Chapter 1294:
“I didn’t come here today for power, for money, or even for Havenridge Group itself.” He paused, a faint smile forming at the corners of his lips. “Everything I did today was for my wife and for my family.”
He drew a slow breath, his gaze fixed on the lens as though it could carry his words directly to the one person he needed to reach.
“I only have one wife, and her name is Rylie Owen. She is the love of my life, and she always has been. No matter what happens, she always will be. I was forced to leave her, forced to forget her, even forced to stand beside another woman. But my heart never left her—not even for a single moment.”
He looked directly into the camera, unwavering.
“Darling, if you’re watching this—just wait for me. I’ll come back to you.”
The entire room sank into silence.
After a long, suspended moment, a few tentative claps echoed through the hall. Then the applause grew, swelling steadily into a wave of cheers that filled every corner of the room. The shareholders who had been cautious only minutes before now regarded Brad with open admiration—and something deeper, harder to name.
Kari remained on the floor, hearing the applause and his words as the last remnant of strength drained from her body, leaving her entirely limp.
Sherwood bent down and carefully lifted her into his arms. She didn’t resist. She had nothing left, and the future stretched ahead of her—uncertain and bleak.
Luther, standing to one side, released a hollow, bitter laugh that rang with chilling emptiness.
у𝘰𝘂𝗋 𝗇𝖾х𝘁 𝖿a𝗏o𝗿𝗂𝘁е 𝗋𝖾а𝘥 iѕ оn 𝘨а𝗅𝗇𝘰𝗏𝗲𝗹𝘴.𝘤𝗈𝗆
“Well, isn’t that something,” he muttered. “I controlled everything my entire life, and in the end, I was brought down by a young man.”
Brad’s eyes met his directly.
“Luther,” he said calmly, “you didn’t lose because of me. You lost because of yourself—your arrogance, and the way you always treated everyone around you as though they were beneath you. That’s what brought you down in the end.”
Luther stiffened, then snapped back. “I helped you. And this is how you repay me—by betraying me?”
“I never forget the people who’ve helped me,” Brad replied, his expression unmoved. “But I have always been clear about one thing: I have limits. Cross them, and I won’t hesitate to remove whatever stands in my way.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
When he passed Sherwood, he paused briefly and spoke in a low voice. “I’ve shown you the path. What you do with it from here is your choice.”
Sherwood gave a small nod.
Brad pushed the door open.
Camera flashes erupted everywhere as reporters surged forward, bodyguards struggling to hold the crowd back. Brad didn’t stop to speak. He simply lifted his gaze toward the window at the end of the hallway.
Warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass, filling the corridor with a deep, golden light.
He had won.
A slow smile spread across his face—so unguarded, so striking, that it seemed to stop every heart in the room. The cameras captured the moment perfectly.
In another room, at the same time, Rylie sat watching the live broadcast. A gentle smile formed slowly on her lips.
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