear the shock and outrage in his voice. Years of experience in the business world had taught me that people might compromise under commercial pressure, especially when their company faces financial difficulties. I needed to ensure Morgan wouldn't waver under the White family's threats.

"Even if he agrees now, he'll continue to make things difficult for you in the future," I stated coolly. "So it's best to refuse him outright."

"Don't worry!" Morgan promised without hesitation, his voice suddenly filled with resolve. "I absolutely will not allow my daughter to be humiliated like this! Mr. Thompson, please wait a moment. I'll contact you after I've dealt with this matter."

"Come directly to my office after you've handled it," I immediately responded. "We'll assess the next steps together."

"No problem," he said before hanging up.

I set down the phone and drummed my fingers lightly against the desktop.I was curious to see how Morgan would handle this situatíon. As a business partner, he displayed remarkable principles-something increasingly rare in today's business world. But I also knew that principles were often the most expensive luxury one could afford.

I walked to the window, gazing down at the bustling Manhattan cityscape below. In this concrete jungle, countless deals were made every day,and most people would choose profit over principle.How long could Morgan hold out? I wasn't certain, but I had already formulated strategies for every possibility.

I took out my phone and sent a brief instruction to Susan: "Pauseall collaborative projects with White's company. Details to follow."

Without waiting for a response, I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I knew Susan would handle this matter appropriately; she always executed my instructions perfectly, which was why I valued her.

I returned to my desk and began addressing other pending matters.While waiting for MMorgan's response, I decided not to waste a single minute.

Approximately forty minutes later, my private phone rang. I glanced at the

caller ID and felt the corner of my mouth turn up slightly. I leaned back comfortably in my leather chair, staring at the ceiling, and began a silent countdown:

"Three,two,one..."

Just as I finished counting, my business phone rang. Right on schedule, it was Mr. White. I pressed the answer button, deliberately keeping my voice cold.

"Mr. Thompson, is it really necessary to take such extreme measures?"White's voice carried obvious anxiety. I could imagine him pacing back and forth in his Long Island mansion office.

His secretary must have just reported that all ongoing and upcoming collaborative projects with Howard Technologies had been suddenly canceled-even those scheduled for early renewal.

White had finally realized I might be genuinely angry. I could almost hear the complaints in his mind-was I really severing our business relationship over such a "minor issue" between "the kids"?

"When paths diverge, cooperation ends," I responded calmly but firmly."Mr. White, you have your perspective, which I disagree with. Therefore,I believe choosing not to cooperate is best for both of us."

"But don't forget," White's tone carried a hint of veiled threat,"our company brings enormous profits to your tech company every year!Without us, could Howard Technologies have developed so rapidly in Silicon Valley style?"

His tone suggested I owed him an immense debt of gratitude, which almost made me laugh. In that moment, I suddenly realized that White's

arrogance toward me wasn't innate-it stemmed from his genuine belief that Howard Technologies benefited more from our partnership, earning higher profits.

This realization struck me as remarkably amusing. In all my years in the business world. I'd never encountered someone with such a profound lack of market insight.

Sensing my silence, White quickly added, "If we stop cooperating,how will you explain to your other shareholders the loss of such significant annual profits?"

"There are many companies in the tech industry, not just yours," I responded coolly. "I can certainly choose to work with others.So there's no need for your concern."

With that, I decisively ended the call, giving him no opportunity to continue his threats.

I rose easily from the sofa and straightened my suit. Without a doubt,White must now be glaring angrily at his phone, perhaps ordering his secretary to find other business partners. His thinking was too simplistic:the more I yielded to him, the more arrogant he believed I became,so he needed to prove that his company could thrive even without Howard Technologies.

Unfortunately, he had misjudged the situation.

As I pondered this, I heard a knock at the door. "Come in," I said.

Morgan entered my office, his expression noticeably more relaxed than during our phone call. He walked to my desk and handed me a folder.

"I called Mr. White directly," he stated, making no effort to hide the pride

in his voice. "I even activatedcall recording."

He briefly described the conversation-how he had directly addressed the White family's absurd behavior, how he had rejected White's threats and investment offers. stating he would rather see his company bankrupt than compromise his daughter's dignity.

"I told him I would rather go bankrupt than let Catherine suffer such unjust treatment!" Morgan's eyes shone with determination. "You know what he said? He said, 'You've got quite the backbone for someone in your position! Then he threatened that without their money, plus our funding gap, no Wall Street firm would help us."

He shook his head with a laugh. "I just said 'That's none of your business'and hung up."

I nodded appreciatively. Morgan had more principle than I'd anticipated.But I also knew the price of principles was often steep.

Taking the folder he handed me, I saw it contained all the evidence he'd collected-including recorded conversations,email correspondence,and even testimonies from several witnesses. Though my Ivy League education had given me some legal understanding, I recognized my limitations compared to professional lawyers.

I picked up the phone and contacted the legal department: "Please send your best people over. It's regarding the White family case."

Approximately three minutes later, a legal expert stood in my office. After understanding our needs, she explained in the simplest, most direct terms how each piece of evidence would function if the White family decided to sue us.

"So," I looked into the lawyer's eyes, needing a definitive answer,"all this evidence will be useful?"

Tie benereeevenge.Marying the CEO