Chapter 131

Clive's howls bounced off the walls, reverberating through the entire floor.

Every secretary in sight perked up, eager to catch a glimpse of the unfolding spectacle.

With a steely look, Hannah slammed the coffee mug down in front of Clive, her gaze sharp and unflinching.

Outrage colored Clive's face as he stumbled back, finger shaking in accusation. "Have you lost your mind?How dare you treat me like this?"

Hannah's lips curled into a frosty, joyless grin. "Consider this a lesson-loose talk always has a price."

"You..." Speechless and stunned, Clive gaped at her, unable to muster a comeback.

"I'd watch what comes out of your mouth if I were you. Next time you start gossiping about me, you'll have more than just hot coffee to worry about." After delivering her warning, Hannah didn't waste another second.She spun around and strode away, Clive wasn't worth another moment of her time.

Before long,Hannah was behind the wheel, heading for the spot Felix had mentioned. When they finally met, Felix laid out the entire story.

A crisis had erupted at Nova Tech: their supply chain was unraveling. In the span of a few days, vendors who had worked with them for ages were now refusing to cooperate.

Felix had just come back from a failed round of negotiations, the talks ending in disappointment.

With no time to lose, they set out for the next supplier-someone who had partnered with Nova Tech longer than anyone else.

Their hopes were dashed as soon as they arrived. The supplier wouldn't even come to the door, shutting them out withouta word.

Vendor after vendor turned Hannah and Felix away, leaving them with nothing but closed doors and mounting frustration.Finally, a new supplier-a recent addition to their network-reluctantly disclosed the reason after much persuasion, saying they had crossed a big shot.

But no matter how they pressed, he wouldn't name the company pulling the strings.

A disrupted supply chain spelled disaster for their plans, making it impossible to launch mass production of the wristbands. Even more crucially, they wouldn't be able to participate in Miles' company's bidding process, as they lacked a list of suppliers in their proposal. Every step along this path mattered-a single misstep threatened everything.

Setbacks didn't dampen Hannah and Felix's determination. Back at headquarters, they wasted no time and began hunting for fresh suppliers. Yet, as soon as the name Nova Tech surfaced, enthusiasm evaporated-suppliers who had shown interest suddenly backed away. This string of disappointments pointed to one cause: someone with power was working behind the scenes.

Trying another supplier now felt pointless to Hannah. The only way forward was to unmask the mastermind orchestrating the sabotage. Whoever it was had a strong motive-most likely a rival company with something to gain.

All day, the question circled in Hannah's and Felix's minds, but no clear answer emerged for either of them.

Ignoring Vincent's order, Brinley ventured out as she pleased. She split her time between office work and

socializing with friends every single day.

As the date for the bidding for Miles's firm drew near, Brinley grew determined to make an impression on Vincent. She set her sights on befriending Daphne Whitaker, Miles's sister, seeing it as the perfect opportunity.

Leaning into Daphne's gaming obsession, Brinley found ways to bond over every session, quickly winning her trust.

Gossip and curiosity were Daphne's favorite pastimes.

Knowing exactly how to keep Daphne engaged, Brinley spun stories about her childhood connection with Vincent, always casting Hannah as the unwelcome intruder who disrupted their friendship.

Eventually, Daphne let slip that she had caught sight of Vincent wwith Hannah once. A bad feeling had washed over her instantly-she'd pegged Hannah as trouble from the very beginning, but she hadn't realized Hannah was stepping into someone else's relationship.

Resentment for Hannah began to fester in Daphne's mind.

"I can't stand people who wreck relationships. Don't worry, Brinley. The next time Hannah shows her face,I'll be sure to defend you," Daphne said, brimming with righteous indignation.

Brinley's smile wavered, something uneasy flickering in her eyes. "Daphne, let's leave that topic alone," she replied gently."|actually wanted your advice about something else today."