Chapter 193 Photo

Chapter 193 Photo

Nora was furious, pacing across the living room and cursing out loud. "Catherine, you should've thrown that coffee right in his face! No—acid!"

Liam, who had been sitting quietly in the armchair, slowly shook his head.

"Nora, you're wrong. You're letting your emotions control you."

"How am I wrong?" Nora demanded, hands on her hips.

"He came in with a 30-70 split, never expecting you to agree on the first try."

"He went public because he was sure the board would bite. When you confronted him directly, he didn't flinch. He didn't reach his position by being simple—he’s far more calculated than you realize."

Nora completely lost it, storming across the living room before suddenly stopping in her tracks.

"So what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for his next move? I can't!" She turned to Alexander. "What if we strike first?"

He had already pulled some dirty moves anyway, so striking back wouldn’t be an issue.

Alexander stood by the window, his voice flat and cold as steel.

"There’s no need."

He turned to Catherine, already knowing exactly what to do, and said it without hesitation.

"He'll come back. If he wants to work with you, there's no way he’ll appear only once. When he does, you can decide then whether to say yes."

Nora seemed ready to argue, but a single glance from Liam stopped her. She opened her mouth, then closed it without a word.

---

The next morning at the Harrison Group, Catherine had just finished the morning meeting when her desk phone rang. The board secretary sounded slightly anxious.

"Ms. Spencer, several board members have arrived. They're waiting in your meeting room and say it's urgent."

Catherine didn't look up; she had already expected they'd hear the news first thing.

"Got it."

She walked into the meeting room, where Leroy and a few others jumped to their feet, all smiles.

"Ms. Spencer, we only came because we care about the company," Leroy said, rubbing his hands together and getting straight to the point. "I heard we've received another partnership offer, and the split is actually quite generous!"

Another board member quickly added, "That's right, Ms. Spencer. They handle most of the business volume anyway, and we’d still walk away with a solid share."

Catherine sat at the head of the table, hands folded, her eyes slowly scanning their faces with no visible expression.

"So what you're saying is that what happened to my son just gets swept under the rug? And we’re supposed to go ahead and work with them?"

Her voice was slow and icy, sending an unspoken chill through everyone in the room.

Leroy's smile stiffened, and he let out an awkward laugh. "Ms. Spencer, of course we feel for Ethan, but business is business—you can't mix the two."

"What hurts me hurts this company. If he can walk over me today, he'll walk over you tomorrow."

Catherine cut him off, stood, and fixed them with a cold gaze.

"This project is my decision. If anyone has a problem with that, feel free to sell your shares right now."

She said no more and walked out, leaving the others standing there, deflated, sighing heavily.

---

Back in her office, Catherine pressed her fingers to her temple as a wave of frustration washed over her.

Just then, Eric knocked and entered, looking troubled. He paused for a long moment before speaking.

"Ms. Spencer, the manager of the coffee shop downstairs called. Mr. Phillips is waiting for you and would like to buy you a coffee."

Catherine paused, but without thinking, she replied immediately.

"Tell him I'm busy."

"He said—" Eric lowered his voice, "—he has something he thinks you'll want to see."

Catherine was quiet for a few seconds. Things were already a mess; what did it matter at this point?

"Send him up."

Five minutes later, Henry walked in with a smile on his face.

"Ms. Spencer, it seems your internal communication could use improvement. I didn't expect to be kept waiting this long."

Catherine leaned back in her chair, eyes cold. "Get straight to the point."

Henry didn't beat around the bush. Without sitting down, he reached into his briefcase, pulled out a tablet, and set it on Catherine's desk.

He didn't slide it toward her—he just turned on the screen, and a video appeared.

The footage was shaky and dimly lit, with a timestamp in the bottom left corner showing yesterday’s date.

Catherine's eyes narrowed sharply. She had never seen anything like it before—it hit her hard.

"In the border region of Thalassia, an unknown skin disease has broken out. Over three thousand people are infected—eighty percent of them children. Your medication is the only thing that works."

Henry's voice was calm and even, with no pressure, yet somehow it left an indescribable impression.

"In other words, Ms. Spencer," Henry said, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, "your medicine is their only hope."

Catherine felt as if someone had gripped her heart; she could barely breathe.

Henry watched her reaction, his expression unreadable.

He put the tablet away and carefully placed a folder from his briefcase in front of her, speaking in a slow, measured voice.

"We have multiple foundations and several established channels. We can ensure these medications reach the children as quickly as possible."

"This isn’t a business deal—it’s a charitable partnership."

They could handle everything—they didn't even mind if it was all done under her name.

Catherine stared at him, forcing the words through clenched teeth.

"And if I say no?"

She already knew the answer. The moment she saw that footage, her resolve had crumbled, and every other thought vanished.

"You won't."

Henry said it with complete certainty. He even pulled out a photograph—a young dark-skinned girl with bright, shining eyes.

"Amy. Seven years old."

Henry's finger rested lightly on the photo. His tone remained gentle, yet it made her skin crawl.

"Ms. Spencer, how long she lives depends entirely on how quickly you say yes."

Catherine couldn't name the feeling. This was plain and simple emotional blackmail.

She sat with it for a long moment before slowly raising her head, her face returning to the same cold, composed expression.

"Leave everything here."

Her voice was rough, carrying a quiet edge of seriousness.

"I'll look into it. As for whether we work together, I haven't decided yet."

Henry showed no sign of rushing her. He simply nodded slowly. "Take your time. I'm in no hurry. When you've made up your mind, reach out whenever you're ready."