Chapter 194

Chapter 194

Oliver drew a sharp breath. "What if I give you another three percentage points?"

Cody hesitated.

"To be honest with you, we've already signed the contract with Ms. Johnson."

Cody certainly understood that breaking one's word wasn't ideal.

But the terms Molly had offered were simply too generous for any partner to refuse.

In business, profit and risk were always the primary considerations.

"Fuck!" Oliver's rationality snapped. He spat out the curse viciously and slammed down the phone.

After hitting wall after wall, his reason had been completely incinerated by rage.

"Molly! Just you wait."

Consumed by fury, he couldn't contain himself any longer. He drove straight to Molly's company and stood downstairs, screaming hysterically: "Molly! Get out here!"

"Sir, do you have an appointment?" The receptionist tried to intervene, only to be roughly shoved aside.

"Get out of my way!" Like an enraged beast, he barged directly into Molly's office.

At that moment, Molly was reviewing documents in her office.

She looked up to see Oliver burst through the door, eyes bloodshot, pointing at her and unleashing a torrent of abuse. "What the hell is your problem? Stealing my projects, getting revenge on me? Do you hate me that much?!"

Several security guards rushed in after him. It took all of them working together to barely restrain him.

Oliver struggled violently.

Molly unhurriedly closed her folder, lifted her gaze to him, her eyes calm—even carrying a hint of faint mockery.

She looked him up and down, then scoffed coldly: "Business competition. May the best strategist win. If your projects got snatched, it only means your proposals weren't good enough, or perhaps..."

She paused deliberately, her implication clear. "Your character doesn't inspire enough confidence in your partners."

"That's bullshit!" Oliver raged, trying to break free, but the guards held him fast.

Even his expensive suit had become wrinkled and disheveled from his struggles. He looked utterly pathetic.

He could only grit his teeth viciously. "If you hadn't pulled underhanded tricks behind the scenes, spreading rumors, would they have changed their minds?"

"So what if I did?" Molly cut him off, slowly rising to her feet. She walked to her desk, her fingertips lightly tapping another file she'd prepared in advance. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about, actually."

She pushed the document forward. "Regarding your company's tax records from the past three years—I've already had them reviewed. Seems there are a few... irregularities. I think I might need to file a report myself."

Oliver's bellowing stopped abruptly. Like someone whose throat had been seized, his pupils trembled. He stared at that document, the color draining from his face at a visible rate.

Of course he knew about the shady operations in his company—some of which he'd personally arranged.

He'd always thought he'd covered his tracks perfectly. He never imagined Molly would dig them all back up.

"You're making this up! This is slander!" Oliver blustered, his voice hollow. But the tremor in it betrayed him.

He had no confidence whatsoever.

"Whether it's slander or not, an investigation will tell." Molly smiled faintly, though the expression was ice-cold. "Just like when you reported me. The innocent have nothing to fear, right? What are you so worried about, Mr. Smith?"

Oliver lunged forward, breaking free from the security guards' grip, apparently trying to snatch the documents.

The guards moved to restrain him again, but Molly stopped them. "Don't bother. Let him tear them up."

The moment Oliver got his hands on the file, he began ripping it to shreds frantically.

Molly stood beside him, calm and collected. "Tear up as many as you like. I have electronic copies. And I've already filed the report with the IRS."

"Molly, you'll get what's coming to you!"

Oliver's eyes bulged as he glared at her with pure venom. "Even if I die, I'm dragging you down with me."

"Don't you care about Clara at all? If my company goes under, she'll be in trouble too."

"You're the one who tried to destroy me first." A contemptuous smile curved Molly's lips. "How many times have you two ganged up on me? Every single time, you wanted me ruined. I'm just returning the favor—all of it."

Oliver was momentarily speechless. Breaking out in a cold sweat, genuinely panicking now, he reached out to grab Molly's arm.

"Please, I'm begging you. I'll never bother you again."

"Too late. The police are already here." Molly sidestepped his grasp in one smooth motion, her face full of disgust.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the office door, then pushed it open.

The person who entered wasn't her assistant—it was several uniformed police officers. The middle-aged officer in the lead wore a stern expression.

"Mr. Oliver Smith?" The officer flashed his credentials along with a document. "We've received a formal report alleging that you and your company are suspected of tax evasion, embezzlement, and other economic crimes. You need to come with us for questioning."

Oliver was thunderstruck. He whipped around to stare at Molly.

Molly had already returned to her chair, watching him with detached interest, as if observing a farce that had nothing to do with her.

"Molly! You bitch! You'll rot in hell!"

As the officers restrained him, Oliver struggled and screamed, his voice thick with desperation and malice.

His shouts echoed through the entire office, drawing numerous stares.

Molly merely lifted her chin slightly, looking down at him from her position of power.

"Save it for the station." With that, she nodded at the lead officer. "Officers, you can take him away now."

Only after Oliver's furious curses faded down the elevator corridor did she exhale lightly. But her eyes remained sharp.

This wasn't over yet.

News of Oliver being taken in for questioning spread quickly through their circles—with Molly's subtle encouragement, of course.

When a wall begins to fall, everyone rushes to push. Oliver's company, already teetering from lost projects, now faced total collapse.

Online forums buzzed with speculation that Oliver's company was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Over the following days, Molly's project portfolio actually expanded.

Several of Oliver's clients, eager to minimize risk, rushed to terminate or suspend their contracts with him.

"Oliver, you really showed your true colors. He's only been detained one day and he's already confessed to everything," Layla reported.

"Of course. Did his company have any shortage of dirty dealings?" Molly's lips twisted. Her face showed no satisfaction, however.

The truth was, she should have been ruthless long ago. Otherwise he wouldn't have gotten so brazen.

It was time to put an end to all of this. Molly tapped her fingers on the desk, then issued her final command. "Acquire their company. Keep all the employees at their current salaries and benefits."

Once the news broke, the related topic immediately trended on social media.