Chapter 164 When Knowledge Becomes a Weapon

Chapter 164 When Knowledge Becomes a Weapon


When Raven approached Elena that day, she offered the land as bait for an alliance. Elena could trade it for cooperation or sell it back at an extreme price. Either choice would unsettle Raven's sister. But that alone satisfied her.

For Raven, it was victory on both fronts. She gained a powerful ally and struck her rival without drawing blood. Elena knew that even without a partnership, Raven would still sell the land to her grandfather's company. The land strengthened their position and fulfilled Raven's desire.

“Do not bother yourself with the rest,” Elena told Farrell. “I want a clear valuation by noon. You may go.”

Farrell closed the file. Surprise flickered across his face. She had not asked about his long meeting with Dolphus.

Outside her office, Farrell paused. Loyalty demanded action. He called Dolphus and reported Elena's plan to acquire the land.

“I'm aware of that,” Dolphus replied. “You can go ahead with that.”

Farrell stared at the screen after the call ended, then nodded.

When Elena came to Dolphus's office, she already knew Farrell had spoken to him. Dolphus motioned for her to sit.

Dolphus ‘s eyes stayed on the screen as he spoke.

“The land you want. How are you certain the other side will release it? The Santiago pack allowed the news to spread. Once the balance of knowledge is lost, the value will explode. Even if they do not buy it themselves, they will still keep it within reach.”

“The leak came from the assistant of Raven's sister,” Elena replied. “You are right though. The Santiago pack and the Furniture company have already started the contract. But the true owner behind that company is Raven.”

Dolphus lifted his gaze slowly.

“She approached me at the birthday party,” Elena continued. “She proposed cooperation. Even if I refuse, she will still sell to us. First, it irritates her sister. Second, I will give her a price she cannot reject.”

Understanding this sharpened Dolphus's eyes.

“You plan to take the land and use it to pull Raven back into the joint project,” he said.

“Yes. The project was her idea. Her elder sister seized the chance. A wolf like Raven does not step aside quietly. If this land enters Farrington's hands, we gain access to the shared hunt, and she claws her way back in. Both sides win. Why would she refuse?”

Elena paused, then added, “Now that I know the land is hers, if she refuses to sell, she risks exposure. Her sister would learn how she used a hidden company to secure it.”

“Did she show you the territory plans,” Dolphus asked.

“Yes,” Elena answered.

That knowledge gave Plot Two its true weight.

Dolphus nodded once. Then he spoke softly.

“Come here.”

Elena froze for a breath, then leaned forward across the desk.

“Come to my side,” Dolphus said, one hand still guiding the mouse.

Thinking he wanted her to view the screen, she stood and walked around the desk. As she bent closer, Jack’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in.

He moved without warning.

His fingers lifted her chin. His mouth met hers.

The kiss claimed her fully.

The pull Elena had on Dolphus struck deeper than any hunger he had known. It clawed at his chest and refused to rest. Her other arm circled Dolphus's neck, holding on as if balance itself depended on him.

Dolphus caught the movement.

“Look at me,” he said, voice low with command.

“I am afraid someone might walk in,” Elena said.

Her words were real. The fear trembled through her frame.

Heat poured from Dolphus's legs through the thin barrier of their clothes. The warmth burned, making Elena shift without meaning to, her body reacting before thought could stop it.

“No one enters this space without my word,” Dolphus replied.

Dolphus’s arm locked around her waist, pulling her closer, as if he meant to press her into himself until nothing separated them.

Her scent flooded his senses. It filled his lungs and clouded his reason.

Still not enough.

It never felt like enough.

The muscles along his hand stood out as he held her. Elena’s tongue burned from the kiss. Her heart slammed hard, each beat loud in her ears. Her thoughts faded in slow waves. She clutched his shirt, fingers tight, and her strength gave out. Her body sank into his burning hold.

Elena was not different from him.

Even as her head went light, she still held his neck tighter, refusing to let go.

Dolphus sensed the shift too late. Control snapped back into place.

Red lined the corners of Elena’s eyes, tears born from her body’s response. Her gaze drifted without focus.

Dolphus watched her closely. Without his glasses, nothing softened his stare. Desire burned deep and dark. If Elena had met his eyes then, she would have seen how close he stood to losing himself.

“What do you want for lunch?” Dolphus asked.

The word “you” almost escaped her lips. The thought rose clear in her mind.

Heat rushed to her face. She turned away fast, ashamed of her own thoughts. She tried to lift herself from the desk, but Dolphus kept her there with a steady hand.

“What do you want to eat,” he asked again, tone softer now. “Here or at home.”

She understood the meaning. Their place sat close by. A simple call would have lunch waiting. Yet his words carried another layer, one that made her pulse jump again.

She felt the change in herself. It frightened her.

“I already made plans with Raven,” Elena said quietly. “Before I came here.”

The matter of the land moved fast. Time mattered. She needed to see Raven soon.

Dolphus nodded. “When.”

“In thirty minutes. Florence booked a private room at Carabana Pond."

“Good,” he said. He leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I have a golf meeting later. I will go home after that.”

His phone buzzed on the desk. The sound cut through the moment. Dolphus frowned and picked it up.

Elena used the opportunity and stepped away, smoothing her clothes and fixing her hair.

But Dolphus declined.

“I will return to my office,” Elena said. “After I meet Raven, I will tell you everything.”

“Alright,” Dolphus replied.

She left.

Later that day, Raven arrived for lunch without delay. Elena’s call had come early. And she accepted at once.

Raven believed Elena had chosen her side.

She was wrong.

When Elena made her intent clear, Raven hid her surprise well.

She held the valuation report for Plot Number Two in her hands and laughed softly. “So you do not plan to give me exclusive cooperation with Durok Biotech, yet you still want my land. Does this mean I must sell now?”

Raven assumed the threat at once. If she refused, Elena could reveal her role as the true owner of the Furniture Company to her sister. That weakness had been placed in Elena's hands by Raven herself.

Elena poured coffee into Raven's cup.

“You will sell,” Elena said. “And you will be pleased to do so.”

She set the coffee pot down. “RushGreen Group plans to finalize the deal soon. Yet until ink meets paper, change remains possible. Your people can say Farrington Corporation offered more. That is all it takes.”

Raven drank her coffee and watched Elena closely.

“Farrington Corporation will use this land to secure entry into the project,” Elena continued. “Funds will flow in. One condition stands. You return as a key part of the project.”

“This plan began with you. Your sister took it from your hands. Do you truly wish to let it end that way? Once you return, control will follow. No one understands this project better than you.”

Raven's grip tightened slightly around her cup.

It was because her sister had stolen the project that Raven had sought Durok Biotech’s assistant so fiercely. Power within the Santiago family demanded leverage.

And now, Elena had placed that leverage back in her reach.