Side Chick Era... Over

Sharon murmured softly to herself, “Climb up by stepping on Victoria?”

Thomas’s voice was calm, each word precise and cutting. “Victoria’s starting point has always been higher than

yours

–

-in both resources and connections. Your three brothers have been embedded in the company for years. With their support, she operates with inherent advantage. If you compete with her on conventional terms within the corporate structure, you will lose. You need a different strategy.”

Sharon considered this. “What do you recommend?”

“The business world is no different from a battlefield,” Thomas stated. “The oldest strategies of war apply perfectly. There’s no virtue in chaining yourself to the ‘righteous‘ path. Besides, very few who reach the top get there with clean hands.

“Imagine you and Victoria are bidding on the same major project, and your proposal is objectively superior. Once your brothers catch wind of it, how do you think they’ll ensure Victoria wins?”

He didn’t need to finish. Sharon already knew. They would apply pressure, offer bribes, or make threats. If that failed, they could always call on Jamie or Cole to lean on the decision–makers.

She finally understood what Thomas was implying.

the moment she returned to the Kalen family, peaceful coexistence with

why not use the

now–the three Kalen brothers were the most immediate obstacle in her

detour would be a waste of

around… she would have to break

to the Kalen family to play fair with

to him with a faint smile. “Thomas, you’ve just

it. Thomas was frighteningly

‘What a terrifying enemy he would

brief distraction. He gestured toward her laptop. “What Xavier wrote isn’t

refocused, she realized how close he

facing the computer. He stood beside her, leaning down, one hand on the back of her chair and the other braced near the laptop–effectively caging

of his chest.

the other, holding a pen, pointed at

Chapter 1066

clean scent of his cologne wrapped