?Chapter 246:
Neil’s cold and disdainful gaze filled Lise with terror.
For a brief moment, she was too stunned to cry, her eyes locked on his, unblinking. “Neil…” she murmured.
Neil’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke, “If only you had been honest with me, and not nned to use the Wheeler Group’s press conference… I could have forgiven your actions.” He inhaled sharply, struggling to control his rising anger. “You know this conference is vital for the Wheeler Group,” he reminded her sternly.
Lise was well aware of what was at stake, but her concern wasn’t for thepany’s future—it was for her own ambitions. It was then that Neil recognized how selfish and foolish Lise truly was.
Did she really believe a few photos could steal Iris’s identity and her reputation?
Unable to face Neil, Lise shook her head wildly, desperate for an exnation.
“Neil, it wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to help you. I never anticipated it would end up like this.”
Despite how sorry she looked, Neil felt no pity.
When she reached out to him, he instinctively withdrew his arm. “Lise, you’ve terribly misjudged this.”
His hands balled into fists. Neil felt engulfed by the enormity of Lise’s betrayal.
He gave her one final look filled with emotion before turning to leave.
Suddenly, a loud thud and Lise’s scream made him spin around.
His eyes widened in shock as he saw Lise clutching her stomach, squirming in pain.
“My baby… my baby!” she cried out, her voiceced with panic.
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Without hesitation, Neil scooped her into his arms and hurried downstairs.
He was furious with Lise, but he would never risk the life of his child.
Meanwhile, the Adams Group’s celebration party was in full swing.
After a few rounds of drinks, Katelyn was tipsy, her cheeks glowing red.
Most of her colleagues were well beyond tipsy at this point.
Vincent was the calmest of them all.
He looked into Katelyn’s misty eyes.
“Are you drunk?” he whispered gently.
Katelyn shook her head, massaging her forehead. “No, I’m just a little dizzy. I think I need to go home.”
Vincent picked up his jacket and approached her.
“I’ll drive you.”
Katelyn agreed and followed Vincent, keeping a slight distance between them. She focused on her feet as they walked, absorbed in the familiar rhythm of her steps. She used to y this game a lot when she was younger. So distracted was she by the motion of walking that she didn’t realize she’d bumped directly into Vincent’s solid chest.
Vincent, who was very muscr from years of exercise, caught Katelyn just as she was about to lose her bnce. He swiftly supported her, grabbing her arm and waist.
It all happened so quickly. Before Katelyn could react, she found herself looking up into Vincent’s face, their faces only a few inches apart.
In that brief moment, the space between them was so small that if Vincent had leaned in, he could have kissed her full lips.
The night air brushed past them, and a stray lock of Katelyn’s hair tumbled across her face, adding to the chaos of the moment.
The silence around them was only broken by their quickening heartbeats.
Vincent’s deep gaze seemed to pull her in even more. “Are you all right?”
Once Katelyn regained herposure, she slowly shook her head, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.
“Let’s go,” Vincent said softly.
This time, Vincent didn’t keep any distance. He walked closely beside her, matching her pace.
He could tell she had drunk too much and was struggling to keep herselfposed.
The drive to Katelyn’s house would take nearly an hour.
Once they reached the car, Vincent held the door open for her.
“If you’re tired, feel free to sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Katelyn nodded, more subdued than usual in her drunken state.
She rested her head against the window, but soon, her fatigue overwhelmed her. Before long, she leaned against Vincent’s shoulder instead.
.
.
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