?Chapter 1017:

    Several young men, each dressed sharply in a suit, sat along a long table, their focus fixed on openptops.

    Against the far wall, Hector upied his own spot,ptop at the ready, with the scent of freshly brewed coffee curling in the air.

    Seeing Brenna and her group, Hector rose to greet them, extending his hand with genuine politeness. “I am sorry for the inconvenience earlier,” he said. “I’ve only arrived a few days ago, and assassins have alreadye after me more than once, so I have to be on guard.”

    No exnation was needed; Brenna knew well the habits of powerful men. Their travels always included teams of bodyguards. When she had worked with Hector in Norviewst time, his ce had been crawling with security.

    With a small nod, Brenna took her seat across from him. “I understand.” If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t have allowed them to search her.

    Hector responded with gratitude, turning hisptop toward her. “I appreciate your understanding, Miss Harper. Last time we worked together, it was a pleasure. For this project, I’m offering two hundred million. I need you to put together a n. I know you’re a financial expert, so this shouldn’t be difficult for you.”

    A nce at the screen showed Brenna a series of graphs—the Wilson Group’s stock had been tumbling for months, each dip steeper than thest. Continued losses like this would mean bankruptcy was only a matter of time.

    “The decline’s been relentless. The Wilson Group must be hemorrhaging money at this point,” Brenna observed, lifting her gaze, uncertain of Hector’s ultimate goal. From what she understood, his original n had been to acquire thepany, but if it crashed, there would be nothing left to take.

    Curiosity got the better of her. “I thought your intention was to acquire the Wilson Group?”

    A shake of Hector’s head dismissed the notion. “I want it ruined. I want thepany stripped of everything. The n had been going smoothly until Gracie started seeking Ethan’s help. Look, the stocks have been rising again in thest couple of days. That’s not what I want to see, which is why I’m asking for your help now.”

    Weighing her options, Brenna offered a cool reply. “If I step in, the Mitchell Group will get hurt, too. Ethan and I were together before. Why do you think I will help you go against him?”

    Laughter rumbled from Hector as he shook his head once more. “Miss Harper, I may be new in Shirie, but I’m not blind to what’s going on. You and Ethan are finished. He’s getting close to my wife. Wouldn’t you like to get back at him a little? I want to teach my wife a lesson, leave her broke, and cut her off for good. As for Ethan, you could wipe out billions of his fortune and show him the consequences of his actions. It will be a win-win for us.”

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    Agreement showed in Brenna’s slight nod. She was displeased with Ethan for sending Milton to help Gracie. Although Ethan hadn’t intervened directly, he still invested over ten billion to save the Wilson Group for Gracie.

    Given the circumstances, Ethan indeed deserved a lesson.

    “You are right,” Brenna replied.

    A satisfied grin formed on Hector’s lips. “Bring the Wilson Group to its knees within a week, and I’ll give you an additional three hundred million.”

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