Chapter 264

Chapter 264

"Uncle Leon, I know you had your reasons. I don't blame you. The ones I blame are the two-faced people who just go whichever way the wind blows."

Katniss's voice was sharp with anger, her jaw tight.

"I'm glad you see it that way."

Leon's voice softened further.

"I watched you walk through those doors your first day at the company. I've always thought of you like a niece. Seeing you go through something like this—it doesn't sit well with me either."

Silence on the other end. Then Katniss's voice returned, tinged with hesitation.

"Uncle Leon, I'd like to meet with you. There are some things... I'd really value your advice."

The corner of Leon's mouth curved upward, but his voice remained warm. "Of course. When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I'll text you the address."

"Sounds good. See you then."

He hung up and set the phone on the desk. His smile deepened.

The fish had taken the bait.

---

The next afternoon. Greenleaf Café.

Katniss chose a corner table with a clear sightline to the entrance and every angle of the room.

She arrived fifteen minutes early, ordered a black coffee, and placed her phone face-down on the table with the voice recorder running.

At three o'clock sharp, Leon appeared.

He wore a light gray blazer with no tie—far more relaxed than his boardroom persona.

He walked up to her table with an easy smile. "Katniss. Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all. I just got here myself." Katniss stood and offered a polite smile. "Uncle Leon, please—sit."

Leon settled into the chair across from her, flagged down a server, and ordered a latte.

He glanced around the café and nodded approvingly. "Nice place."

"I used to come here a lot. The owner knows me. We won't be bothered."

"Good."

Leon took a sip of the latte the server brought over, set it down, and looked at Katniss with a concerned gaze.

"Katniss, you mentioned on the phone that you wanted my advice. What's on your mind?"

Katniss lowered her head, her finger tracing the rim of her coffee cup as though searching for the right words.

After a long moment, she looked up. Her eyes glistened faintly. "Uncle Leon, I really didn't leak any company secrets. But even if they clear my name, I don't want to stay at the York Group anymore."

Leon's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh? Why not?"

"I'm exhausted."

Her voice cracked.

"I gave years to the York Group. Everything I had. And for what? Now I'm suspended, and Cedric won't even speak up for me. Uncle Leon, I'm done. My heart's gone cold."

Leon studied her reddened eyes, was quiet for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Katniss, I understand how you feel. Everyone saw what you contributed to the York Group. As for Cedric... well, his hands are tied too."

"His hands are tied?"

Katniss let out a bitter laugh.

"He's the chairman. If he really wanted to protect me, who could stop him? He just didn't want to."

Leon said nothing. He took another sip of coffee, his gaze flickering with calculation.

Katniss pressed her advantage, leaning forward slightly, dropping her voice.

"Uncle Leon, you've been at the York Group for decades. You know this company better than I ever will. If I go all the way with this lawsuit against Cedric—burn every bridge—what are my chances?"

Leon set down his cup and leaned back, considering.

"If all you want is a payout and a clean exit, your odds are decent. The York Group won't want the publicity. They'd most likely settle out of court—write you a check, have you sign an NDA, and call it done."

"What if money isn't what I'm after?"

Leon's gaze sharpened. "Then what do you want?"

Katniss bit her lip, as though steeling herself for something monumental. "I want Cedric to pay."

The words came out wrapped in ice-cold hatred. Even she was impressed by her own performance.

Leon studied her for several long seconds, weighing the truth of it. When he caught the flash of raw fury deep in her eyes, he slowly smiled.

"Katniss, have you considered that if you truly want Cedric to pay, suing the York Group is the wrong path?"

Confusion crossed her face. "Why?"

"Because Cedric is the York Group's legal representative. Suing the company means suing him, but he has an entire legal team to shield him. On your own, you can't win that fight."

Leon paused, lowering his voice.

"But there might be another way to get what you want."

"What way?"

Leon didn't answer right away. He lifted his cup, took a slow, deliberate sip, set it down, and fixed Katniss with a meaningful look.

"You know the York Group's annual shareholders' meeting is coming up."

Katniss nodded.

"Under the company charter, the shareholders' meeting has the authority to remove the chairman."

Leon's voice was quiet. Deliberate.

"If someone could present sufficient evidence at that meeting—proof that Cedric mismanaged the company, that his poor judgment in personnel caused reputational damage—well, his seat at the top might not hold."

Katniss's heart slammed against her chest. Her expression didn't change.

She furrowed her brow, letting hesitation show. "But... who could produce that kind of evidence?"

Leon smiled.

He leaned back, laced his fingers together on the table, and looked at her with the quiet confidence of a man who held all the cards.

"Me."

Katniss froze.

"Uncle Leon, you—"

"I've been at the York Group for thirty years. I have plenty of ammunition."

His voice stayed gentle, but his eyes glinted like polished steel.

"Every decision Cedric has made over the years—which ones were right, which ones were wrong—I know them all."

"All it takes is someone to bring these things to light at the shareholders' meeting. Pair that with your lawsuit as supporting evidence, and Cedric's position becomes untenable."

Katniss was quiet for a long time, then asked softly, "Uncle Leon, why would you help me?"

Leon sighed, his face heavy with what looked like genuine pain.

"I'm not helping you. I'm helping the York Group. I watched Cedric grow up. He's capable, but he's too young. Too impulsive."

"He needs a lesson. He needs to learn that this company doesn't belong to him alone."

He paused, his gaze turning distant. "The York Group needs someone more experienced at the helm. Someone more seasoned."

Katniss looked at the righteous conviction on his face, and a chill crawled down her spine.