Chapter 11: Conspiracy by the Lake
789words
I hadn't slept well last night, with Claire Johnson's news and Alexander Morgan's confession giving me much to think about. Now, I had to face a new day and the reality of living in close quarters with Alexander Morgan.
After a quick freshening up, I went downstairs in search of breakfast. To my surprise, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of clattering dishes and the aroma of coffee.
Alexander Morgan was busy in the kitchen. He was wearing a casual T-shirt and jeans, a stark contrast to his usual formal suit and tie. Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting the perfect contours of his profile.
"Morning," he said without looking up, as if he had sensed my presence, "Coffee or tea?"
"Coffee, please." I sat down at the bar, hiding my surprise, "I didn't expect CEO Gu would know how to cook."
"When you live alone for a long time, you have to learn some survival skills." He slid the fried eggs and bacon onto a plate and pushed it in front of me, "Try it."
I carefully took a bite, surprised to find it was exceptionally good: "Delicious."
"Thank you." The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, a smile that made him look much younger, "Did you sleep well?"
"It's alright." I nodded, "Just a bit unaccustomed."
We quietly enjoyed breakfast, the atmosphere surprisingly harmonious. Just then, Alexander Morgan's phone rang. After answering, his expression grew serious.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"The Chen family has made their move. They've used their connections to freeze our financing channels for the Philippines project," Alexander Morgan put down his phone, "If we can't resolve this in three days, the project might be suspended."
After pondering for a moment, I suddenly thought of a solution: "We can finance through an offshore company in Singapore. In my previous life, I handled similar cases and know how to circumvent regulations."
Alexander Morgan looked at me with surprise: "Are you sure this will work?"
"Of course." I said confidently, "Moreover, we can do the opposite and use this opportunity to lure the Chen family into exposing themselves further."
I elaborated on the plan in detail. After listening, Alexander Morgan's eyes flickered with appreciation: "You always manage to surprise me."
Just as we were discussing details, I suddenly noticed unusual activity outside the window. After careful observation, I discovered two strange men cautiously approaching the villa, holding professional cameras.
"Someone is watching us," I said alertly.
Alexander Morgan immediately took out his phone, preparing to notify security personnel. But I stopped him: "Wait, I have a better idea."
I quickly developed a detailed evacuation plan: using the villa's underground passage to secretly leave, while leaving behind misleading clues to make the watchers believe we were still inside the villa.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alexander Morgan asked with concern, "I can have the security personnel handle it directly."
"Trust me, this is safer," I said firmly. "And it will buy us time to counter-attack."
Alexander Morgan hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, we'll do as you say."
We successfully evacuated through the underground passage and arrived at the pre-arranged safe house. To our surprise, Claire Johnson was already there waiting.
"I just got the news," she said urgently, "Victor Thompson has not only bought off the media, but is also planning to publicly question Linze's financial situation at tomorrow's investor meeting to create panic."
"He moves quickly." I analyzed calmly, "But this also gives us an opportunity. If we could preemptively strike before he acts..."
"What's your plan?" Alexander Morgan asked.
"Counterattack," I said firmly. "Instead of waiting for him to smear us, we'll expose his scandals first. I have evidence of his secret dealings with Starlight Technologies, enough to ruin his reputation in the business world."
"The risk is enormous," Alexander Morgan said worriedly. "Once we go to war, there's no turning back."
"We have no choice," I looked straight into his eyes. "This is our only chance."
Claire Johnson nodded in agreement: "My father can provide media resources to ensure the information spreads quickly."
Alexander Morgan looked at us, and finally nodded: "Alright, I respect your decision. We'll face this together."
At that moment, I felt a power I had never experienced before. This was no longer my revenge alone, but a battle we three would fight together. And Alexander Morgan, once a lofty business titan, was now willing to stand by my side and respect my decision.
"Tomorrow," I said firmly, "we'll let Victor Thompson taste what true failure feels like."
