?Chapter 1538:


    Brenna observed the exchange, her expression unreadable. “No need to worry too much. Whoever is behind this is only bold enough to scheme in secret. They clearly can’t challenge us openly in the business arena, or they would have confronted us head-on.”


    “You’re right, Brenna,” Ernst said. “Still, business has been steadytely—no obviouspetitors. Could this just be idle gossip? Are we reading too much into it?”


    Shepard shook his head, uncertain. “Maybe. But we should be careful.”


    Brenna, surprised by their confusion, noted how cunning this hidden instigator must be to stay out of sight of both her father and brother.


    “I’ll dig into the matter,” she said, thinking she could consult Darwin for insights or have Ethan investigate for clues.


    Ernst shook his head. “I’ve already looked into it—nothing surfaced. I’m starting to think there’s no puppet master, just rumors stacking up.”


    He shot Brenna a helpless nce. “You got any unique sources?”


    “A few well-ced allies,” she replied. “I’m not reaching out to them yet, though. I’ll have Ethan and Darwin snoop around first. If they hit a dead end, I’ll consider something else.”


    The following day, Brenna headed to work. The autonomous vehicle design drafts had been finalized, freeing up her schedule.


    She finished early and took the elevator to the ny-ninth floor to find Ethan, who hadn’t yet left his office.


    Ethan, swamped with work but eager to spend more time with Brenna as their wedding neared, had offloaded most of his duties to his three vice presidents, allowing him to maintain regr hours.


    As Brenna exited the elevator, ni rushed over.


    “Ms. Harper, Mr. Mitchell is nearly done. He has a visitor in his office. Would you like to go inside or wait out here?”


    ???????????? с?????????????? g??????????????????????


    Brenna caught the peculiar look on ni’s face and raised an eyebrow. “Who is with him?”


    ni sighed, unable to dodge the question. “It’s Gracie. She’s sobbing to Mr. Mitchell right now.”


    Brenna’s mood darkened. “Didn’t she get married already? Why is she here crying? Treating this office like her personal therapy room?”


    ni gave a faint chuckle. “Could be. I just brought in coffee and overheard her venting about Waldo. Apparently, he has been cheating with two young, attractive college girls. Gracie was in a rage, crying and shouting, but Waldo didn’t apologize or soothe her. He told her to stay out of it, do her work, and collect her sry, saying their marriage was just a business arrangement.”


    .


    .


    .