She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 550

She would make them sweat a little longer.

Tucking her phone away, Melanie's gaze naturally drifted toward the opulent, floor-to-ceiling windows of the luxury seafood restaurant they were passing.

The glass was spotless, making it incredibly easy to see the VIPs dining inside.

Like—

Melanie stopped dead in her tracks.

Sitting inside, cracking into massive lobster claws and king crab legs, were Gabriel Whitmore and Aria Royce.

For a split second, Melanie felt her eyes lock dead-on with Gabriel's.

"Holy shit!"

Inside the restaurant, Gabriel nearly choked on his wine.

It wasn't just a casual curse.

He was in pure, unadulterated panic.

Before Aria could even ask what was wrong, Gabriel reached across the table, grabbed her chin, and forcibly wrenched her head in the opposite direction of the window.

There was absolutely no way he was letting Aria see Melanie standing out there.

Aria gasped, thoroughly startled by his aggressive move.

But Gabriel recovered beautifully. He kept his hand on her jaw, his thumb brushing suggestively against her cheek.

"You had a little something on your face. Got it for you."

Gabriel flashed her a wicked, playboy smirk.

Aria instantly melted into the touch, misinterpreting the entire situation.

He was flirting with her.

She offered him a perfectly practiced, coy smile.

She had come here specifically to seduce him anyway. If Gabriel wanted to play games, she was more than happy to oblige.

Aria knew exactly what Gabriel was—a wealthy, arrogant playboy just looking for a good time.

But she was using him, too.

If sleeping with the Vice President of Stellaris PharmaTech meant she could steal their proprietary tech, it was a price she was more than willing to pay.

A massive question mark formed in Melanie's mind.

While Melanie tried to dissect the bizarre encounter, Gabriel waited until Aria excused herself to the powder room. The second she was gone, he furiously texted Preston.

Preston, code red!

Melanie is out on the street with Everett right now!

Your rival is actively making moves! Drop the conference call and get down here!

Remember, you're not the 'other man' anymore! You need to establish your dominance as her actual boyfriend!

Sending you the pin now! Hurry up!

Meanwhile, at the Stellaris PharmaTech headquarters.

Preston was leading a high-stakes video conference with the global division heads, mapping out the quarter's strategic initiatives.

He didn't have his phone on him. His assistant, Philip, was holding it.

Standing silently behind Preston's chair, Philip watched the barrage of frantic texts light up the screen. He read every single word, mentally absorbing the aggressive energy radiating from them.

After a moment of profound internal debate, Philip stepped forward and discreetly whispered the crisis into Preston's ear.