Chapter 152
Richard wanted to say he didn't know, wanted to deny it, wanted to say if he had known how serious her illness was...
But faced with her calm demeanor, these excuses seemed pathetically hollow.
"My condition is stable now. I only need regular intervention therapy," Margaret restarted the car, her tone returning to cool detachment. "This matter ends here."
At the words "ends here," something snapped inside Richard.
He couldn't accept this. He would never accept this ending.
"I said I can help you!" His voice rose, his eyes bloodshot. "Why won't you accept that? You still hate me, don't you? Fine—hate me, torture me, do whatever you want! But don't play games with your own health!"
Margaret let out a derisive laugh, as if she'd heard the most ridiculous joke. "Mr. Neville, you think too highly of yourself. You're not worth risking my life over."
She slammed on the brakes, bringing the Bentley to a smooth stop at the roadside.
"Mr. Neville, please get out."
Richard froze. "What did you say?"
"I said, please get out of my car." Margaret turned to face him, each word crystal clear. "I'll handle my own affairs without your concern. And let me make something perfectly clear."
Her gaze suddenly sharpened. "From today forward, if you appear before me for any personal reason, or attempt to interfere in any of my matters, Aethel Group will immediately and unilaterally terminate all potential European partnerships with the Neville Group."
She paused before adding, "As you know, I have little interest in that Kingsford Palace project. Destroying it would cost me nothing."
Richard felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
He stared at her—this woman he once thought he could manipulate at will had just delivered a fatal blow.
"You..." a metallic taste rose in his throat, and after a long moment, he finally forced out through clenched teeth, "...wouldn't dare."
"Try me," Margaret replied calmly, staring straight ahead. "See if I would."
The atmosphere in the car dropped to freezing.
After a few seconds, Richard suddenly smiled. He pushed the door open and stepped out.
The cold wind rushed in, clearing his foggy mind somewhat.
He watched as the black Bentley's window slowly rose, cutting off his last line of sight.
The next moment, without a hint of hesitation, the car merged into the flow of traffic.
Richard stood there, abandoned.
Back then, he thought he had merely been cold toward her.
But now he realized it hadn't been mere coldness—it had been a bloodless murder.
And he had been the mastermind.
---
Richard returned to his hotel.
His assistant came in once to deliver a meal, only to be waved away.
The food remained untouched at the door, quickly growing cold.
The entire European division of the Neville Group was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.
Everyone knew their boss had returned acting strangely.
He no longer inquired about any work, shutting himself in his suite every day, seeing only his assistant.
No one knew what had happened, though they whispered speculations behind closed doors.
His assistant, clutching a file, stood outside the suite door, gathering courage for several minutes before finally knocking.
"Come in."
The assistant pushed the door open and was hit by the heavy smell of cigarettes and alcohol.
Richard looked particularly desolate. His overcoat was wrinkled beyond repair.
"Mr. Neville, the information you requested." The assistant placed a folder on the coffee table, not daring to look up.
Richard didn't turn around, only asking, "And her?"
The assistant knew exactly who "her" referred to.
For days, it was the only thing Richard would ask about.
"Ms. Kennedy has returned to St. Alder Bay. She chaired Aethel Group's European quarterly meeting this morning," the assistant reported. "Everything is normal."
Richard fell silent.
"Normal"—what a perfect word. Her world without him remained normal.
While his world had been turned upside down by a single sentence from her.
"What has she been working on lately?" he asked.
"Aethel has been pushing a new energy project, focusing on battery technology for extreme cold environments. The market prospects are excellent. However..."
The assistant hesitated before continuing, "They seem to have hit a bottleneck with the core algorithm. The project has been stalled for almost two weeks. At today's meeting, Ms. Kennedy lost her temper over it—the first time she's shown dissatisfaction with the executive team in public since taking over Aethel's European operations."
Richard finally showed interest. "A technical bottleneck? What's the specific issue?"
The assistant, unnerved by his intense gaze, quickly shared all the information he'd gathered, "It's about energy transmission efficiency in a new composite material under low temperatures. Their technical team has tried multiple algorithmic models but can't reach the theoretical optimal value, leaving battery performance consistently below target."
"The problem is critical. Aethel has reportedly issued an ultimatum—if it's not solved within a week, the board might shut down the entire project."
As Richard listened, a spark ignited in his previously lifeless eyes.
"Bring me the entire 'Hummingbird' technical team from the Neville Group's Central Research Institute—everyone working on new energy. I want them all here within thirty minutes," he commanded without looking up.
The assistant was stunned. "Mr. Neville, the 'Hummingbird' team is working on critical technology for our next-generation electric vehicle platform. Pulling them now would—"
"I said everyone," Richard emphasized, his voice regaining that unquestionable authority. "Tell them to bring all mobile devices and database access credentials. Starting now, they report directly to me. All current projects are suspended."
The assistant dared not question further and hurried to carry out the order.
Thirty minutes later, six top technical experts—talent the Neville Group had spent fortunes recruiting from around the world—were led into the presidential suite looking utterly bewildered.
They stared at their legendary CEO, known for being cold, decisive, and brilliant, who now stood before them with disheveled hair, a wrinkled overcoat, and dark circles under his eyes.
"Mr. Neville?" the team leader ventured cautiously.
Richard ignored their shock and turned his computer screen toward them, displaying a dizzying array of complex data streams and model diagrams.
"Aethel Group, low-temperature battery project, core algorithm bottleneck," Richard stated concisely. "I've highlighted the problem areas. I need a perfect solution within 72 hours."
The six technical experts exchanged confused glances.
So their boss had urgently pulled them from their most important project to solve someone else's technical problem?
What kind of move was this?
Was this some roundabout business strategy, or had their boss fallen under a spell?
The Valeria team leader cleared his throat. "Mr. Neville, with all due respect, this falls outside our scope of work. Besides, attempting to breach Aethel's technological barriers would be ethically questionable in terms of business conduct—"
"Triple the project bonus," Richard interrupted.
The experts' breathing hitched.
"Not enough?" Richard looked up, his bloodshot eyes devoid of emotion. "Five times—plus an additional one hundred thousand euros for each of you."