"Mr. Moriarty, I cross-checked the timeline of Albion's car accident and Miss Hammond's decision to sell herself. Both events happened on the same night."
"That night, after Miss Hammond took Albion to the hospital, she went to sell herself to raise money for his surgery. She had no time to undergo reconstructive surgery."
Hearing this, the discomfort and unease in Cline's heart gradually dissipated.
The tightness he had felt that night, the kind that only a first-time experience could bring, was genuine.
She hadn't lied to him about that. But...
His cold gaze returned to the documents in front of him.
Amnesia...
Cline remembered when he had first forced Luana to sign the lover's agreement. She had refused at first.
But after a trip to Washington, she had signed it without hesitation.
She must have found out about Calvert's amnesia and signed it out of spite.
In other words, she had been with him reluctantly all along...
No wonder she had never developed feelings for him over the years. It was because...
Cline's grip on the documents tightened.
His cold, indifferent expression grew even more grim.
Calvert had said he and Luana had known each other since childhood, which meant he had regained his memories.
The five years Cline had spent with Luana were nothing compared to the decades-long bond she shared with Calvert.
At this thought, Cline's face darkened further, his blood boiling with frustration.
Seeing Cline like this, Russell grew concerned.
His boss was usually a master of controlling his emotions, but Miss Hammond had caused him to lose control multiple times.
"Mr. Moriarty, you..."
Russell wanted to say that since he had already parted ways with Miss Hammond, it would be best to let go—for both his sake and hers.
But the words stuck in his throat. It felt too cruel to say that.
Miss Hammond had been Mr. Moriarty's first woman. After years of intimacy, there must have been some feelings. How could he just let go so easily?
Cline glanced at Russell, who seemed hesitant to speak, and finally reined in his emotions.
He pushed the documents back to Russell, his icy voice devoid of any emotion, as if he had returned to being the cold, ruthless CEO.
"Shred them."
[$]
Russell looked at him but said nothing. He picked up the documents and fed them into the shredder.
A knock sounded at the door. With Cline's nod, Russell went to open it.
"Mr. Moriarty."
Ingram Robinette, the head of the review committee, walked in.
"The bidding meeting has concluded. The review committee unanimously voted for Coburn Group."
After greeting Cline respectfully, Ingram reported the results of the bidding meeting.
"Coburn Group?"
Cline let out a cold laugh, his expression darkening.
Ingram, sensing his boss's displeasure with Coburn Group, quickly added, "The results haven't been announced yet. I came to ask for your decision, Mr. Moriarty. Which group should we grant the development rights to?"
"What about the other groups' proposals?"
"Here they are."
Ingram handed over the bid documents to Cline.
Cline hadn't been present in the afternoon and wasn't aware of the other groups' presentations.
Ingram, being thorough, had brought along the afternoon's bidding files.
Cline flipped through the documents, glancing at the prices and various parameters.
Within minutes, he had a clear understanding of each group's situation.
He tossed the documents back to Ingram and said coldly, "Give it to Coburn Group."
Although he disliked Calvert, there was no denying that Coburn Group was the most qualified to win the development rights.
In his work, Cline never let personal feelings interfere—a principle he had adhered to for years.
"Then, Mr. Moriarty, I'll return to the venue to announce the results."
After Cline nodded, Ingram left.
When Coburn Group was announced as the winner of the development rights, the other groups were visibly disappointed.
They had thought Cline's hostility toward Calvert would prevent Coburn Group from winning.
But it turned out Cline's tough questions were meant to better understand Coburn Group's capabilities.
Defeated, the attendees sighed and left, except for Runa, who sat in her seat, trembling with anger.
Cline knew how much she wanted the development rights, yet he had given them to Coburn Group.
He clearly didn't care about her at all.
Clenching her fists, Runa stormed to Cline's office, determined to confront him. But the security guards stopped her.
"Miss, this area is off-limits!"
"Open your eyes and see who I am!"
Runa's face turned red with anger as she pointed at the guard. "I'm Cline's fiancée! How dare you stop me?"
The guard was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the woman in front of him to be Mr. Moriarty's fiancée.
"I'm sorry, but without Mr. Moriarty's permission, even his fiancée cannot enter."
The guard regained his composure in seconds. No one, not even the fiancée, was allowed in without Mr. Moriarty's approval.
"You..."
Runa's chest heaved with rage. She was tempted to force her way in.
Just then, Gehrmann, who had just come out of the lab, noticed the commotion and approached.
"What's going on?"