Chapter 433
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Chapter 433:
For the next two hours, the meeting was a bloodbath. Pierce dismantled Carter’s financial models with terrifying, surgical precision, dominating every exchange. But whenever Carter spoke, Pierce’s eyes would drift slowly to his lips, then to his throat — a form of psychological warfare conducted in plain sight of five oblivious lawyers.
The moment the meeting ended, Carter stormed back to his office and slammed the door.
He hit the intercom. “Chen! Get in here p>
Chen rushed in, clutching a tablet.
Rе𝖺𝗱 𝗳𝗋𝗼m 𝘆𝘰𝘶𝗿 𝘱𝗁𝗼ոe on
“Find a loophole,” Carter barked, pacing the room like a caged animal. “I don’t care what it costs — find a breach of contract clause, anything. Call Skadden or Kirkland and Ellis. I want Pierce’s team off this merger immediately. I want him out of my sight p>
Chen looked terrified. “Sir, I can’t. Preston Pierce was personally retained by the Board of Directors. He is the most ruthless M&A attorney in the city. You don’t have the executive authority to terminate his contract, and any attempt to challenge it goes straight to the Chairman p>
Carter seized a heavy crystal paperweight and hurled it across the room. It struck the wall and left a dent in the plaster.
He was trapped.
By nine in the evening, Carter could no longer tolerate the suffocating pressure.
He left the bank, drove his Aston Martin to SoHo, and walked into a highly exclusive underground private club. The air was thick with cigar smoke and the low thump of house music — his usual hunting ground.
Carter settled into the darkest corner of the mahogany bar, ordered a double bourbon neat, and threw it down his throat.
A stunning blonde in a tight red dress slid onto the stool beside him, trailing a finger down his bicep.
“Rough day?” she purred.
Carter opened his mouth to deliver his usual line.
A massive hand slammed a crystal glass of scotch onto the bar counter between them. A heavy gold Patek Philippe watch gleamed in the dim light.
“Excuse us,” Pierce’s cold, lethal voice vibrated beside Carter’s ear. “I believe Mr. Carter and I have some unfinished business to discuss. Privately p>
The woman assessed the watch, the flawless cut of the bespoke suit, and the quiet, absolute authority radiating from Pierce’s gaze. She recognized a predator far higher on the food chain than herself, offered a tight professional smile, collected her handbag, and disappeared into the crowd without another word.
Carter spun around on his stool, heart hammering.
“Are you stalking me?” Carter hissed, his hands balling into fists.
Pierce calmly unbuttoned his jacket and sat down on the vacant stool. He took a slow sip of his scotch.
“New York is a very small island, Carter,” Pierce said, a smirk flickering across his face. “And I happen to be a founding member of this club p>
Carter shoved his stool back and made to leave.
Pierce’s hand shot out before he could stand, long fingers clamping around Carter’s wrist with surprising, unyielding strength. He rose to his feet, using his larger frame to block Carter entirely from the room.
“Let go of me,” Carter muttered, trying to pull free.
Pierce shoved his shoulder firmly against Carter’s chest, pinning him to the wall for a single, loaded second.