"President Halloway also instructed me to switch those two evaluation reports. He said that once it’s done, he’d give me ten million. I... I was blinded by the money in a moment of greed..." When this recording was uploaded online, the attention of netizens who had been following the incident felt as if they had been thrown into a boiling pot of oil. They were completely fooled by Xylia!! And that’s not the end of it. At this time, Imperial Glory filed a lawsuit against Xylia for patent infringement! The ointment that Xylia launched was a 100% counterfeit of Imperial Glory’s formula and technology. However, Imperial Glory had already applied for a product patent prior, making Xylia’s actions a clear infringement! One scandal after another hit people without warning. Those who watched the live press conference still had Hogan Halloway’s words ringing in their heads, "The core of Xylia is innovation and experience." ...How could he shamelessly say those words?! [I’m done, what did these young women do wrong? Xylia didn’t even care about lives in their attempt to bring down Imperial Glory, and they dared to blame them, treating us like fools!] [I’m so angry I can’t even speak. How can there be such malicious people? No, they don’t even deserve to be called humans! How will they compensate the victims’ health and Imperial Glory’s reputation?!] [I’ve never felt such thrill in my life, watching a press conference felt like a horror movie, one moment filled with righteous indignation, the next moment my heart turned ice cold.] [What horror movie? Didn’t you find the press conference full of jokes? We don’t mind the money; we just want a clear conscience! Hahaha, how could Hogan Halloway even say that?] [Damn the shameless people are invincible! This piece of roast pork kept claiming to disdain copying Imperial Glory, yet the pain relief patches and ointments are copies of their formula, and the new products are imitations of their aroma ball series! I spit!] Public opinion turned overwhelmingly against Xylia, which paid a heavy price for it. Illicit organ removals, plagiarizing Imperial Glory’s patent, shifting blame, framing others, and the words from Xylia’s general manager at the press conference... piece by piece, it all became indelible stains on Xylia. Stocks plummeted, million-dollar orders were canceled, and people threw rotten eggs at the office building... At this moment, Xylia was like a pile of sand, falling apart without even a breeze. A precious antique vase was smashed on the ground, shattering instantly into pieces. Yet, it couldn’t quench Miyi Yates’ anger, so she shattered a second one. Miyi Yates’ chest heaved, frustration spreading in her chest, making the Xylia executives beside her nervous and fearful. He had never seen the elegant and graceful lady so angry, it was terrifying... "M-Miss, what should we do now?" The executive shivered and asked, "Should we re-direct the public opinion and push the blame onto Imperial Glory?" Miyi Yates brushed the hair off her shoulder to the back and calmed herself down a bit before speaking coldly, "Are you an idiot? Who would believe us now?" She underestimated Ann Vaughn, that bitch. No matter how secretly Hogan Halloway did things, she managed to find clues. Otherwise... she would never have been able to turn the tables! "What about President Halloway..." "He was incompetent, plotting murder first, then stealing patents. I can’t save him, let him fend for himself," Miyi Yates said with a scowl. Xylia was her most profitable asset, and she had painstakingly developed it to its current scale. Everything was ruined by Ann Vaughn— How could Miyi Yates tolerate losing to someone like Ann Vaughn? Wait... there is one person who could certainly help her. A cold glint flashed in Miyi Yates’ eyes as she looked at the executive and said, "You, go get me Dylan Mercer’s contact information." The executive looked troubled; Dylan Mercer was almost untouchable, and even Howard Yates probably couldn’t get his contact. Was she putting him in a difficult position? Yet, he could only agree verbally: "Yes, I’ll go do it now." No matter how much Xylia’s stocks plummeted or how furious Miyi Yates was, none of it was Ann Vaughn’s concern. Fortunately, the discovery was timely, and the girl who attempted suicide was saved. Ann Vaughn arranged for her to be moved to the best ward in First Hospital and hired a psychological counselor and a food therapist to care for her. But the person who couldn’t accept the situation was the girl’s mother. Upon learning the truth, she nearly broke down. The "benefactor" she was grateful for and wished to repay with her life was actually the culprit who ruined her daughter! Not only did she help this culprit discredit Imperial Glory, but she also treated him as a living Buddha and a lifeline! But the harm was already done, and even if Hogan Halloway were to go to prison, it wouldn’t change this fact. If the girl’s mother had first contacted Imperial Glory instead of Xylia when the accident occurred, the outcome might have been entirely different. But there’s no "if" in this world. The mother could beat her chest and weep bitterly, but this regret could never be undone. Coming out of the hospital with a heavy heart, Ann Vaughn intended to hail a taxi by the roadside, only to see the black Maybach still parked in place. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥 The tall and noble figure stood beside the car, cool and elegant, becoming a scenery in itself. Ann Vaughn paused, then quickened her steps, running over and breathlessly asked him, "Why haven’t you left? Weren’t you supposed to have a meeting?" Before bringing her to the hospital, Cyrus Hawthorne had just received a phone call to rush back for a company meeting. Cyrus Hawthorne gently pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear with his hand, his ink-like narrow eyes glossed softly, "I postponed it." To avoid not being there when she showed that kind of sad expression. As it turned out, his concern was justified. "Get in the car first." Ann Vaughn obediently followed him into the car, and the warm heater instantly enveloped her cold body, no longer making her feel cold. "Drink." Cyrus handed over a cup of hot cocoa with a straw inserted, tilting his chin to glance at her. "Thank you." Ann Vaughn took a sip, the sweet taste spread through her mouth, driving away much of the heaviness in her heart. She bit the straw, hesitating for a few seconds before she couldn’t help asking what was on her mind: "Do you think this incident is related to the Yates Family?" Among the Yates Family industries, Xylia was one of the most representative enterprises, and it was transferred to Miyi Yates by Howard Yates around two years ago. The current owner of Xylia was Miyi Yates. This battle between Imperial Glory and Xylia could be seen as a secret battle between Ann Vaughn and Miyi Yates. Cyrus Hawthorne responded with a simple "Hmm," then said, "What’s the difference between knowing and not knowing?" "How can it not matter?" Ann Vaughn huffed, "If I know, it means they’re openly slapping me in the face, and of course, I won’t let it slide. If I don’t know... then this account still needs to be settled!"