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As she spoke, she could have kicked herself — she couldn't believe she had lost someone as valuable as Liam.
It was all that bastard Jacob's fault!
Robert sighed deeply, clenched his fists, and said, "If begging once didn't work, then beg again."
"If that still doesn't work, I have one last card to play. I'm sure we can force Liam to comply!"
A scheming glint flashed in his eyes as he began discussing the specifics with Sophia.
Meanwhile, Bella and I talked for hours — from childhood memories to our lives after we drifted apart.
We stayed up all night without feeling the slightest bit tired.
This time, Bella had volunteered to help me. She even brought an acquisition contract.
She had bought Greene Group at a low price and gifted it to me to serve as the company's headquarters.
As a thank-you, I wanted to give Bella something special, so we went to a high-end mall.
But Bella didn't want jewelry, a sports car, or a designer bag.
Instead, she stood frozen in front of a bridal boutique.
"What's wrong?"
"Thinking of taking some bridal portraits?" I asked curiously.
"You dummy!"
Bella's cheeks flushed. "Do you remember when we were kids, playing house all the time?"
"You were the husband, I was the wife."
"We even held a wedding ceremony."
She went on and on, reminiscing about those sweet childhood memories.
My face reddened. Back then, we didn't understand a thing, but looking back now, it was honestly pretty embarrassing.
"Liam!"
"I want to wear a wedding dress and marry you!" Bella said seriously.
The sudden confession caught me completely off guard.
I stood there frozen, totally unprepared.
But before I could even process it, Bella pulled me into the bridal boutique to try on outfits and take a set of bridal portraits.
Both our families fully supported the match.
Especially my father, who warned me to treat Bella right — or he'd break my third leg and feed it to the dogs.
The company was established and renamed Murphy-Taylor Group.
Since everyone knew I was the sole heir of the Manhattan Murphys, its reputation skyrocketed.
When the Greenes found out, they stormed the company with a horde of media in tow.
The front desk immediately notified me and directed them to a waiting room.
But I was nowhere to be seen.
Sophia frowned, her palms sweating with anxiety. She whispered to her father, "What if Liam doesn't show up?"
"Stick to the plan. Force him out," Robert said, narrowing his eyes.
As a seasoned veteran of numerous business wars, he had already anticipated this scenario.
A few more minutes passed.
Finally, the door to the waiting room opened.
Sophia's face lit up — until she saw it was Bella who walked in. Her expression instantly hardened. "Why you? Where's Liam?"
"He's in a meeting," Bella replied, her eyes sweeping over the crowd before settling back on Sophia. "If you have something to say, you can tell me first."
In an instant, Sophia exploded.
"What could I possibly have to say to you?"
"You home-wrecker! You stole Liam from me! Have you no shame?"
She shouted accusations.
Behind her, reporters snapped photos and even started live streams.
Anyone else would have panicked.
But Bella remained calm. She simply smiled faintly and said, "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Where's your proof?"
