Chapter 14

Nicholas's sudden question came without warning.

Eugenie was caught off guard. Meeting his sharp, perceptive eyes, she felt for a moment as if he could see right through her.

Her mouth opened slightly, her reaction delayed by half a beat, her gaze suddenly evasive.

Memories of attending his funeral in her previous life flashed through her mind.

Such a person suddenly passing away—it had been too tragic.

Eugenie smiled bitterly, lifting her chin to meet Nicholas's gaze directly. "Are you also interested in the PharmaNova partnership? With your resources, if you wanted it, I imagine PharmaNova's future collaboration would be yours for the taking."

She was contemplating how to warn him if he truly was interested.

But Nicholas let out a contemptuous chuckle, not bothering to hide the arrogance in his nature.

"I don't pursue partnerships that Ms. Medici voluntarily abandons," he said coolly. "I have no interest in PharmaNova."

His interest lay elsewhere—with another person.

Nicholas gave Eugenie a casual glance.

She nodded thoughtfully. "True. PharmaNova might be crucial for us, but for someone like Mr. Whitaker, it's probably insignificant."

"You say PharmaNova is vital to you, yet you actively gave up this opportunity," Nicholas continued. "Your company is experiencing abnormal operations. PharmaNova accounts for almost all of your company's main profit source. If this gap isn't filled quickly, your position will soon become unstable."

When that happened, removing Eugenie would become an obvious, justifiable decision that everyone would support.

Eugenie smiled bitterly.

How well she knew this—it was why she had desperately sought partnerships yesterday, just to weather the crisis.

She looked at Nicholas with skepticism. "Why do you say my company is poorly managed?"

Indeed, this was true, and the problem was serious.

Because of those shareholders, they had practically emptied the company's internal assets. Once the façade used to maintain appearances was gone, the company's collapse would be inevitable.

But how did he know such confidential information?

Nicholas smiled slightly and said casually, "There are no secrets in business. A company's operational status can be observed from its ground-level stores. Ms. Medici hasn't been in charge long—it's normal that some things aren't running smoothly."

Seeing Eugenie listening attentively, he continued, "Your reforms are too aggressive. For both partners and competitors, this signals trouble."

Eugenie felt a mix of surprise and delight, realizing Nicholas was deliberately guiding her.

She quickly asked, "Why? Even if outsiders can detect signs from store adjustments, they should see that my reforms are positive."

He smiled dismissively. "That's only from an internal perspective, and whether they're good or bad remains to be seen. To the outside world, reforms communicate only one signal: 'instability.'"

Eugenie paused, momentarily stunned.

The fog in her mind cleared like clouds parting to reveal the moon—a sudden revelation.

"I understand now. Thank you for the insight, Mr. Whitaker," she said gratefully.

The wariness and distance she had felt toward Nicholas unconsciously diminished.

She volunteered, "But I'm sorry, I can't tell you why I terminated the PharmaNova contract yet. However..."

Eugenie paused, then suddenly smiled brightly, raising an eyebrow at him. "Mr. Whitaker, let's make a bet. I bet PharmaNova will implode. If that happens, I hope you'll be more inclined to believe what I say."

One step at a time—eventually, she'd find a way to warn him about the future car accident.

Eugenie thought with satisfaction that she could finally repay his previous help.

Nicholas remained noncommittal.

Knowing things couldn't be rushed, she said no more. After apologizing for last night, they parted ways in the hotel lobby.

Unknown to them, a camera lens captured the entire scene.

Early morning at the hotel, two people leaving together but going separate ways—a scene that would spark speculation in anyone's eyes.

Allegra put away her phone with a cold laugh.

Who would have thought that just meeting friends nearby would accidentally yield such scandalous material? The last photos were deleted, but she doubted Eugenie could pretend ignorance twice!

"No matter what Eugenie tries to do, after two consecutive scandals, I don't believe the Grayson and Medici families will remain silent."

Allegra's lips curved in satisfaction.

Once both families became disappointed with Eugenie, the cancellation of their engagement would only be a matter of time.

In high spirits, she sent the photos to her familiar team.

She transferred a sum of money, instructing, "Whatever it costs, I want the whole world to see this photo. Make Eugenie infamous."

Before Eugenie could return to the company, photos of her saying goodbye to a strange man in front of a car were spreading like wildfire.

When she entered the office, she immediately sensed subtle, strange glances, looking around in confusion.

Full of questions, she headed upstairs to consult with Nolan.

Two department managers approaching from the opposite direction crossed paths with Eugenie. As they passed, one of them remarked loud enough for everyone to hear.

"No wonder she turned the company upside down as soon as she took over—she's a habitual offender. Wasn't it enough to cheat on her fiancé and cause trouble for her family? Now she's disrupting our company."

"These clueless little heiresses who come to play executive—couldn't she show some restraint?"

The two played off each other, their voices sharp and grating.

Eugenie frowned, turning to stop them. "What do you mean?"

"What else could we mean? We're talking about you."

Both were backed by shareholders and had always disliked Eugenie. Now they didn't bother hiding it.

They pulled out their phones, showing the photos while mocking her, "You're caught cheating and still have the nerve to show your face? Without the Grayson family backing you up anymore, do you really think you run this company?"

Eugenie immediately recognized the photos from her morning with Nicholas.

Her expression faltered. She gave them both a penetrating look, mentally noting their names before walking away.

"Just baseless rumors," she said. "You two should worry about next month's performance review. With your current results, you might want to prepare to hand over your duties."

"Eugenie!"

She ignored their outraged calls.

Taking a deep breath, she returned to her office and wearily told Nolan, "Quickly find someone to reduce the heat on this news story, and send someone to apologize to Mr. Whitaker. I'll clarify things as soon as possible."

For the rest of the day, Eugenie was busy handling the constant barrage of media inquiries.

She finally dragged her exhausted body home that evening.

After two straight days of non-stop work, all she wanted was to rest.

But seeing Bianca and Kenna blocking the living room, she knew her wish would likely go unfulfilled.

"You've been fooling around outside and still have the nerve to come back?"

Bianca raised her sharp lips in a sneer and demanded, "Go back to the Grayson family right now! You're not welcome in our home. Until you get the Graysons' forgiveness, don't even think about coming back."