The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 284

"If you mess up at the hospital, one person dies. If you mess up the company, you're ruining the livelihoods of countless employees."

"Mr. Zimmerman doesn't care about the pharmaceutical division anymore, so he just threw this mess at him."

...

Miles put his phone down, his expression unreadable. "Take a seat, gentlemen."

The men sat down dismissively, their eyes full of blatant contempt.

Miles looked up, the lingering warmth from Claire's text vanishing entirely.

He tapped his laptop, and the large screen behind him displayed the company's financial report over the last five years.

"Zimmerman Pharmaceuticals used to be an industry staple. However, over the past five years, revenue has steadily declined. Within the last two years alone, our products failed safety inspections multiple times, resulting in over five major recalls and losses exceeding three billion dollars."

The executives exchanged nervous glances, surprised that this young upstart was coming out swinging.

The general manager immediately defended himself. "That's not entirely fair. Countless pharmaceutical companies have gone under recently. The fact that we've kept things running this well is an achievement."

The unspoken implication was clear: It's easy to criticize when you're not doing the work.

A cold smirk touched Miles's lips. He tapped his finger against the table, his composure flawless.

"While you all sat around sipping coffee, figuring out how to mark up drug prices for your connections, I'm sure business felt pretty easy."

His sharp, predatory gaze swept across the room, deliberate and unhurried.

Out of the eleven people present, not a single one dared to meet his eyes.

"Do I have to lay the evidence right in front of you before you'll listen?"

The boardroom fell into a dead silence.

When it came to pharmaceuticals, an actual audit wasn't something that could be resolved with a simple fine.

"Boss, that's not what we meant..." Apologies and weak explanations rippled through the room.

Miles raised a hand, silencing them. He signaled his assistant to distribute the strategic planning documents.

He flipped to the first page. "Read this carefully."

"Very carefully."

Miles checked his phone again, but there was no reply from Claire.

"Are you still hurting? Want me to massage your back tonight? Did you eat breakfast?"

At OCHH Luxury.

Before Claire could explain, the designers scrambled back to their desks in silence, venting frantically in their private group chat. For the past few days, the usually sweet Julian had been in an inexplicably foul and volatile mood.

"Julian, what's wrong?"

"Claire, I need you to sign this file."

Claire took it, reviewed it, and signed her name.

Standing beside her, Julian's gaze flicked to her phone screen. He caught a glimpse of the photo gallery—a pure, beautiful wedding dress.

She was really planning a wedding with Miles?

The hickey on her neck, deliberately concealed with foundation, was glaringly obvious to him.

Julian maintained his composure, though his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"All set. Anything else?"

A dark, intense look flashed through Julian's eyes, quickly replaced by a bright smile.

"No, that's all."

"Oh, by the way, OCHH had some issues with the ribbon supplier in Queenshaven for the maxi dresses. I found a new one."