?Chapter 269:


    “Absurd!” Vince mmed his fist on the desk. “I can ept that one of them gives me this reason, but all of them do it at the same time? Someone is definitely manipting things behind the curtain! Keep digging. I want answers!”


    The secretary nodded, too intimidated to say anything.


    Vince gestured for her to leave, then lit up a cigarette, holding it between his fingers.


    The unexpected pullout of investors, stricter bank loans, and cut-off partnerships abroad… These weren’t just chance events. They were clear warnings.


    But who had enough power to pull off something like this? Whoever it was, they had a strong background.


    Vince inhaled deeply before putting out the cigarette.


    His mind wandered back to the man who had taken Maia away that night.


    Could it be him? Or was Maia herself the one pulling the strings?


    He narrowed his eyes, a cold spark shing in his gaze.


    He had never met anyone like that man in Wront. Was he possibly from a wealthy family somewhere else?


    The more Vince pondered it, the more frustrated he became.


    With his engagement to Rosanna on the horizon, he couldn’t afford any moreplications. So far, this issue hadn’t caught his father’s and grandfather’s attention. He needed to secure funding quickly to fix things.


    He clenched his fists, his mind reying the incidents from that night at the Nexus Collective.


    Did that guy really think he could take Maia from him?


    No way.


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    Maia belonged to him. He wouldn’t allow her to be with anyone else.


    Pattie went back to the hotel right after saying goodbye to Maia and quickly set up a video meeting for MCN.


    “Check which client recently ced a big custom order with delivery to Wront,” Pattie instructed.


    She was actingpletely different from the cheerful, easygoing person she had been at dinner. Her eyes were cold, and her face was serious.


    Before long, Pattie finished the meeting and reached out to Maia. “You won’t believe what I discovered! Rosanna actually ended up with one of our high-end custom dresses. But here’s the twist — she didn’t buy it. It was Mariana Cooper who ordered it and gave it to her as a gift.” Pattie let out a deep sigh after delivering the news. “Rosanna’s really glued herself to the Cooper family, tagging along with Mariana. This order is impossible to turn down. You know the deal — we can’t say no to VIP clients. That was the rule you set years ago.”


    “Whatever,” Maia answered with azy grin. “If there’s money to be made, why not take it?”


    “Maia, your reaction is downright creepy… It’s like the calm before the storm. Come on, spill it. What are you up to?” Pattie’s excitement bubbled over. She knew Maia better than anyone else did.


    Pattie had a gut feeling that Maia was nning something major. The moreposed Maia seemed, the more certain Pattie was that something was about to hit the fan.


    “Take your time,” Maia said in a calm tone. “Let Rosanna savor her happiness for now.”


    But in truth, Rosanna’s happiness wouldn’tst long.


    Maia’s eyes drifted to the window, where sparrows chirped on the tree branches.


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