Jane felt as though she had been struck by a heavy blow, standing frozen in place.
For the past few days, she had remained in the villa, hearing nothing from Pedro or anyone at the company.
She had been clinging to the faint hope that there was still a chance to salvage the situation. But now, with the fallout from the Starlite project, it was clear-she was finished.
Seeing her motionless, Pedro roared, "Why are you still standing there? Get back and prepare! Let me make one thing clear: if you screw up the press conference later, you're out of this family. You'll cease to exist in the Wilkies!"
"Grandpa..." Jane tried to speak.
Theo sneered. "Jane, I suggest you get ready for the press conference. Oh, and by the way, Damon will be attending. If he's not satisfied with your apology, you might find yourself back in a holding cell."
"What did you say? Damon is coming?" Jane repeated.
The shock on her face twisted her features into something almost grotesque.
"That's right," Theo confirmed. "And don't think you can get away with just a hollow apology after what you pulled during the bidding process. You'll also need to cough up hundreds of millions in damages to Prospectus Technology."
The Wilkie Group and Pedro weren't going to help her pay a dime.
...
Jane had no recollection of how she made it back to the villa.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she realized it was already evening.
Wendy approached with concern. "Ms. Wilkie, you haven't eaten anything all day. Please, eat something."
"I don't feel like eating," Jane replied.
Wendy persisted, "But if you don't eat, your health—"noveldrama
"I said I don't want to! Don't you understand? Get out! I don't want to see anyone right now!" Jane snapped.
Her sudden outburst and twisted expression startled Wendy, who took a few steps back.
"Yes, Ms. Wilkie. I understand," Wendy said quietly before turning and leaving the room.
Jane was left alone in the vast living room.
Taking a deep breath, she checked the time before heading upstairs to wash and apply her makeup.
The situation was clear-Pedro and the Wilkie Group had decided to sacrifice her in order to save the company's reputation.
Judging by Pedro's attitude, if the press conference went poorly, he might very well announce on the spot that he was disowning her. She couldn't let that happen.
Being cast out of the company didn't matter as long as she remained part of the Wilkies. As long as she had
that tion, there would still be a chance for her to rise again. She would make Gabriel and everyone who had looked down on her regret it
The press conference began promptly at 8:00 p.m.
Dressed in a simple white blazer with light makeup, Jane still couldn't hide her exhaustion.
As soon as the conference started, reporters began firing sharp questions at her one after another.
"Ms. Wilkie, as the general manager
of the Wilkie Group, you used
underhanded tactics during the
bidding process to eliminate your competitor. Is this how you've secured deals in the past?
set
"Ms. Wilkie, we've heard that you poured hundreds of millions into the Starlite Enterprise project, only or the company to go bankrupt s that money effectively lost?"
"Ms. Wilkie, there are rumors that you sabotaged Prospectus Technology's bidding documents and were detained for several days because of it. Is this true?"
The questions grew sharper, and Jane's face darkened.
What made things worse was spotting Nyla and Damon seated among the audience. She felt utterly humiliated.
At that moment, she felt like a monkey stripped bare and put on display-humiliated and mocked. Her pride had been crushed to dust.