His Obsession Began After Losing Her-Chapter 43: Rejection

Beatrice wasn't surprised by her brother's decision.

He had never turned down the opportunity to perform in the Global Orchestra Concert and would attend it annually, no matter how busy he was.

She suspected it might be related to the girl he had been searching for all these years.

However, Noran didn't want to share much with her, so she didn't pry further.

"Have you seen Snowball?" Noran suddenly asked, his eyes finally leaving the sketch as he looked around his office but couldn't find the fluffy dog.

"I saw Miss Chambers feeding him in the pantry a moment ago. Should I bring him back to your office?"

Everyone in the office knew that Snowball was the chairman's precious dog.

As such, he was well-loved and respected by all.

Noran had even hired a professional dog nanny to ensure Snowball received the best care possible.

Treated like a king wherever he went, Snowball had become a beloved fixture in the company, enjoying the adoration and attention of everyone around him.

"No, he must be bored staying here with me. Let him roam around for a bit more," Noran said as he continued to sketch.

"Alright." Beatrice nodded before adding, "I've reviewed both proposals from the Carter Group and Roland Corporation seeking to collaborate with us. Would you like a quick summary?"

"No need. Just follow the initial plan," Noran instructed without showing any emotion.

"Yes, then I'll take my leave. Let me know if you need anything, Brother."

With that, Beatrice turned to leave.

As soon as she stepped out of his office, her assistant, Mandy Hill, hurried over. "Miss Kingston, Miss Carter from the Carter Group is here. She insisted on meeting you."

Beatrice frowned and murmured, "What an annoying bitch."

Both the Carter Group and Roland Corp had always been wary of Paragon, which was rapidly becoming a formidable rival.

Paragon's innovative investment strategies and uncanny market predictions had already led to several missed opportunities and significant financial losses for the other two major companies in the industry.

High-profile clients were beginning to migrate to Paragon, drawn by its cutting-edge approach and impressive returns.

Both companies knew that Paragon's rapid expansion and growing market influence were threats that could not be ignored.

The firm's advanced technological capabilities and operational efficiencies were setting new industry standards, forcing competitors to scramble to keep up.

To maintain their leadership positions, the two companies recognized the need to either neutralize Paragon's competitive edge or find a way to collaborate with them, leveraging their strengths for mutual benefit.

Noran's plan was to take down the Carter Group, so he'd rather side with the Roland Corp, which had been defeated by the Carter Group in his previous life.

Back then, the Carter Group, known for their ruthless corporate strategies, meticulously crafted a scheme to frame Clifford, the esteemed CEO of Roland Corp, for sleeping with a minor.

The allegations were severe, and the fallout was immediate.

Clifford was ousted from his position, and Roland Corp's stock value plummeted.

In the chaos that followed, the chairman's inexperienced and naive second son was appointed as the new CEO.

Unbeknownst to him, the Carter Group had already infiltrated Roland Corp, planting spies within the company's ranks.

These moles manipulated his every decision, steering the company toward ruin.

The once-thriving Roland Corp crumbled under the weight of their deceit.

In this life, Noran successfully brought Clifford into Paragon, preventing such talent from being wasted.

With Noran assigning Clifford so much work, Clifford had no time or chance to fall for the Carter Group's schemes.

Sophia knew that no matter how brilliant her proposal was, Paragon would eventually choose Roland over them because of Clifford.

So, she had to act aggressively.

She had come many times to Paragon headquarters, even without appointments, to push for the collaboration.

Beatrice didn't want to meet Sophia, as she didn't have a good impression of her.

However, she knew she'd have to reject Carter's offer eventually, so she decided to settle things today to stop Sophia from bothering them.

She asked Mandy to bring Sophia to the waiting room, and after settling the business she had on hand, she made her way over.

"Yelp! Yelp!"

"Ah! You stupid dog! How dare you bite me!"

Beatrice heard a commotion coming from the waiting room.

She hurried over, only to see Janice Cooper, the dog nanny, holding onto Snowball while Sophia yelled at him.

"What happened?" Beatrice frowned.

"This filthy thing bit me!" Sophia pointed at Snowball, who was still barking aggressively at her.

Beatrice glanced at Sophia's ankle and noticed a small bite mark.

She turned to Janice and instructed seriously, "Take Snowball to the vet immediately. We need to make sure he didn't get hurt from the bite."

Sophia's jaw dropped. "Getting hurt from the bite? I'm the one who got bitten!"

Ignoring Sophia, Janice nodded anxiously and was about to leave with Snowball when Sophia yelled at her.

"Do you think you can just walk away like this? Who does this filthy thing belong to? How could it even be allowed to roam the office? It should be euthanized for biting me!"

The commotion had already attracted a lot of attention, and everyone's face turned pale when they heard Sophia's remark.

Euthanize the Chairman's beloved dog? This woman must have a death wish.

Everyone knew the hierarchy in Paragon: first the Chairman, then Snowball, then Roy, and finally Clifford.

Snowball, the Chairman's cherished dog, was even more important than their CEO and vice-CEO!

The idea of harming Snowball was unthinkable and showed a blatant disregard for the company's unwritten rules.

"Snowball is the Chairman's dog," Beatrice replied bluntly.

Sophia was taken aback.

Since Noran hid his identity as the Chairman of Paragon, using the alias Ran Lee, Sophia didn't know who the Chairman was.

However, she and the people in their circle believed he was a formidable figure.

Sophia's tone softened. "In that case, shouldn't Mr. Lee come and apologize to me in person?"

Everyone stared at Sophia in stunned disbelief.

First, she wanted to euthanize the Chairman's beloved dog, and now she was demanding an apology from the Chairman himself?

Most of Paragon's employees had never even seen the Chairman, let alone knew what he looked like.

The audacity of this woman to demand a meeting and an apology from someone so enigmatic was beyond comprehension.

Beatrice crossed her arms, not bothering to hide her displeasure. "Why should Mr. Lee apologize to you?"

"Obviously because his dog bit me!"

"Snowball bit you because you wanted to kick him!" Janice spoke up loudly.

"Yes, I saw it too! Snowball wanted to come out of the waiting room when this lady came in and made a fuss. She raised her leg and tried to kick him!" a male employee chimed in.

"Snowball was just defending himself!" another female employee said.

"You guys are just siding with the dog because it belongs to the Chairman!" Sophia argued back.

"Should we check the CCTV then?" Beatrice suggested, pointing at the surveillance camera.

"If it shows you were trying to hurt Snowball, I'll report you for animal abuse and have our legal department take action against you."

Sophia gritted her teeth, upset that she couldn't use being bitten by Snowball as leverage to seek collaboration.

She sat back down unhappily. "Since it's the Chairman's dog, I'll show some grace and not pursue the matter."

Beatrice barely concealed her contempt, the corner of her lips twitching.

She couldn't be bothered with Sophia and simply turned to leave, not sparing her another glance.

"Where are you going? I came today to talk about our proposal," Sophia tried to stop Beatrice from leaving.

"There's no need for any discussion. We reject collaborating with the Carter Group," Beatrice answered.

Sophia was shocked. "What?! Why?"

Beatrice folded her arms, losing her patience. "Because Snowball hates you."

"..."

Sophia was in disbelief.

How could they turn the Carter Group down just because a dog dislikes her?

Was Paragon run by a bunch of lunatics?

Sophia wanted to retort, but Beatrice ignored her and simply left, leaving her employees to deal with the troublesome woman.

...

At a higher floor in Paragon headquarters.

"You're the best attorney in New Valley, Ethan. I can't trust anyone else on this," Roy stressed.

Roy approached Ethan once more, pleading for him to take on his divorce settlement case. Ethan had previously refused due to the delicate situation: Roy's ex-wife, Anne Powell, was the daughter of a powerful political leader with close ties to the Hughes family.

The marriage had been orchestrated by the Lloyd and Powell families two years ago, a strategic alliance that benefited both sides.

Roy had agreed, seeing no harm in marrying Anne despite the absence of love, especially given the Powell family's strong influence within the government.

However, the marriage was far from harmonious.

Roy and Anne clashed constantly, their relationship deteriorating with each passing day.

What began as a convenient alliance turned into a tumultuous partnership, filled with conflicts that neither could resolve, especially after the downfall of the Powell family.

"You already know my answer, Roy." Ethan sighed helplessly.

Roy knew that Ethan was unable to take up the case due to a conflict of interest.

Additionally, Ethan was already overloaded with work from Paragon, leaving him with little time for such a contentious case.

"But you can't watch me get robbed by that bitch like that! She already took so much of my money, spending it on other men! And now she wanted to take eighty percent of my assets after divorce?" Roy exclaimed in frustration.

"I should have listened to Noran back then and not married this two-faced bitch!"

Roy's mind flashed back to the conversation he had with Noran before the marriage. Noran had warned him against marrying Anne, insisting she would bring him to ruin.

However, Noran had been frustratingly vague about his reasons, providing no concrete explanation.

Roy, confident in the political advantages and seeing no clear danger, had dismissed Noran's caution as baseless paranoia.

Now, with his assets at stake and his marriage in shambles, Roy regretted not heeding Noran's cryptic warning.

"Calm down, although I can't take up your case, I can introduce you to someone who could most likely help you win," Ethan said.

"Is there really someone besides you who can do that?" Roy raised his eyebrow, looking skeptical.

He didn't believe anyone was more capable than Ethan to handle his divorce case.

After all, this was a high-profile case involving two influential families and substantial assets, making it incredibly complex and high-stakes.

Not many lawyers dared to take it up, fearing the powerful political and social repercussions, along with the intense public scrutiny.

Even fewer had the capability to manage the intricate legal maneuvering required to navigate such a delicate and high-profile situation.

Ethan was one of the rare few with both the courage and the expertise to take on a case of this magnitude, which made Roy all the more desperate for his help.

A subtle smile appeared on Ethan's face. "Absolutely. She's probably the most fascinating lawyer I've ever met."

He took a business card from his wallet and handed it to Roy. "I'm sure you've heard about the recent news of a lawyer who defended a death row inmate and miraculously secured an acquittal in court. Well, that's her."

Roy looked down at the business card and his eyes settled on the name that stood out: Karlene Lee.