Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3143

As soon as he spoke, Oliver cut him off, his tone laced with irritation. "Mr. Hanson, how exactly did Trevor get those injuries?"

Gonzalez barely lifted his gaze. He reached for a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back in his leather chair. "I hit him," he said flatly.

Oliver flared up at Gonzalez's arrogant, nonchalant attitude, feeling completely dismissed. "You assaulted an employee without cause. If those injuries are severe, that's a criminal offense. Trevor has every right to call the cops on you!"

Bang!

Gonzalez hoisted one long leg up and slammed his boot onto the polished conference table. The loud crack made everyone jump, their faces pale with shock.

It was an aggressively dominant, unhinged move.

Gonzalez crossed one ankle over the other, leaning further back in his chair, exuding absolute predatory control. "Calling the cops because he lost a sparring match?"

He let out a dark, mocking scoff and looked at Trevor. "You want to call the police, Trevor? I'm happy to cooperate. We can pull the security footage from the gym."

"No need!" Trevor blurted out instantly. "Oliver just doesn't understand the situation. I'll explain it to him later!"

Oliver's eyes widened. He stared at Gonzalez, then at Trevor, utterly dumbfounded.

"Let's move on, then," Gonzalez said, keeping his legs propped on the table, completely indifferent to corporate etiquette. "I have Luke's proposal for the H City project. I gave it a quick look. It's solid, but there are a few minor issues."

As Gonzalez spoke, Oliver's shock deepened.

Not only had Trevor caved, but Luke—the slyest snake in the company—had surrendered just as quickly!

But what stunned Oliver the most was Gonzalez's critique of the proposal.

He had always assumed Gonzalez was an uneducated degenerate who had never touched the family business. Even as president, he was supposed to be a clueless puppet relying entirely on Oliver.

Instead, the points Gonzalez brought up were sharp, highly technical, and cut straight to the core of the project.

Luke didn't dare half-ass his responses. He answered every question thoroughly, prompting the rest of the board to chime in with constructive revisions.

Friday.

Holly had stepped out to run errands and didn't get back until seven in the evening. Most of the staff had already clocked out for the weekend.

She organized a spreadsheet, and by the time she looked up, another hour had passed.

Packing up her things, she walked over and knocked on the president's door before leaving.

Holly knew Gonzalez was still in there. Unless he had a business dinner, he stayed late every single night.

"Come in," a deep, gravelly voice called out.

Holly pushed the door open and spoke respectfully, "I'm heading out for the night, boss."

Gonzalez sat behind his desk. The office was brightly lit, and beyond the massive glass windows lay the glittering night skyline of J City. It was a beautiful, bustling view, yet seeing him sit there alone gave off a suffocating wave of isolation and quiet despair.