With Dr. Smith's medication research successfully concluded, it was no surprise that lan would make his move.

lan had dug a pit for Vanessa, setting a trap. Vanessa had greedily accepted a thirteen percent stake in Yeaton Holdings from him as a reward for her cooperation in the experiment.

Vanessa had a huge appetite, and a thirty-million-dollar stake in Yeaton Holdings was enough to satisfy her ambition. Ian had supported Yeaton Holdings' public offering precisely for this day.

Now that the experiment was over, the price for Vanessa holding him hostage for a decade was the bankruptcy of Yeaton Holdings, and her thirteen percent stake was now worthless.

The internal crisis at Yeaton Holdings had started long ago. To keep investors calm, Roland had been desperately trying to conceal it, but the inevitable explosion could not be hidden forever.

Inside Vanessa's villa, the sound of a glass shattering echoed.

Crimson wine splattered everywhere.

Her hands trembling, she opened her stock app. When she saw that Yeaton Holdings' stock had plummeted to its daily limit down, her legs nearly gave out. She leaned against a table, breath catching. "No... this can't be happening."

If this was real, didn't that mean her thirteen percent stake in the company was now just a fantasy?

No, this was the largest fortune she had painstakingly acquired from lan over the years, the foundation for her future security.

Even if her father's management was poor, it shouldn't have caused the stock to plummet to rock bottom. This could only mean that an invisible hand was crushing Yeaton Holdings from behind the scenes.

A crazed hatred flared in Vanessa's eyes. She finally gritted her teeth and cursed, "lan-you're so cruel."

fnet

For the past ten years, she had used her status as the world's only donor to manipulate lan, obtaining the resources and connections that made her who she was today. Had transferred the thirteen percent stake to her when Yeaton Holdings was at its peak. She had never imagined it was a trap, nor did she expect him to discard her so quickly once she was no longer useful.

At the same time, he pulled the rug out from under Yeaton Holdings, driving it

directly into bankruptcy. This was clearly his revenge against her.

Just then, Vanessa's phone rang. She glanced at it, and her heart clenched. It was her father.

She didn't want to answer, but she didn't dare ignore it. Forcing herself to calm down, she picked it up. "Hello, Dad."

"Vanessa, where are you? Get over to Goodwin & Co. right now and help me see Mr. Goodwin," Roland's anxious voice came through the line.

"Dad? You're at Goodwin & Co. now?" Vanessa's heart sank, and panic washed over her face. How could she tell her father that their greatest enemy at this moment was lan?

"Dad, I—I have something going on here, I can't get away," Vanessa stammered, making an excuse.

Roland's tone on the other end erupted in fury. "Vanessa, what could possibly be more important than the survival of the company? Get over here now! Make Mr. Goodwin give Yeaton Holdings another chance, for your sake. Vanessa, you're the only one who can save us now."

Vanessa bit her lip hard. She remembered two years ago, when she had pleaded with lan to help her father. At the time, lan had refused; associating with the infamous Yeaton Holdings would only tarnish his own name.

But Vanessa was being pursued relentlessly by Henry Holt at the time. She had put

on a diamond ring in front of lan, threatening to accept Henry's proposal if he didn't

help.

Given how much Henry cared for her then, he would have immediately cut ties with lan and even paid the ten-billion-dollar breach of contract fee for her.

To this day, Vanessa still remembered the look in lan's eyes that day-cold, with a hint of disgust, yet he had still compromised.