?Chapter 1142:


    And he had done his best.


    At the research institute, then at Neb Group, he had gone looking for her. Each time, security turned him away. He hadn’t even caught a glimpse of her face.


    Just as he reached for the pen to sign the bankruptcy papers, the office door swung open.


    The sharp sound of heels against marble echoed through the silence. Marc lifted his gaze, surprise flickering across his weary eyes.


    With a teasing lilt in her voice, Haley stopped before his desk. “Well, Mr. Walsh, it’s been a while. The desk’s still yours, I see. So you haven’t sold this old thing to pay off your debts. I guess you’re notpletely desperate yet.”


    That desk—Ste’s gift from the early days of Walsh Group. Imported wood, polished to perfection.


    Of course, Haley had her own history with Marc. That desk had held its own memories of their private encounters. Haley’s ck suit was crisp and tailored, her smile radiant yet as cold as steel.


    Marc’s jaw tightened, his voice rasping. “You came to rub it in?”


    With unhurried grace, Haley sat across from him and pushed a folder across the desk. “Actually, I came to save you.”


    Marc’s eyes fell to the bold print on the cover—Acquisition Proposal. The words cut deeper than any insult.


    Marc almost let out a bitterugh. “You’re joking, right? You actually think I’d hand mypany over to you?”


    Haley opened the folder,ying out a thorough acquisition n. “I’m offering three hundred million. I’ll take every asset and every debt. That’s far better than watching thepany crumble in bankruptcy. You’ve been in business long enough to see that.”


    Marc shot to his feet, his chair scraping against the marble. “Three hundred million? This property alone is worth five! Do I look like a fool to you?”


    Haley shut the folder with a soft thud, her expression cool and unbothered.


    “Too low for your taste? Then wait for liquidation. You’ll lose everything and still owe the banks personally. I hear your mother’s jewelry collection is quite something. Auction that off, and maybe you’ll cover a fraction.”


    Jazlyn, forced to sell her jewels to pay off debts—just picturing it made Haley’s lips twitch with amusement.


    Marc’s re sharpened as the truth began to sink in. “So this was your handiwork all along, wasn’t it? You’ve been working with Ste!”


    Haley’sugh was soft but scathing. “Took you long enough to figure that out. Yeah, I pulled the strings from the start. Your clients dropping you? That was me. But you got one thing wrong. Ste and I aren’t partners.”


    “Why?” Marc’s voice came out rough and strained, a mix of anger and disbelief.


    Haley stepped forward, heels clicking with deliberate rhythm. Her eyes burned with resentment as she stared him down.


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