Chapter 229

Chapter 229

On the other end of the line, all that remained was James's heavy breathing.

He was stunned by the huge bait Catherine had thrown out.

"Time, location—he decides. Once it's set, let me know."

With that, Catherine didn't give James any time to react and hung up directly.

After finishing all this, she dialed another number.

This time, the call was answered almost instantly.

"Catherine?" Cecil's gentle voice came through the receiver.

"Cecil." Her voice carried a hint of exhaustion and vulnerability.

"What happened? Your voice sounds off." Cecil's tone immediately became tense.

Catherine paused for a moment, then stated the facts in a calm voice.

"Cecil, the real mastermind behind my parents' death is Philip."

On the other end of the line, there was dead silence for a full half minute.

After a long while, he finally said, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Catherine didn't explain where the evidence came from. She knew Cecil trusted her.

"What do you want to do?" Cecil asked in a low voice.

"I need you... to help me short Nova Pharmaceuticals."

Cecil paused again, "Short Nova Pharmaceuticals? Catherine, its foundation is too deep. Even if we the Wilson family put everything on the line, we could at most hurt them badly. To completely destroy them is almost impossible."

"I know." Catherine's eyes flickered with madness. "Of course we can't do it alone, but what if other investors join in?"

"The West family? That old fox Terry, why would he help us go after Philip?"

"He will." Catherine smirked. "Because I'll give him a reason he can't refuse. I'm going to make them fight each other until both sides lose."

"Cecil, you don't need to ask me what the specific plan is, because this plan is dangerous."

"You just need to trust me. At some point in the future, something big will happen to the Foster family, and Nova Pharmaceuticals' stock price will plummet. When that happens, I need you to use all your resources, unite all the investors you can, and attack Nova Pharmaceuticals—acquire as much as you can."

"What I want isn't to destroy Nova Pharmaceuticals, but... to take it for myself."

"What Philip cares about most is the business empire he built with his own hands. So I'm going to take it away from him right in front of his eyes and change its name!"

Cecil was shocked by the madness of Catherine's plan. He could tell the girl on the other end of the line was out for revenge.

"Catherine, you..." He wanted to persuade her, to tell her not to be so extreme, not to hurt herself.

"Cecil," Catherine interrupted him, with a hint of pleading, "this is the only path I can take. Just tell me, will you help me or not?"

On the other end of the line, Cecil fell silent.

He could almost see Catherine was trapped in a perilous pursuit of revenge.

How could he not help her?

"Okay. I'll help you."

"I'll start mobilizing funds immediately."

"But Catherine, you must promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Protect yourself." Cecil said seriously, "No matter what, you have to stay alive. As long as you're alive, there's still hope for everything."

"...Okay." Catherine answered softly and hung up.

Protect herself?

She didn't care anymore.

From the moment she learned the truth, she had already died.

What was living now was just a walking corpse driven by hatred.

Philip's image still occasionally flashed through her mind.

The focused and gentle look in his eyes when he applied medicine for her.

Every time she remembered it, her heart transmitted waves of sharp, stabbing pain.

She told herself over and over that it was all fake! All pretense!

She still couldn't shake the memory of her parents' tragic deaths.

Three days later.

Brightonfield City's most high-end private club, "The Sterling Club."

Catherine sat quietly, the coffee in front of her already cold.

She wore a sharply tailored white suit, her long hair pinned up, revealing her slender neck.

She looked like beautiful, yet full of aggression.

The door to the private room was pushed open.

A well-built middle-aged man with meticulously combed hair walked in.

He was Terry.

One of the murderer who killed her parents.

The moment she saw him, Catherine's hands resting on her knees instantly clenched, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She forced herself to lower her head, using her long lashes to hide the murderous intent in her eyes.

Terry sat down across from her with a swagger, picked up the pot, poured himself a cup of coffee, not even giving her a glance from the corner of his eye.

He leisurely took a sip, then raised his eyelids and looked Catherine up and down with the gaze of someone inspecting merchandise.

"Well, what do you want?"

"Mr. West," Catherine stared at him intently, "I think you should know about my relationship with Philip."

Terry snorted coldly, saying nothing, which counted as acknowledgment.

"He's so possessive, it's like I'm his mistress—locked away from the world, not allowed to do anything or see anyone."

"He loves me!"

Terry flashed a mocking smile. "Are you here to show off? What does this have to do with me?"

"Of course it matters!" Catherine leaned forward. "Because to Philip, I'm just a mistress—but to him, you're even worse: someone he can throw out whenever it suits him."

Terry held the coffee cup paused slightly, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Catherine met his scrutinizing gaze, "I have evidence of Philip using the West Group over the years to launder money overseas, falsify accounts, and manipulate markets!"

"This evidence—I accidentally saw it on his computer when he asked me to review some formula-related materials."

"Mr. West, think about it—why has Philip been suppressing the West Group lately? You don't really think it's because of me, do you?"

"Because he thinks you've outlived your usefulness. He thinks it's time for the Foster family to completely swallow up the West Group, this piece of fat meat!"

"When he completely eliminates your influence in the group, guess what he'll do to you—this thorn in his side who knows too many of his secrets?"

Every sentence Catherine spoke precisely hit Terry's most sensitive and fearful nerves.

It was said that once people had crossed the bridge, they destroyed it; once the hunt was over, they killed the hounds.

These were Terry's favorite tactics, so naturally he feared most that others would use the same methods against him.

Over the years, Philip had indeed been gradually eroding his power in the West Group—he knew this well.

Terry stared at Catherine intently, as if trying to see a trace of lying on her face.

But Catherine's performance was flawless. Her eyes were full of the anger of betrayal and the desire for revenge.

"What do you want?" Terry finally spoke.