Chapter 36
Some people were riding high, while others were fuming with anger.
At the top floor of the Moore Group building, Zack was venting his frustration at the PR and legal teams.
"Do I pay you to sit around and do nothing? You can't even handle a minor issue!"
Zack's eyes were dark and menacing as he threw the glass in his hand to the ground.
The plush carpet covered the floor completely, and despite Zack's force, the glass rolled safely to the wall, far from the intimidating effect he had hoped for.
Frustrated, Zack kicked the chair next to him even further away. "Get me a new plan immediately, or you're all fired!"
As his words fell, everyone held their breath and slowly exited the office.
Everyone knew this situation was tricky, except Zack.
They say if you don't want people to know, don't do it.
Zack had harmed countless young women over the years, and it hadn't come to light because he used money and power to suppress it.
This time, he encountered a tough opponent who refused to back down and even escalated the situation, resulting in trouble with someone formidable.
How could this be resolved?
The other party's claims were all true.
Compared to Zack's numerous misdeeds, the other party was spotless.
Moreover, the other party wasn't weak.
This situation was almost certainly a losing battle.
The team exchanged glances.
Since public opinion wasn't working, they decided to go the legal route. After all, Zack being hospitalized was an undeniable fact.
Soon, a new plan was placed on Zack's desk. After his approval, it was sent to SM's office email.
When Tammy brought the news to Scarlett's office, Alexander was also there.
Given that Alexander had been practically living at SM with Mike recently, Tammy wasn't surprised.
Plus, Alexander was one of the defendants, so there was no need to avoid him with the lawsuit.
Tammy spoke directly, "Zack lost in the court of public opinion, so now he's planning to sue us for intentional injury."
"The court date is tomorrow." Tammy frowned. "I asked our lawyer if we could be considered to have used excessive force, and they said it's hard to define."
Scarlett took the lawsuit papers from Tammy, flipped through a couple of pages, and handed them to Alexander.
Her expression wasn't good as she rubbed her temples. "Even if it's hard to define, once this goes to court, he'll lose eventually. I feel like he has another plan."
Alexander flipped through a couple of pages and set them aside. "He's not aiming to win the lawsuit; he just wants to sue."
"As long as he gets you to court, win or lose, it will impact SM. The Moore Group is much larger than SM; he's clearly trying to drag you down."
Alexander analyzed and glanced at Scarlett. "That's why he's in such a hurry, not giving you time to react."
Scarlett understood.
Tammy was furious. "Zack is so disgusting!"
She grabbed Scarlett's hand and looked to Alexander for help. "Mr. King, what should we do now?"
Alexander was busy sending messages. He looked up at them. "Fight fire with fire."
His words were cryptic, as if he had said something but also hadn't.
Tammy didn't understand and looked at Scarlett.
Scarlett was deep in thought, seemingly not on the same wavelength as Alexander.
Tammy felt relieved.
If Scarlett didn't understand, it wasn't her intelligence at fault.
Late at night, Zack received a call from abroad, from the Moore Group's most important partner, encompassing eighty percent of their export business.
Even though he was woken up in the middle of the night, Zack answered the call respectfully.
The voice on the other end was lazy and direct. "I heard Mr. Moore has been causing trouble in Phoenix City."
Zack was confused and tried to laugh it off. "It's just a..."
Before he could finish, the other party interrupted with a cold laugh.
"I'm calling to tell you that you've messed with the wrong person. If you continue, I'll cancel all contracts with the Moore Group."
"Of course, I'll send someone to Phoenix City to demand compensation for breach of contract. After all, the termination is due to your fault."
The man hung up.
Zack slumped to the ground after the dial tone.
The Moore Group's export business was the lifeblood of the company; he had no other choice!
Who was it?
Who was it!
Scarlett couldn't possibly have such power!
Was it the Black family?
But if it was the Black family, why wait until now to play this card?
His mind was a mess, unable to think clearly.
His phone buzzed. Zack looked at it; it was a termination notice from the other party.
He panicked and hurriedly promised and apologized.
After countless calls, the other party finally answered, still with a smile in his voice.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Mr. Moore, the longer you hesitate, the more contracts will be terminated."
Zack's voice trembled. "I... I withdraw the lawsuit."
The Moore Group was his life's work; it couldn't be severely damaged by this.
The next morning, outside the Phoenix City courthouse, a crowd had gathered.
The conflict between the Moore Group and SM was the hottest topic in Phoenix City these days.
The internet was still buzzing with revelations about Zack, and now the Moore Group had suddenly attacked, suing Scarlett from SM for intentional injury.
Such news naturally attracted a large audience.
But as the court time approached, the plaintiff Zack was nowhere to be seen.
As everyone waited anxiously, a low-key black car drove up and stopped at the courthouse entrance.
A plump but weary woman in white stepped out and walked towards Scarlett.
Sharp-eyed people recognized her. "It's Zack's wife, Paula!"
Immediately, the media surrounded her with cameras and questions.
Paula Moore was clearly used to this, smiling as she answered. "Please, everyone, I'm here to see Ms. Collins. You can ask questions after I handle my business."
The courthouse steps weren't long, and Paula climbed them surrounded by the crowd, her tiredness evident but still smiling. "Ms. Collins."
Scarlett nodded, watching her quietly.
Paula spoke openly. "I'm here to withdraw the lawsuit."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
Yesterday, Zack was so arrogant, and now he was backing down overnight. It was strange.
Seeing Scarlett silent, Paula added, "Someone will follow up with SM to discuss compensation. On behalf of the Moore Group, I apologize to Ms. Collins for recent events."
Zack had clearly backed down.
Scarlett didn't know what happened to Zack last night, but Paula apologizing in this setting confirmed Zack's misdeeds.
Objectively, this wasn't the right place for an apology.
But Scarlett wasn't selfless; the Moore Group's fate didn't concern her.
She smiled. "Mrs. Moore, Zack should apologize. Please convey to him that if he doesn't personally apologize to Aria, this isn't over."
Paula's face turned paler.
Scarlett's expression was cold. "Additionally, SM's support for the victims won't stop because of Zack's apology. Please convey that too."
"In this world, there's no such thing as doing bad things and getting away unscathed."