Chapter 148 Stefan's Methods
"Of course I'll handle it."
Stefan finally spoke, his voice as gentle as ever, revealing no emotional fluctuation.
Stefan walked between Efren and Cecilia, his eyes sweeping between them before finally settling on Efren's fat face, flushed red with agitation.
"Mr. Britton, don't be angry. It's not worth ruining our relationship over such a small matter."
Seeing Stefan's softened attitude, Efren mistakenly thought Stefan was giving him a way out, and his arrogance immediately flared up again.
Efren stuck out his fat belly, chin raised high.
"Mr. Hensley, this is not a small matter!"
"This concerns your company's reputation, and more importantly, my personal honor!"
Efren adopted the posture of being the victim himself, speaking with conviction.
"I'm putting it out there today—if you don't give me a proper explanation, this three-hundred-million-dollar deal? I don't think we need to discuss it anymore!"
The smile on Stefan's face deepened.
He turned to look at Cecilia, his tone still gentle: "You can leave now. I'll handle this."
Cecilia glanced at him, unable to read anything from his calm eyes.
She nodded and turned to leave.
"Stop right there!"
But Efren suddenly thrust out his hand, blocking Cecilia's path directly.
He looked at Stefan smugly, his face written all over with fearlessness.
"Mr. Hensley, what do you mean by letting her leave?"
"You want to protect her? Let me tell you, don't even think about it! Is this your attitude toward solving problems?"
Efren's voice became shrill.
"I want a clear answer today!"
"Either fire her right now, immediately, this instant, and make her get lost! Or our deal falls apart—you choose!"
Efren was certain that faced with a three-hundred-million-dollar contract, Stefan would definitely sacrifice a newly hired employee.
Efren was already imagining in his mind how this ungrateful Amelia would come back crying and begging him after being fired on the spot.
However, Stefan didn't do as Efren expected.
The air in the reception room grew quiet.
The smile on Stefan's face gradually faded, replaced by a coldness that chilled one's heart.
He ignored Efren's shouting and simply turned his gaze back to Cecilia.
"Where did he try to touch you just now?"
The question came out of nowhere.
Cecilia paused for a moment, then answered truthfully: "My hand."
She added a sentence.
"Almost touched it."
Stefan let out an extremely soft laugh.
He had originally wanted Cecilia to leave because he didn't want her to see his methods that would follow.
After all, in front of her, he had always maintained the image of a strategic, refined ally.
But this idiot in front of him kept recklessly provoking Stefan's bottom line.
"Mr. Hensley, why are you asking this? What do you mean?"
Efren still hadn't realized the danger approaching, continuing to jabber on.
"You're not actually believing this damned bitch's words, are you? I've seen plenty of women like her—they'll do anything for profit!"
"Let me remind you again, the companies waiting to work with my Skyline Real Estate could line up from your Hensley Group building all the way to the riverside!"
"Giving up a deal that's right in front of you for a woman—think it over carefully!"
But Stefan was still smiling, a cold smile.
"I've thought it through."
The moment the words fell, Stefan moved.
No one saw his action clearly.
There was only a dull thud, accompanied by a distorted scream.
Efren, who had been acting so arrogant just a second ago, was already airborne, crashing heavily into the solid wood wall several feet away, then rolling to the ground.
This sudden turn of events made even Cecilia's pupils contract.
Stefan had no intention of stopping.
Under Efren's terrified gaze, Stefan walked forward slowly, lifted his polished custom leather shoe, and stomped hard on the fat hand that had just tried to reach for Cecilia.
Efren let out a howl ten times more piercing than before. The excruciating pain of bones being crushed in his wrist made his entire fat face contort.
Cold sweat instantly soaked through Efren's greasy hair.
"Mr., Mr. Hensley, what, what are you doing!" He was in so much pain he couldn't speak properly, his face full of terror and disbelief.
Had Stefan gone crazy?
Stefan looked down at Efren from above, those eyes that had once held smiles now containing only cold hostility.
"What am I doing? What do you think?"
Stefan increased the pressure under his foot, and one could clearly hear the wrist bones groaning under the unbearable weight of his shoe.
"Mr. Britton, I have a few questions for you. Answer honestly."
Stefan's voice was flat, flat without a ripple.
"You, you ask." Efren was gasping in pain.
"Your Skyline Real Estate, last year's financial report, net profit margin was seventeen point six percent, right?"
Efren was stunned, not knowing why Stefan was suddenly asking this, and could only instinctively nod: "Yes, yes."
"But the real data I found shows twenty-four point six percent. Where did that seven percent profit go?"
The color drained from Efren's face instantly.
"No, I don't know what you're talking about."
Stefan's foot moved slightly.
Efren screamed again.
"Second question," Stefan continued, "your son, Eldon Britton, studies at Seraphim Serenity High School. Last month, wasn't he given a major demerit by the school for selling illegal drugs at a party?"
Efren's body began trembling violently: "You, how do you know?"
"Not only do I know, I also know that the school board member who helped you cover this up—his shares in the Hensley Group were all forcibly bought back by me yesterday."
Efren's eyes widened, his lips trembling, unable to say a word.
"Last question," Stefan bent down, his voice lowered to where only the two of them could hear, "that college student you're keeping at Building 18 in Greenfield Estates on the west side of the city, her name is Sophie, right? Does your wife know about this?"
"You, you!" Efren completely broke down, fear overflowing from his eyes. "Mr. Hensley, I was wrong! I was really wrong! Please spare me this once!"
"Spare you?" Stefan finally straightened up, lightly tapping Efren's now bloody and mangled hand with his shoe tip.
"You're right, she is an employee."
Stefan's voice was still gentle, but the bone-chilling coldness in it was impossible to ignore.
"But she's my person."
"My person—did you think you could touch her?"
This bloody and violent scene finally brought Cecilia back to her senses.
Although she also wanted nothing more than to personally cripple Efren's hand, this was the Hensley Group. Stefan was the group president—if Efren was seriously injured here, the subsequent troubles would be endless.
This wasn't the optimal solution.
Cecilia quickly stepped forward. She didn't pull at Stefan, but spoke calmly:
"Stefan, that's enough."
"Let him get lost. If he dirties your office, you'll still need to find someone to clean it."