Frederick lounged on the couch, puffing on a cigar. His expression was stern as he asked, “What’s up?”


    “Mr. Winston, we received word from thepany this morning. The patent for Pr Radiance perfume has been approved. Tomorrow, we need to pull an all–nighter at the office to discuss the perfume’s marketunch with all departments.”


    Frederick blew out a smoke ring. “Got it; you can leave now,”


    Chuck watched his expression but didn’t move.


    Frederick raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”


    Chuck swallowed as his face suddenly turned sour. “One more thing.”


    “Spill it.”


    “Mr. Winston, there has been some… activity at the Winston Mansion.”


    Frederick’s eyes flickered, his indifferent face revealing no emotion. “What kind of activity?”


    Chuck nced at him nervously, his voice shaking as he spoke. “Maurice Winston is back from abroad. Apparently, there are some people in the family who want to hand over part of the Winston Group’s assets to him.”


    “Part of the assets? How much exactly?”


    “Um… Fifty percent. Mr. Winston, they want Maurice to share the Winston Group’s wealth, and I also heard…”


    Chuck’s voice trailed off; he was at a loss for words as he approached the crux of the matter.


    “Go on.”


    Chuck wiped his forehead, hastily wiping away some sweat. “I heard that Maurice’s ambitions are even greater than many people imagined. He seems to want to take your ce in the Winston Group.”


    Frederick’s gaze sharpened, his fingers tightened, and the cigar snapped in half.


    “Has he returned to the Winston Mansion yet?”


    Chuck shook his head. “No, Maurice hasn’t shown up anywhere since he returned from abroad. Nobody knows where he is.”


    Frederick’s brow furrowed slightly. His intimidating air as a business tycoon could make anyone feel scared.


    “Activate <b>full</b>–scale defenses and encrypt allpany systems. Also, monitor everyone’sputers. <b>If </b>there are any suspicious emails, report them to me immediately.”


    “Yes, sir!”


    Frederick gave his orders, then pulled out another cigar from the drawer and stood by the floor–to–ceiling window, puffing away.


    <b>At </b>this moment, he still maintained his icy indifference, revealing no emotion. But the cold aura emanating from him made Chuck tremble with fear.


    He had never seen Mr. Winston act like this before, but Chuck wasn’t surprised.


    After all, Maurice’s return had created a tense atmosphere, even for an outsider like him.


    Maurice was the eldest son of the Winston family and Frederick’s half–brother.


    Traditionally, the family fortune should have been Maurice’s to inherit, but it ended up with Frederick instead. The reason behind this was known only to Frederick and his father.


    And Frederick knew very well that, because of the family fortune, his half–brother had always been jealous of him.


    The two brothers had always been inpetition since they were young<b>; </b>their abilities were evenly matched, and their tactics were equally ruthless.


    Therefore, Frederick had to be on guard after hearing of Maurice’s return.


    After delivering his report, Chuck made to leave. But he paused, remembering something important. “Mr. Winston, your father’s sixtieth birthday ising up, and Maurice will be there. Also, I heard that your father wants to arrange a marriage for you.”


    Frederick suddenly turned to look at Chuck. He had a mix of disgust and arrogance on his face. “Forget it! I’m not marrying any woman.”


    Chuck’s eyes shifted, remembering that Mr. Winston once promised to marry Yuna. He tentatively asked. “So… Are you taking Ms. Yuna to the eve