?Chapter 544:


    Alexander rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Almost. Just a few things left to sort out.”


    The Harper Group had just secured a massive railway contract overseas—worth billions. Alexander wasn’t taking any chances with it. The design phase was done. Now, it was time to send workers abroad and get construction started.


    The railway was being built in a distant country, with the route cutting straight through Avaloria.


    At first, Alexander had hired local workers, but they were unreliable. Even simple jobs turned into disasters, slowing everything down. Fed up, he had fired them all. Bringing in workers from home would fix the problem—but at double the cost.


    The whole situation had Alexander’s stress levels through the roof.


    Right on cue, the Sandar Group—the biggest constructionpany in Avaloria—came knocking on Harper Group’s door. They were a global powerhouse, doing business all over the region.


    Jeffry caught wind of the offer and warned Alexander, “Dad, the Sandar Group is bad news. You don’t want to work with them.”


    Officially, the Sandar Group was just a constructionpany. In reality? It was run by Earle—a ruthless underworld leader.


    Alexander’s face darkened. He already knew about the Sandar Group’s shady connections and the criminals pulling the strings. He never nned on working with them anyway.


    Alexander leaned back and said tly, “I already turned them down.”


    But nothing was ever that simple. The Sandar Group had their eyes on the Harper Group, and guys like them didn’t take “no” lightly.


    Meanwhile, Earle sat in his office as his assistant reported, “Mr. Miller, the Harper Group turned us down.”


    Earle spun the pen between his fingers, his tonezy. “They turned us down?” The assistant nodded. “Yes. We’ve already locked down deals with the neighboring countries. Without us, the Harper Group won’t be able to find the right workers. If they try to hire skilled workers from their own country, their costs will skyrocket.”


    Earle flicked the pen onto the desk. The assistant flinched, his face draining of color.


    Earle huffed, “Typical Harper family—stubborn as hell.”


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    He waved the assistant off. “Leave.”


    The assistant let out a quiet breath of relief. “Understood.”


    Earle’s eyes drifted toward the vase on his desk. His office was cold and lifeless, all ck, white, and gray. A massive painting of a clown loomed on the wall—its grin stretched wide, blood dripping from its mouth, empty eyes staring into nothing. The only thing breaking the monotony was the bouquet of roses in the vase.


    The flowers were wless, tended with care, their petals full and rich in color.


    Earle plucked a single rose, twirling it between his fingers before bringing it to his nose. He could already picture Elena’s reaction. She had to be fuming. She had be his new favorite source of entertainment.


    “Don’t let me down, Elena,” he murmured.


    Ever since Gerald regained consciousness, visitors had starteding to see him.


    That particr morning, as Elena arrived to administer Gerald’s treatment, a guest also arrived at the Spencer estate.


    Spotting Elena, Gerald’s face lit up with genuine pleasure. He waved her over, his voice warm. “Elena, do join me here. I’m just wrapping up a chess match. It’s been a long while since I yed, and it seems my skills aren’t as sharp as they once were. My opponent here has gotten the upper hand.”


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