After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 274

Lawrence had been messing with him all along. All that smug attitude he used to show off in front of Lawrence just made him feel like a complete clown now. The humiliation stung.

Shirley pressed a hand to her chest, breathless as she stared at Lawrence on stage. Under the bright lights, he looked unshakable and impossibly handsome, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd. The energy he gave off was overwhelming, as if he owned the whole room.

She used to think the world was fair. Turns out, she was dead wrong.

Lawrence really was fate’s favorite. He had the looks, the money, and the kind of power that made anything possible. And the most unfair part? He belonged to Catherine.

Why her?

Jealousy twisted inside Shirley, tightening until it almost hurt. She glanced at Catherine, who sat there with her head held high, gazing up at Lawrence like he hung the moon. Her eyes were full of pure happiness, little pink bubbles of joy practically floating around her.

Lawrence’s voice rang out, calm and commanding. “Innovation needs the right foundation, but it also needs boundaries and respect.” He paused, the room hanging on every word. “There will always be people who try to cut corners and cross lines. That poisons the whole industry. I hope everyone here will follow the rules. If not, the consequences are theirs to bear.”

Waldo’s breath caught in his throat. Was Lawrence talking about him? Did he somehow know?

A wave of applause swept through the crowd. Lawrence nodded, gave the stage back to the host, and walked down the steps, heading straight for his wife.

Catherine’s eyes were shining with tears she could barely hold back. As soon as Lawrence sat down, she jumped into his arms, wrapping herself around him and hiding her face in his chest.

Lawrence hugged her tight, dropped his head to hers, and whispered in a soft, apologetic voice, “I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark this long.”

No wonder she lost the Project Apex Initiative. Lawrence made sure Catherine got everything she wanted.

And her father’s company only survived because Lawrence protected it from behind the scenes, pulling every string.

Shirley realized she’d been blind. If she’d known the truth about Lawrence, she never would have sent Bonnie to seduce him. She would have gone after him herself from the start.

But Lawrence hid everything perfectly. He lived in a rundown house in the old part of town, worked as just an ordinary consultant at Nexus Dynamics, and even rolled up his sleeves to help her father’s company, letting everyone believe he was nothing special, just some honest guy who could be pushed around.

But the truth was… he was the one running Nexus Dynamics. The one with all the power. The only voice that really mattered.