Chapter 554

Chapter 553:

“No.” Jocelyn’s voice cracked like a whip.

The assistant fell silent. He looked at her, genuine confusion mixing with rising unease.

“Gaston is not to know about this,” Jocelyn stated. “This is a private matter. It stays completely off his radar p>

The assistant took a step back and shook his head. “Mrs. Collins, with all due respect, I cannot do that. I work for Mr. Collins. My loyalty is to him. If I run a shadow operation against a Washington lobbyist and hide it from my employer, he will destroy my career. I cannot take that risk p>

Jocelyn’s expression didn’t change. She simply tilted her head, studying him the way a predator evaluates a trapped animal.

“I appreciate your loyalty to my husband,” she said smoothly. “It is why he pays you so well. But let us look at the reality of your situation p>

She took a slow step toward him.

“If I walk into Gaston’s office right now,” she continued, her voice dropping to a soft, lethal purr, “and tell him that you were rude to me. Or that you made me feel uncomfortable. Or simply that I believe you are losing your edge and should be transferred to the logistics hub in the Congo — what do you think he will do p>

𝗝𝘰in 𝘰𝘶𝗿 с𝗈𝗺𝗆𝗎𝗻𝘪𝘁𝗒 𝗼𝗇

The assistant’s breath hitched. A drop of cold sweat rolled down his spine.

He knew exactly what Gaston would do. Gaston Collins was a man possessed. If Jocelyn so much as hinted at displeasure, Gaston would fire him before he could pack his briefcase — and have him blacklisted from Wall Street before nightfall.

“You wouldn’t do that,” the assistant whispered, though he sounded entirely unconvinced.

“Try me,” Jocelyn said. Her eyes were flat and merciless.

The assistant stared at her. He understood, in that moment, that the woman standing in front of him was every bit as dangerous as the billionaire she had married. She had learned to wield the Collins power with flawless precision.

He let out a long, defeated exhale, his shoulders sinking. “What exactly do you need to know about the crash p>

Jocelyn reached into her handbag and produced a single folded piece of paper containing the details Carmen had given her over the phone. She handed it to him.

“I need the unredacted police report,” she said. “I need the autopsy files. I want to know exactly what Conrad Sterling covered up p>

The assistant took the paper, folded it once more, and slipped it into his inner pocket. “This will take time,” he said quietly. “Medical records are federally protected. I will have to use back-channel assets p>

“Take the time you need,” Jocelyn said. “But do not fail p>

She turned and walked toward the glass door. Her hand closed around the handle, and she paused, looking back over her shoulder. Her expression softened into a pleasant, almost gentle smile.

“And truly, keeping this from Gaston is for his own good,” she added lightly. “His solution would be to buy a media conglomerate and burn Sterling to the ground publicly — which would ignite a political firestorm that Senator Collins cannot afford. This situation requires a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. We wouldn’t want to burden my husband, or his brother, with unnecessary complications, would we p>

The assistant forced a tight, pained nod. “No, Mrs. Collins. We wouldn’t p>