Chapter 125

Caroline Gluck's POV

I stood outside Howard Thompson's office, mny back pressed against the partially open door as I carefully adjusted my position to ensure I could hear everything while remaining undetected. This "accidental" way of gathering business intelligence had become an essential survival skill in Manhattan. Besides, any opportunity to catch a glimpse of Howard was one I wouldn't pass up.

Through the crack in the door. I could see Howard sitting behind his expansive desk. his perfect silhouette causing me to involuntarily bite my lower lip. Everything about Howard exuded an elegant yet powerful presence-even simply sitting there listening, he radiated a magnetism no one else could match.

By contrast, Mr. Morgan sitting across from him could only be described as "bloated"-a typicaI middle-aged successful man with a beer belly poorly concealed beneath his suit and a receding hairline stubbornly maintaining that ridiculous hairstyle.

"So,all this evidence will be useful?" Howard's voice came through clearly as he discussed the case against the White family with a lawyer. Just the sound of his voice made my heart race a little faster.

"Yes, absolutely. There are no obvious gaps in the documentation," the lawyer responded with professional confidence.

"All their escape routes have been thoroughly blocked," Howard told Mr.

Morgan. Watching Howard's self-assured expression, I couldn't help

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imagining how wonderful it would feel to have him look at me with that same victorious gaze. Of course. I was well aware that men like Howard would always prefer women like Annie. not someone at my level.Sometimes this reality left a bitter taste, but I'd learned to accept it.

Mr. Morgan's face displayed obvious relief. Honestly, though he was at least twenty years my senior and decidedly ordinary in appearance, his bank account and social standing could compensate for these shortcomings.If he were to show interest in me. I might not be entirely opposed.Naturally, the initiative would have to come from him-I certainly wouldn't lower myself to pursue a bloated middle-aged man, regardless of his wealth.

"Should we publicly announce our partnership now?" Mr. Morgan asked eagerly, like a child waiting to unwrap a present. This lack of sophistication was precisely why men like him would never reach HHoward s caliber.

"Yes. let's do that," HIoward agreed.

The lawyer left the office, and Mr. MIorgan immediately began contacting his staff to arrange for a press release about their collaboration with Howard Technologies.

Meanwhile,Howard started instructing his PR department to issue corresponding statements. Watching Howard mobilize an entire company's resources with a single phone cal1. I couldn't help but admire the allure of such power. How magnificent it would be to become the partner of such a man! But why did someone like Annie deserve all this? I was smarter,more cunning, and understood the rules of this world better than she did.

"This project may exceed what your company can currently handle independently," Howard continued telling Mr. Morgan. "What if I assign

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some of my employees to assist your team?"

"That would be fantastic!" Mr. Morgan's voice overflowed with gratitude.

Looking at him, he resembled a child who'd just received candy.

Hearing this, I quietly took several steps back and quickly headed toward my own office. Howard's generosity left me,lost in thought. He supported Annie's creative work so wholeheartedly-no wonder her mediocre illustrations generated such impressive revenue. Meanwhile, the company expected me to financially support Sarah's project? This inequality infuriated me, but I knew that in this world, complaining changed nothing-only action did.

Sitting at my desk, a sudden idea struck me. Sarah had money, despite constantly extracting funds from Philip, her own savings weren't insignificant. I picked up the phone and dialed Sarah's number.

"Sarah, darling," I began in a sweet tone, "I just discovered some astonishing news about Annie."

I briefly explained how Annie had secured substantial income through Howard Technologies' support, then mentioned my conversation with the company secretary. "Would you be willing to invest in your own work?

With your talent, you could absolutely earn more than Annie."

Sarah remained silent on the other end. I knew she was weighing the pros and cons, like a cunning fox calculating how to obtain the most prey.

"You don't want to invest?" I deliberately added a hint of disappointment to my voice. "Do you really want to watch Annie become famous globally while you remain an obscure illustrator? Do you want to see Annie earning substantial money while you receive only minimal monthly royalties?"

After a moment of continued silence, Sarah finally spoke: "But my relationship with Philip isn't great right now. Caroline,his mind is completely occupied with Annie. There's no space for me in his thoughts anymore."

I laughed contemptuously in my mind. Sarah always connected everything to men, as if she couldn't make decisions without them. This dependency disgusted me, but it was precisely this weakness that made her so easy to manipulate.

"Maybe we should forget about this?" Sarah suggested."My main focus now is extracting as much money as possible from Philip and saving it."

"But you don't know how much Annie is earning..." I lowered my voice,deliberately creating suspense. "The amount is enough to make anyone envious. Her monthly royalty income has already reached jaw-dropping figures, and that's just the beginning. This month's earnings are projected to be even higher, and by next month's payment, the amount will be astronomical."

I knew these figures were somewhat exaggerated, but with people like Sarah, a little embellishment was sometimes necessary.

"How many companies today can generate such lucrative profits?" I continued."Sarah, did you know that Howard Technologies offers the most generous royalty split in the industry? If you miss this opportunity,you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Sarah was finally convinced. "I'll contact Philip to see if I can persuade him to help me with this investment."

"T'll await your good news," I said with satisfaction as I hung up.

Less than an hour later, Sarah called back, eagerly inquiring about the required initial investment amount. This was proceeding even more smoothly than I'd anticipated.

"Let me ask the company secretary right now," I said, immediately heading toward Susan Moore's office.

Standing outside her office, I knocked gently. "Come in1," she responded coolly.

I entered the office, deliberately keeping my head down in a display of humility. "How much would we need to invest in Sarah's comics for the company to help with merchandise production?" I asked softly.

Susan stared at me for several seconds, and I could almost feel her contemplating something. She surely knew about Howard's warning regarding Sarah, but now that we were asking about specific amounts,she couldn't simply refuse.

She finally said, "If you're willing to cover the costs yourselves, with Howard Technologies handling production and sales of merchandise, then most of the profits would go to us, correct?"

I nodded in agreement, pretending to seriously consider her words.

"So after careful consideration," she continued, "you can maintain your position at Howard Technologies, but Sarah's intellectual property could be transferred to another company. This way, you'll have complete control.can provide better resources for her, and focus more on her work. Most importantly, you'll earn more money yourselves."

This proposal was the perfect solution! I could barely conceal my delight.

"No need to consider further!" I exclaimed excitedly. "When would it be

convenient to terminate Sarah's contract with us?"

"Right now." Susan immediately stood up, evidently eager to resolve this matter.

With her assistance, all termination procedures were completed in less than half an hour. I expressed my gratitude to her, though I didn't truly feel grateful-in Manhattan's business world, no one does anything completely selflessly.

Back in my office, I immediately called Sarah, relaying Susan's suggestion word for word, of course concealing the fact that the contract had already been terminated.

"What do you think?" I asked. "Do you want to continue working with Howard Technologies, or terminate the contract and sign with another company?"

Sarah responded almost without hesitation: "Let's sign with another company. If I stay with Howard Technologies, I'll forever be overshadowed by Annie with Howard supporting her. Caroline, my work quality is better than Annie's, so I should be more famous and earn more money,shouldn'tI?"

"Absolutely!" I 'agreed, secretly rejoicing that everything was proceeding so smoothly.

"Then we'll act separately," Sarah decided. "I'll convince Philip, and you handle the contract termination process."

"No problem!" I responded enthusiastically, unable to suppress a smug smile after hanging up. Sarah would never know that she could no longer return to Howard Technologies, which was exactly what I wanted. This

was the way to survive in New York high society-always staying one step ahead of others.

Te betayed vnes Revenge:Marrying the CEO