When Haynes O''Brien arrived, Ste Cameron wasted no time. She dove straight into her n, outlining every detail for him.<fnf9ba> This content belongs to find{n}ovel</fnf9ba>


    Haynes listened quietly, his attention unwavering.


    It wasn''t until Ste mentioned wanting to find an opportunity to undercut Israel Williams that Haynes nced up at her, his eyes sharp.


    "Did Neville Connollye up with this n for you?"


    Ste was a neer-there was no way she could have devised a scheme like


    this on her own. Even with relentless study of business strategy, no one could hatch such a bold idea without having survived real storms.


    Whoever was advising her was no amateur.


    It couldn''t be Antoney Watson; he was just as green as Ste and nowhere near this calcting. And Foreman Richards? If he could think this far ahead, he wouldn''t have fallen for Leonard Lerman''s trap in the first ce.


    That left Neville. But even so, Haynes''s gut told him it wasn''t him.


    It wasn''t about Neville''s intelligence he was plenty sharp. But Neville was mostly aboveboard, and this n wasn''t something you could execute with clever talk alone. It required getting your hands dirty-using tactics that were anything but clean.


    Ste shook her head. "It wasn''t Neville."


    She didn''t borate, and Haynes sensed she wasn''t going to. He let it drop. Maybe it was Mr. Burton, or Antoney''s father stepping in behind the scenes. Haynes leaned forward, his voice steady. "Star, before you go any further, I have to warn you. If you want to lure Israel into this, you''re going to pay a price."


    Heid bare the heart of the scheme in a single sentence.


    "You have to convince him you''ve fallen into his trap. Only then will he make his next move."


    "In other words, you have to let Israele after you. If he''s suspicious, or hesitates, your n will fall apart."


    Ste nodded lightly. "I know."


    Haynes continued, "Once the n''s in motion, you''ll have to take some losses. That''s how you''ll get him to lower his guard. But yourpany is thriving right now. If you take a hit, your reputation will suffer of course, if you pull this off and buy in at the bottom, it''ll all be worth it? But if you lose, you''ll be left with nothing."  s


    It was a dangerous gamble.


    If no one was there to catch her if she fell, everything Ste had fought for could vanish overnight. If that


    happened, even if she joined there


    Williams Group, she''d be


    powerless, a name on the payrol nothing more. She''d probably never get another chance.  s


    This was a high-stakes game—one most people would only y if they were desperate, with their backs against the wall. But Ste''s position was solid. There was no logical reason for her to risk it all.


    Whoever had put this idea in her head was a real gambler-reckless and extreme by nature.


    Still, Haynes couldn''t say outright that betting against Israel was a mistake. If she won, it would be worth it.


    After all, Israel had grown up with the Williams family, using their resources to build apany that was formidable by any standard” Ste Could turn the tables and buy in at the bottom, she''d walk away with a fortune.  s


    But Israel and Leonard were not to be underestimated. Even Foreman had taken


    a loss to Leonard. Did Ste really think she could win so easily?


    Haynes spelled out every risk and reward, making sure Ste understood the stakes.


    He didn''t think it was worth the gamble. But if she was determined, he''d back her -he''d make sure she had a safety.


    Ste considered for a moment, weighing everything. In the end, she chose to move forward with the n.