Chapter 782: Ruin anyone and everyone for her.
Caden gritted, his fingers tightening around his phone. It was a deliberate insult —a slap straight across his face, and he knew it. But swallowing his pride, he forced himself to introduce himself through clenched teeth, "I am Caden ... Caden Martin. Can you now give the phone to your boss?"
"Sorry, but I can’t," Emyr replied without a hint of hesitation. "Equal standards matter when it comes to reaching a company’s CEO."
"And I match it very well. I am the CEO of Martin Group. —"
"The same Martin Group that would be nothing tomorrow," Emyr cut in smoothly, his tone calm but laced with quiet contempt. "I don’t see that qualifies as equal anymore."
Caden’s breathing hitched as his fury spiked. "Don’t get too arrogant, Ethan. It’s not over until I say it’s over."
"That’s where you got it wrong, Mr. Martin," Emyr spoke, his tone calm in contrast to Caden’s. "It got over for you the moment you thought you could play smart."
Caden frowned, not understanding it for a moment. "What do you mean? It’s Aiden Winslow, who is clearly going back on his word. He said he wouldn’t bother us, but he —"
"My boss never goes back on his word," Emyr cut him off again. "If anything, he is on his words. Adhering to the warning he gave you. It was you who tried something that you clearly couldn’t bear to afford."
Caden’s expression changed. He frowned, but before he could ask, the call of disconnection rang in his ears. He checked his phone only to realize that Emyr had hung up the call.
"Sir ..."
"Go and find out whether Dafydd was successful in his plan?" Caden ordered without waiting for another moment. He hadn’t heard from Dafydd at all. And something under the lines told him that Dafydd had failed terribly.
His secretary nodded and left at once.
After a while, when he returned, Caden was sitting behind his desk, with his eyes closed and his head leaning back on the chair.
"Sir!"
"Did you find out?" Caden asked, opening his eyes to look at his secretary.
The secretary nodded slowly. "Sir, when you met Mr Winslow the last time, your conversation with him was overheard by his second son, Bryn Winslow. He hired men to deal with Arwen Winslow, but was timely rescued but Aiden Winslow’s men."
"Later, Bryn was taken away overnight. His whereabouts are still unknown. Mr. Winslow was recorded taking flight to Cralens the next night. But now even he is nowhere to be found."
Caden froze, his face immediately paled. His brows furrowed as his breath hitched. His hands started feeling clammy. "He is insane. He didn’t even care about his own father. I underestimated him ... totally."
He regretted it now, but his regret came too later. He was already on the brink of losing all that he had worked on for his entire life. And there seems to be no route left for salvation.
"We are finished," he muttered under his breath, "Completely finished. Now, nothing would be left." He already held his head. His secretary watched him, not understanding it at all.
"Sir, we can try talking to President Winslow once. He let it slide the last time, he might —"
"He won’t," Caden cut him off, shaking his head. "He didn’t even let his father go. Do you think he would let us slide?"
"But sir, —"
"When it comes to that woman, he wouldn’t care about burning the entire world. I was wrong to estimate her value in his eyes. He can ruin anyone and everyone for her." Caden realized, regretting. But regrets never bring back what’s lost. "You can leave now. There’s nothing you or I could do anymore."
The Martins were over. And it was all because he thought he could challenge Aiden. Only if he had stopped himself, a day like this wouldn’t have happened.
Suddenly, something struck him, and glancing up at his secretary, he asked, "Where is Belle?"
The secretary was taken aback for a moment. But soon, he replied, "Sir, Ms. Selene has been staying at home all these days. She had been cooperating well with the housekeeper and finishing her meals on time."
Caden sighed in relief when he heard him. He nodded and said, "That’s better. As long as she stays away, she will be safe and better." He was scared most for his daughter, but hearing that she was finally moving on eased his worry.
————
Meanwhile, at Foster Ventures —
Zenith packed her stuff and gathered her bag to finally leave the office for the day. Michael stood from his desk as well and smiled at her.
"Secretary Zane, I still have an errand to run before heading back home. So, I will leave first."
Zenith smiled and nodded. "Sure. Go ahead. Don’t bother with small formalities," she said and watched him leave.
She was about to move as well when her phone rang. She paused to check, only to find it was her mother’s call. Accepting the call, she spoke through the line, "Mom!"
"Zeni, did you finish your work?"
"Yes, I was about to leave the office."
"Oh, I called to tell you that I had a conversation with your aunt about that guy, and she was prompt to talk to that guy as well. She had given him your number." Her mother said, sounding excited. "He might contact you anytime. When that happens, talk to him freely, and you two will schedule the date according to the date and time that suits both of you. We didn’t dare arrange it, knowing that you often remain busy."
"Got it, Mom," Zenith replied, pinching the space between her brows gently.
Her mother might have caught the reluctance in her tone because she asked again, "What did you get?"
"Mom!"
"Tell me, Zeni."
Zenith took a deep breath and then answered, "I got that I have to schedule the date with that guy when he contacts me. The time and day that suits us both. Don’t worry, I will do it."
"Good! We just want you to start thinking of that part of your future, Zeni." Her mother said, her tone tender.
"I know, Mom, and that’s why I agreed. Now, if it’s fine with you, can I call you back after a while? I need to get a cab and return home."
"Yeah, yeah. Go."
And with that, the call was disconnected. Zenith was about to pull her phone away when a shadow behind her made her pause. She turned, and froze for a second.