CHAPTER 166: CHAPTER 166 HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING WITH HIM

Author’s POV

Lucian was pulled from his thoughts by Eric’s voice."Sir, do you have any other questions?"

Lucian closed his eyes briefly before asking his final question.

"Did you have much contact with the Thompson family?"

Eric was surprised, not expecting this line of questioning.

"Not much, but when the two sides were arguing, the Thompson family seemed quite pitiful."

"Being the weaker party, they still didn’t withhold our wages. The Thompson couple were good people."

Eric sighed, his tone somewhat mournful.

"Later I heard the Thompson family went bankrupt. I don’t know what happened to them afterward. Such a shame."

Each of these statements pierced Lucian like a knife, making his eyes redden.

"Enough. You may go."

Eric was startled but didn’t waste words. He turned and left the office.

Once outside, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In Lucian’s presence, he had truly feared saying something wrong and arousing suspicion.

The assistant was waiting by the door and approached when Eric emerged.

"The boss said I could leave. About the money..."

The assistant pulled out another stack of cash from his pocket and handed it over.

"Keep this matter confidential."

"Of course, of course." Eric nodded eagerly as he took the money.

---

Kane sat in the study of his villa, listening as his assistant gave the latest report.

“Eric has already been sent back by Lucian’s men. Everything went smoothly.”

“Well done. Make sure Lin keeps his mouth shut. He knows what will happen if he doesn’t.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Kane. I had someone spell that out to him from the very beginning.”

“Good.”

A slow smile crept across Kane’s face, but his eyes gleamed cold and sharp.

“The stage is set. Now it’s time for Lucian to perform.”

He leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the armrest. “Get in touch with Sophie. Have her persuade Lucian to work with me—so we can bring down Ryan together.”

The assistant nodded. “Understood. I’ll handle it right away.”

“Wait,” Kane said, his voice low and deliberate. “Make sure Miss Sophie keeps it subtle. I don’t want Lucian sensing anything unusual.”

“Lucian’s been able to endure humiliation for years. That kind of man doesn’t miss much. He’s dangerous.”

“I’ll make sure Miss Sophie understands,” the assistant replied quickly.

---

Sophie’s POV

I’d just hung up the phone with Kane’s assistant, my mind racing with questions.

Collaboration? Really? Wasn’t he planning to just sit back and watch the tigers fight? Why would he suddenly want to get involved personally?

"Miss Sophie, Mr. Blackwood also mentioned that you should subtly encourage Mr. West to approach him directly," his assistant had told me.

My lips curved into a sly smile as I finally understood Ethan’s intentions. "I understand completely. Please tell Mr. Blackwood I’ll handle it promptly."

After disconnecting, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and grabbed the folder from my desk. I needed to visit headquarters. Word was that Ryan had returned, but without Serena. Even more interesting, according to the executive office gossip, Ryan seemed to be in a terrible mood.

Those two must have had a fight. Perfect timing for me to slip right in.

The elevator doors at Blackwood Enterprises dinged open, and I stepped out with my most charming smile plastered across my face.

"I’m here to deliver project documents," I told Ryan’s assistant sweetly.

She gave me a once-over and reached for the folder. "Mr. Blackwood is busy and doesn’t want to be disturbed. I can take those for you."

I frowned briefly before recovering my smile. "Is he in a bad mood? I actually came to see Ryan. I haven’t seen him for several days now."

When the assistant started to object, I clicked my tongue impatiently. "It’s just a quick hello. Has Ryan specifically said he doesn’t want to see me? You work for him – you should know better than to micromanage who he speaks with."

The assistant looked flustered. "Please wait a moment, Miss Hart. I’ll check with him first."

"Yes, do hurry," I smiled sweetly.

As she disappeared behind Ryan’s door, I glanced at my reflection in the polished elevator doors. I looked perfect – my outfit carefully chosen to highlight my best features. Ryan would be reminded of what he was missing.

The assistant emerged a few minutes later with a tight expression. "Mr. Blackwood says he doesn’t want to see anyone unless it’s Miss Quinn. If you have documents or messages, I can pass them along."

My face fell instantly. That bitch Serena still had him wrapped around her finger even when they were fighting. I handed over the folder roughly and stormed toward the elevator. There was no point staying here now.

I hailed a cab and directed it straight to Lucian West’s office. Blackwood’s security had stopped monitoring me weeks ago, so I had nothing to worry about.

When I arrived, I marched straight toward Lucian’s office. His assistant tried to intercept me.

"Miss Hart, why are you coming here unannounced?"

"Relax, nobody’s watching me. No one will know I came here," I assured her. "I need to speak with Mr. West. It’s important."

After a brief hesitation, she nodded. "Wait here."

A few minutes later, I was ushered into Lucian’s impressive office. I took my time looking around – this was my first visit to his workspace.

Not bad at all. The luxury befitted an overseas tycoon, even for a temporary headquarters in New York.

"Miss Hart, what brings you here?" Lucian asked coolly.

I didn’t bother with pleasantries and sat down uninvited. "Ryan and Serena have had a fight. I can’t get to Ryan right now, so I came to you to figure out our next move."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "How do you know they’ve argued? The news reports from the charity gala showed them looking quite... intimate."

I laughed sharply, tapping my temple. "Woman’s intuition, Mr. West. Couples fight all the time, but those two are usually so damn logical. When they fight, it means there’s a serious problem."

"And you came all this way just to tell me this?" he asked dismissively.

I forced a laugh. "Of course not." I leaned forward. "You’ve received the suburban development project files now. We’re partners in this, aren’t we? I’m curious – what exactly are you planning?"

Something had been bothering me. If Lucian truly desired Serena, his actions didn’t match up. But if that wasn’t his motivation, what was he really after?

Thinking about what Kane had mentioned when giving me those files, I had formed a bold theory. I was here to confirm it.

Lucian raised his eyes to meet mine, his gaze ice-cold with warning.

I didn’t flinch. His reaction only convinced me I was on the right track.

"Mr. West, we’re in the same boat now. If you tell me what’s really going on, I won’t spread it around. I might even be able to help you."

Lucian scoffed, clearly not buying my pitch.

What value could I, a woman Ryan had discarded, possibly offer? I could read that thought clearly on his face.

"Let me guess," I continued boldly. "Your investigation, even getting close to Serena – it’s all about Blackwood Enterprises, isn’t it?"

His hand paused briefly – a tiny tell that I immediately caught.

"I see I’m on the right track," I smirked. "Do you have some vendetta against Ryan?"

"Miss Hart, you’re asking too many questions. These matters don’t concern you."

"Don’t they?" I countered. "Our goals align perfectly. You want to bring down Blackwood Enterprises, and I want to get Ryan back. Aren’t we working toward the same end?"

Lucian lifted his head and gave me a searching look, assessing me.

"What exactly are you trying to say today, Miss Hart?"

"I’m here to offer you some advice," I said, leaning in closer. "Have you heard of Kane Blackwood? He’s Ryan’s uncle. That man could be very useful to you."

I watched Lucian’s expression carefully. The subtle shift in his eyes told me he was interested. I’d found my leverage point.

Ryan might be ignoring me now, but with Kane and Lucian as my allies, I’d soon have everything I wanted.

And Serena Quinn would have nothing.

I offered him a faint smile, letting my voice drop just enough to sound like a suggestion rather than a scheme.

"Have you thought about working with him?"