Chapter 410: Chapter 410: Deal Over

Lana laughed softly.

Once everything was settled, Lana handed over a few more truth talismans to Monica before quietly returning to her mansion.

Suddenly a idea appeared in her mind.

’Well… this should be interesting.’

For the next two days, she locked herself away, tirelessly crafting talismans.

Truth talismans.

One after another, they piled up, each infused with steady, controlled energy. By the end, she had more than enough.

And then… she made her move.

The Almond household had been cutting payments to their staff recently, causing quiet resentment among the maids. Lana knew this well.

’Perfect timing.’

Without hesitation, she approached them one by one, her tone calm yet persuasive, offering subtle bribes and gentle assurances.

“You’ve been treated unfairly, haven’t you?” she said softly, her eyes observing their hesitant expressions. “I’m just giving you a chance to balance things a little.”

The maids exchanged glances.

Then slowly…they agreed.

Once they were on her side, Lana handed each of them a truth talisman and leaned in slightly, her voice lowering into a conspiratorial whisper as she explained her plan.

By the time she was done… every single one of them looked both nervous and excited.

………

Meanwhile, Garrison and Mr. Almond were busy reviewing project files.

Soon, they began descending the stairs together.

“This meeting is crucial,” Mr. Almond said, his expression serious. “We cannot afford to fail.”

Garrison nodded, his jaw tightening slightly.

Just then, a maid approached them with two bottles of milkshake.

“Sir, you must be tired,” she said politely. “Please have this.”

The drinks looked perfectly normal. Perhaps too normal. Neither of them thought much of it.

They took the bottles. And drank.

There was a faint difference in taste, something subtle, almost unnoticeable, but they ignored it.

Moments later, they stepped into the car.

Mr. Almond glanced at Garrison, his voice firm. “This is our only chance to make a comeback.”

He continued, his tone growing more intense.

“The Whitemore family isn’t just powerful in this city, they have influence in Mao City as well. If we secure their support, we’ll gain a massivebacker.”

Garrison nodded, taking another sip of the milkshake.

“It’ll solve everything,” Mr. Almond added. “No more being suppressed by Lana’s connections.”

Garrison frowned slightly at the taste again but said nothing.

Soon…they arrived.

……….

Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was formal and tense.

Both father and son took another sip of their milkshakes, a small ritual they believed boosted their confidence.

Then, they waited. Five minutes later… the Whitemores arrived.

Mrs. Whitemore, elegant and composed, led the group with a sharp gaze that seemed to assess everything in an instant.

Garrison straightened his posture and stepped forward. “Let’s begin.”

The presentation started smoothly.

Slides flipped one after another, detailing their business plans, projections, and strategies.

Everything was going perfectly. Until…they reached the profit discussion.

Garrison looked at Mrs. Whitemore and said confidently, “We are prepared to offer you thirty percent of the profits.”

She frowned immediately. “That’s too low.”

A brief silence followed. Then… Garrison chuckled lightly.

“Well… we’ve already given ten percent as a secret share to Mr. Whitemore.”

The room froze.

“And he’ll handle things privately,” Garrison continued calmly, “to convince you to agree.”

Dead silence.

Mrs. Whitemore’s face darkened instantly.

Garrison’s eyes widened as the words left his mouth. His hand shot up, covering his lips.

’What did I just say…?’

Beside him, Mr. Almond’s expression stiffened in shock. ’What is he doing?!’

Thinking quickly, Mr. Almond forced out a laugh. “Haha! My son really knows how to joke. Please don’t take that seriously.”

Garrison was about to nod… but his hand slowly lowered on its own.

And then he spoke again. “I’m not joking.”

His voice was steady.

“Everything I said is true. From the beginning, we’ve already given Mr. Whitemore hidden benefits, and he promised to persuade you. This deal was never meant to be equal.”

Mrs. Whitemore slammed her hand onto the table. “Is that true?!”

Her voice trembled with anger. Garrison wanted to deny it. He really did.

But…

“It is true,” he said helplessly.

Inside, he was screaming. ’Stop talking! Stop it!’

But his mouth wouldn’t listen.

Mrs. Whitemore’s eyes burned with fury. “Impossible! My husband would never…”

“He has a mistress,” Garrison blurted out.

The room fell into chaos.

“He has two children with her,” Garrison continued, his voice betraying his own horror. “And he’s planning to adopt one of them under the pretense that the child is an orphan.”

Mrs. Whitemore’s face turned pale.

Memories flashed through her mind, her husband recently insisting on adoption, his oddly persistent tone…

Her hands trembled.

“You”

She pointed at Garrison, her voice shaking. “Why are you telling me this now? Do you feel guilty now?”

“I don’t feel guilty,” Garrison replied instantly. “I don’t even know why I’m saying all this. I want to stop… but I can’t.”

The moment he finished, he clamped his hands over his mouth, his eyes reddening as if he might cry.

Mr. Almond stood there, completely stunned.

Then, in a desperate attempt to recover, he turned toward Mrs. Whitemore.

“My son is an idiot,” he said quickly. “How could he blurt out the truth like that? I’ll discipline him properly later.”

The words echoed. And the moment he realized what he had just admitted…his face went pale.

Mrs. Whitemore slowly turned toward him, her eyes blazing with fury.

“So… it is the truth.”

Her voice dropped, cold and sharp. “You people… really thought you could deceive me like this?”

Mrs. Whitemore didn’t stay to argue further.

Her face was pale with rage, her lips pressed into a thin line as if she were holding back an explosion. Without another word, she gathered her things.

“I will deal with this… personally,” she said coldly.

Then she turned…and walked out.

The sharp sound of her heels echoed through the room, each step filled with restrained fury.

The door shut behind her with a heavy thud. Silence followed. A suffocating, dreadful silence.

Garrison and Mr. Almond stood frozen. They both knew…they were finished.

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