The Best Revenge It Wasn't Even Your Child novel Chapter 302

"Alright, you can stay for now."

Catherine slid the termination agreement back into the drawer and turned to face Nadine. "Now, tell me what’s really going on in the company."

Her tone had changed in an instant, so smooth and natural that it was hard to believe they’d just been at each other’s throats.

Nadine blinked, caught off guard, her cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

"Nadine, I meant you. You’re the one staying for now," Catherine said, as if clarifying for a child.

She wasn’t trying to scare Nadine. She just laid out the facts, letting Nadine decide who she wanted to follow.

Deep down, Nadine knew exactly who had the final say over her future here. In the end, she gave in.

Most of the higher-ups in the company had been handpicked by Ingram long ago. Catherine, even as General Manager, barely had any real control.

"I get it. I’ll head out now. And I’ll remember to request Letty’s transfer from headquarters."

Letty had already told Catherine she was willing to come to Eldervale for this new adventure. Catherine had spoken to her about it before she left.

That afternoon, Nadine sent in the official request to have Letty transferred.

As soon as the request landed on Dane’s desk, he reported it up the chain. Aaron went straight to Lance’s office to fill him in.

"Honestly, the branch isn’t looking good. Catherine doesn’t even have one reliable person to count on," Aaron said.

Lance flipped through some paperwork, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. His brows were drawn tight with worry. "Approve it. And tell her, if she needs anything at all, she should get in touch with you right away."

"Understood," Aaron replied, then hesitated. "Lance, you know smoking isn’t great for you. There’s nothing urgent left right now. Why not get some sleep in the lounge?"

Lance had been out drinking with Harrell until after midnight, then showed up at the office early. Harrell was probably still asleep, but Lance was powering through like nothing could stop him. If it wasn’t for the redness in his eyes, you’d never guess he hadn’t slept a wink.

The polite "I understand, thank you" she’d meant to say just stuck in her throat. The surprise slipped out before she could stop it.

"Yes. Things aren’t looking great in Eldervale, and Lance’s worried you might run into something you can’t handle alone," Aaron explained.

Catherine was quiet for a moment before saying, "Alright. Don’t worry, things seem manageable here for now."

Originally, Ingram’s son was a sure thing for the job, so Ingram only sent a few trusted people to back him up. Later, maybe sensing that Lance wanted to shake things up, Ingram rushed to plant more of his people, but left a lot of gaps in his plan.

Those gaps gave Catherine the perfect chance to flip the situation.

"Please thank Lance for me."

Her voice was clear and bright, echoing across the big office.

Aaron’s phone was still on speaker on his desk, the dark screen reflecting the sharp lines of Lance’s face. When Catherine’s words came through, Lance’s eyes grew darker, but he stayed silent.