Chapter 163
No.1
Hyde threw back his head laughing—
When a cool female voice cut through the darkness.
"I'll compensate you for all ten."
Heads swiveled toward the shadows.
Evelyn Sinclair removed her hat, stepping into the light.
"I'm their editor-in-chief."
Triad Hyde narrowed his eyes, scanning Evelyn Sinclair from head to toe.
No.2
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Her skin glowed like porcelain, her eyes cold as winter stars. The tailored suit accentuated her slender figure, yet radiated an unapproachable aura.
"Horizon Media?" He scoffed. "A mere reporter dares to cause trouble here?"
Evelyn calmly extended her business card. "Evelyn Sinclair. Editor-in-chief, Finance Team Five."
As Hyde reached for it, she withdrew her hand.
"Playing games?" His face darkened.
"A misunderstanding." She opened her palm. "I merely wondered if these hands are worth your... excessive measures."
No.3
Hyde paused, then burst into laughter. "Interesting!"
In the corner, Evan Wells and his team cowered, tear stains on their faces.
"For these nobodies?" Hyde raised an eyebrow.
Evelyn shook her head. "I'm here to save you."
"Save me?" Hyde laughed harder.
"Northern Gorge Wind Farm Project." Seven words silenced his laughter.
She handed him a file. "Winwell Ventures needs a scapegoat. You're their chosen easy mark."
No.4
Hyde snatched the documents. His expression soured with each page.
"Bullshit!" He slammed the table. "Winwell invested heavily too!"
Evelyn produced another dossier. "They've been quietly withdrawing since March. Only an empty shell remains for you to fill."
A vein throbbed on Hyde's forehead. "Someone! Verify this now!"
He turned to Evelyn, his gaze now wary. "What do you want?"
"Them." She pointed to the corner.
"That's all?" Hyde sneered. "Worth crossing Winwell?"
No.5
"Because I can make you richer." Her eyes burned with conviction. "Ninety percent success rate. Satisfactory?"
"And the remaining ten?"
"For your... romantic indulgences." A faint smile touched her lips.
Hyde studied her. "Why should I trust you?"
"Tonggowan Manufacturing." Her trump card. "Scarlet Archer holds their latest technology. I can arrange an introduction."
Hyde's breath hitched.
Tonggowan! The golden goose that even Kingsley Group failed to acquire.
No.6
"What's your angle?" He demanded.
Evelyn glanced at her trembling team. "Even the weakest team... is still mine."
Hyde threw back his head and laughed. "Deal! Consider me your friend, Evelyn Sinclair!"
"I value your connections in Kingsbury." Evelyn Sinclair met Triad Hyde's gaze squarely. "In finance, networks and information are everything. You've built your influence here for years, with ties to both sides of the law. Your help would save me considerable trouble."
She paused, pointing at the four trembling figures in the corner. "And I want them too."
Triad Hyde narrowed his eyes. "What use could those worthless fools possibly be?"
He preferred straightforward deals. Evelyn's blunt admission of wanting his resources actually eased his suspicions. But her equating herself with those idiots irritated him.
No.7
"They're mine." Evelyn's voice remained steady. "My people, my responsibility. Those who harm them will answer to me. If fingers need cutting, I'll wield the blade myself."
Triad Hyde stiffened.
He hadn't expected such steel beneath this delicate woman's refined exterior.
Noticing his reaction, Evelyn extended both hands. "I give you my word. Should I ever betray you, these hands and wrists are yours to claim."
"Good!" Triad Hyde slammed the table and stood. "I like your spirit! From today onward, anyone who touches a hair on your head in Kingsbury answers to me!"
He waved a hand. "Release them to Miss Sinclair! Give her the knife too!"
Only now did he truly see the woman before him. To walk alone into his territory took extraordinary courage. Her worth had long surpassed mere gender or beauty.