He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 287

Whether he is willing or not, Yardley is forced to kneel before Scarlett. Yet, looking at the man on the floor, Scarlett feels absolutely nothing. Her eyes are empty and cold.

Franklin forces a wider, faker smile. "See? Yardley is on his knees. Can we let bygones be bygones now?"

Scarlett sees right through his calculating gaze and laughs coldly. "Mr. Flynn, do you honestly believe that all women are the same? That you can just throw us a title and a few sweet promises, and we'll forgive and forget everything? Let me tell you right now—I don't buy it. I gave Yardley plenty of chances, and he threw them all away. Now, there are no more chances. You can pour as much money as you want into saving your stock. If you survive, great. If not, you better start planning your exit strategy. Honestly, Mr. Flynn, I'm worried that the empire you built is going to be completely destroyed by your son's absolute foolishness."

"You—!" Yardley's head snaps up, his eyes bloodshot, veins popping on his forehead. "Scarlett! Don't push it!"

"Push it?" Scarlett scoffs, her eyes filled with disdain. "Compared to you putting my baby on an IV, compared to the five years of humiliation and abuse I suffered in this house, I am being a saint. I offered you a way out before, Yardley, and you refused. Now, you're on your own. Whether the Flynn Group survives this crisis is entirely up to you two."

Without another glance at their stunned faces, she turns around, takes Dawn from Stellan's arms, and walks out of the Flynn Estate without looking back.

Watching her walk away, Franklin's smile slowly dies, leaving his face ominously dark. He turns to Yardley, suppressing his rage. "Yardley, you are an absolute idiot! You should have realized by now that this woman's background is incredibly deep and dangerous."

Yardley clenches his fists so hard his nails bite into his palms, drawing blood. He stares at the empty doorway, haunted by the image of Scarlett looking down at him with total control. He finally realizes that she has become terrifyingly powerful, ascending to a level far beyond his reach, looking down on him in a way he can barely comprehend.

Franklin nods grimly. "Before everything went wrong, Jacqueline Langley and Sean Bishop were the power couple of the industry. Sean got into real estate before me, and his business was booming."

Yardley's heart skips a beat. "Dad, then how did he go bankrupt?"

Franklin rubs his nose, sighing as he recalls the past. "He monopolized the market. The rest of us couldn't even get scraps. People resented his dominance. It was a time of rapid economic growth in Country H, and Bishop Industries aggressively bought up land to become the first publicly traded real estate firm in Bay City... which gave us the opening to take him down. Several of our families conspired together. We hired top-tier traders to manipulate and short Bishop Industries' stock. He was forced to drain his capital to save it, breaking his supply chains and causing banks to call in his debts. Right when it all collapsed, Sean pulled a disappearing act with his son, taking the last of their funds and vanishing overseas."