The man sitting in front of her was entirely different from the arrogant, untouchable Randal she remembered.
In the past, he would have never been this submissive or enduring; he always operated with absolute self-righteousness and zero reservations.
Willa withdrew her gaze and looked back out the window, her tone chillingly resolute. "From now on, do not interfere with my work, and do not plant anyone near me. I don't need that kind of protection."
Randal's fingers tightened slightly, his lips barely moving as he agreed, "Okay."
Willa could hear the reluctance dripping from his response, but she didn't let herself soften.
Some boundaries had to be drawn with absolute clarity.
They sat in silence for a moment before Willa's eyes inadvertently landed on a stack of documents resting on the passenger seat.
The papers were tucked into a dark gray folder, exposing a corner stamped with the Vanguard Properties logo.
She hadn't thought much of it at first, but as her gaze swept over the page, she caught a few distinct words.
The Empyrean Towers Project.
"What is this?" Willa immediately reached out to grab the folder.
Randal's expression shifted slightly, instinctively reaching out to block her. "Just some... work documents."
But Willa was faster, having already flipped the folder open.
The first page was a set of meeting minutes dated eight years ago. The title read: "Vanguard Properties Emergency Shareholder Meeting - Resolution on The Empyrean Towers Project Accident Handling and Equity Readjustment."
She continued reading.
Item One: The collapse of a building under construction at The Empyrean Towers project resulted in three fatalities, with estimated compensation and fallout costs totaling approximately three million dollars.
Item Two: Given the severity of the accident, extensive resources are required to pacify public opinion, coordinate with regulatory authorities, and prevent a total shutdown of the project to safeguard the company's reputation.
Following negotiations, founder Julian York voluntarily relinquishes 15% of his shares in Vanguard Properties, to be held in trust by Sterling Investment.
She turned to the second page.


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