Chapter 413

Chapter 413:

“Look at that pace,” Belle said, leaning over the railing, her chest swelling with pride. “We will finish the quota a full week ahead of schedule p>

Daron swiped his tablet screen. “The Carson Dynamics plant in Brooklyn is completely dark,” he reported, looking up. “My contacts on the ground say there hasn’t been a single truck entering their loading docks in forty-eight hours.” A smirk pulled at his lips.

Belle turned from the railing. A cruel, triumphant smile spread across her face. “She is out of bullets,” she said, her voice vibrating with satisfaction. “The blockade worked.” She began walking again, her heels clicking sharply against the metal grating. “After we took Leland away from her, she couldn’t find a secondary supplier p>

The heavy double doors at the end of the catwalk swung open.

Grayson Lancaster walked in, wearing a dark tailored suit, his expression a rigid mask of corporate control. He stopped beside Belle and looked down at the production line. His jaw was tight.

𝘑𝗼𝗂𝗻 𝘁h𝗈𝘶ѕa𝘯𝗱s о𝖿 f𝖺𝗻ѕ on ѕ.с𝘰𝗆

“Are we running quality assurance tests on these batches?” he asked, his voice low and demanding.

Belle waved her hand dismissively. “We fast-tracked the initial stress test on the sample batch he sent. It passed with flying colors, Gray. You worry entirely too much.” She reached out and wrapped her hand around his bicep, leaning her weight against his side. “Trust me,” she purred. “I saved the launch p>

Grayson’s muscles went rigid. He gently but firmly pulled his arm back, breaking the contact.

“A single sample batch?” he said, his eyes never leaving the machines below. “Not a randomized test from the bulk shipment? That’s a serious risk, Belle.” His voice dropped to a cold register. “The equity stake in this contract is legally binding. If the product fails the audit, the penalty clause activates. The liability falls on you. Not the Lancaster trust p>

Belle froze. The smug smile vanished. A cold bead of sweat formed at the base of her neck. “It won’t fail,” she insisted, her voice pitched slightly higher than normal.

Grayson didn’t argue. His phone vibrated. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and turned away, walking back toward the double doors looking entirely unconvinced.

Daron stepped closer to Belle and lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. “He is hedging his bets p>

“He is just stressed,” Belle snapped, her fingernails biting into her palms. “We need to bury Carson Dynamics completely. No loose ends.” She turned to Daron, her eyes wide and frantic. “Call the logistics companies. Tell them that if they ship anything to Isolde — even a single box of office paper — they lose our exclusive contracts p>

Daron frowned. “That is incredibly petty, Belle p>

“That is winning,” Belle hissed.

Across the river in Brooklyn, the exterior of the Carson Dynamics factory looked entirely abandoned. The windows were dark. The parking lot was empty.

But deep underground, in the reinforced basement level, the harsh LED lights were blazing.