She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 597

Preston remained silent.

He didn't immediately jump to Melanie's defense.

He knew full well that if his father was asking this, he must have heard something or received some kind of intelligence.

"Why don't you tell me first, Dad... what do you think her relationship with the Carter Group is?"

Frederick was caught off guard by Preston's counter-question, his expression hardening.

"If nothing goes wrong, the Hale Group will likely be acquired by the Royce Group..."

The information Frederick shared wasn't particularly groundbreaking.

Everyone in the industry knew that Aria's Creative Studio had absolutely zero acquisition value.

It was newly established and had virtually no valuable assets, technical patents, or top-tier talent. Even if it did, the Royce Group wouldn't necessarily want them.

But the Hale Group was different.

Even though it had relied heavily on the Royce Group's upstream support for years, it was still a major player in the pharmaceutical industry.

From the very beginning, if Melanie wanted to make a move, she would only ever acquire the Hale Group.

Yet, she had cunningly thrown out a smokescreen, claiming she would only acquire one of the two—Aria's studio or the Hale Group—forcing them to compete by slashing their prices.

Desperate for the buyout just to cash out, the Hale Group had no choice but to continuously lower their valuation.

Essentially, Melanie had used Aria's studio as leverage to secure a massive bargain for her own acquisition.

In Frederick's eyes, her tactic was brilliantly sharp.

A woman like that marrying into the Whitmore family wouldn't just avoid dragging them down; she might actually be a formidable asset in business.

However...

"I've received word that while taking down the Hale Group and Aria, your girlfriend seemed to get quite a bit of help from the Carter Group... Preston, the business world is a battlefield. We cannot afford to be careless."

Frederick frowned, his tone heavy with earnest warning.

Hearing this, Gabriel immediately jumped out of his seat.

"I'm just seeing how much you're into this woman, and I'm terrified she's just playing you..."

Frederick stood up, walking over to pat Preston on the shoulder.

"Son, you're a genius in the boardroom, but when it comes to romance, you don't have much experience."

He shot a quick glance at Gabriel.

"You don't understand women half as well as your brother does. I'm just worried about you. I don't want to see you get conned."

Preston knew his father meant no harm.

Neither to him nor to Melanie.

"Dad, you just said it yourself. I lack experience in romance, but I'm a genius in business..."

Preston looked at Frederick, his dark eyes swirling with a depth even his father couldn't fully decipher.

"If Melanie really is a corporate spy sent by the Carter Group, then this isn't a romance, it's a corporate war. And if that's the case, how could I possibly lose?"