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Chapter 248
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There's No Turning Back   Chapter 249
A few days later, Elara, Finnegan, and Lesley gathered at the top-floor office of Summit Business Plaza.This area was part of Capitol's newly developed district. One could see the vast docks and the open sea in the distance when they stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 66th floor. Large cargo ships moved slowly across the horizon.Finnegan had tossed his suit jacket over the back of the couch. He wore only a well-tailored dress shirt without a tie. His collar was casually unbuttoned, revealing bronzed skin and a sharply defined collarbone.His sleeves were rolled up, exposing strong, well-defined forearms that exuded strength. His legs were spread slightly apart as he sat comfortably."Zenith Tech, which I own, has already entered the competition to acquire Joss Tech. However, even if Zenith Tech offers a higher bid than Ohm Technologies, Abel might not choose Zenith Tech. It's very difficult to have Abel abandon Ohm Technologies and sell Joss Tech to the company you supp
There's No Turning Back   chapter 250
"Theodore, do you like me?" Elara's question was direct and bold.Theodore's earlobes instantly turned red. He propped both hands on the coffee table and lowered his head. His long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly.However, the laughter he couldn't suppress had already spilled from his throat."Yeah, I like you," he replied. He looked directly at Elara as he said that.His eyes were as bright as the stars. Elara subconsciously held her breath, not wanting to miss the brilliant light in his eyes.Theodore's gaze softened as he looked at her. At that moment, the whole world fell silent."Do you know when I first found myself drawn to you?"Elara tilted her head in thought. "Was it when I took first place in every competition as Luna?"Theodore smiled. "It was when you stood on the podium at Capitol University, full of confidence; When you sped across the racetrack at full throttle; When you ran headlong into love without hesitation; When you juggled your life between school a
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 251
As Theodore spoke, his hands tightened slightly, and a faint tremor ran through his heart. A wave of warmth spread from his chest, filling him with uncertainty.Had he been too abrupt? Would Elara think he was crazy? Lowering his head, he waited patiently for her response, placing his fate entirely in her hands."If we were in a relationship, we might actually be able to lure Abel in," Elara said seriously. "Our partnership will end the day I take over Joss Tech. When that happens, we'll announce our breakup, and you'll no longer be my boyfriend."Meeting her clear, luminous gaze, Theodore felt his throat grow dry. "Then let me be your boyfriend for one month."Elara extended her hand toward him. "The kind of love you speak of, the kind that asks for nothing in return, is something I've never experienced."But I'm willing to try, to feel it, and to openly accept your affection. It's because I am, by nature, worthy of being loved by you."A smile curved her lips as she waited fo
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 252
Theodore turned to Lesley and added, "You've been promoted too, No. 4."Finnegan felt the veins in his temples throbbing. His expression darkened, looking as if he might explode at any moment.Elara stood up, preparing to leave, and casually asked, "Why are you giving my brother and Lesley nicknames?"Theodore followed beside her as they walked out. "If my dear girlfriend doesn't like it, I won't call them that."Of course, this wasn't just a nicknameâit was a ranking. He'd just call them that in secret.After Elara and Theodore left, Lesley finally spoke. "Mr. Snapp is being unusually eager. Don't you feel like something's off about this?"Finnegan let out a cold scoff. "Did you see how sly his grin looked?"He picked up the bidding project proposal from the coffee table. "Right now, the only person who can help Elara gain Abel's trust and is still somewhat reliable for usâis Theodore."After a moment of careful thought, Lesley nodded in agreement.âĶElara and Theodore sat i
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 253
The soft morning light cast a golden hue as a custom Mercedes-Maybach S-Class glided to a stop in front of the commercial tower housing Joss Tech. Like a sleek black panther, the luxury vehicle exuded an air of dominance.The door opened, and a long, impeccably tailored leg stepped out first. The person's polished leather shoes landed smoothly on the pristine marble pavement.He turned, reaching out as Elara prepared to step down."Here, honey," he teased, already fully immersed in the role.Elara smiled and placed her hand in his, letting him guide her down with effortless grace.Together, they strode into the towering building, accompanied by a formidable teamâZenith Tech's acquisition leads, along with specialists in auditing, finance, and taxation. The entourage moved in a commanding formation.At the forefront, Elara and Theodore led the way. The head of Zenith Tech's acquisition team found himself sneaking a few glances at them.Elara's black suit was immaculately tailored
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 254
However, when Theodore looked at her, his deep, starlit eyes held no one elseâonly her.As the elevator doors slid open again, Elara stepped out and strode toward the conference room. Without breaking her pace, she issued a sharp command to the Zenith Tech team trailing behind her. "I want every senior executive in the conference room in three minutes!"The team dispersed instantly. They moved swiftly, rounding up executives from different offices, even dragging some along when necessary."Who are you people?""Let go of me! If you don't, I'm calling the police!"Several executives protested as their faces flushed red with frustration. But their resistance was futile. As they were herded into the conference room, their gazes landed on Elara, who was already seated at the head of the long oval table.She was slender, and her features were delicate and refined, yet the aura she exuded from that seat was enough to silence the entire room.Every executive recognized her. Some of the
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 255
Elara continued, "The other company is Graviton Tech, owned by Mr. Snapp. Mr. Snapp has offered two billion dollars to acquire Joss Tech while retaining all employees and departments, ensuring that Joss Tech continues to operate independently under its new ownership."Abel first picked up Graviton Tech's acquisition proposal. Flipping through a few pages, he muttered, "Two billion? Why would Mr. Snapp offer such a high price for Joss Tech?"Theodore leaned back against his chair, his posture seemingly relaxed and indifferent. "Just to make a beautiful woman smile. Consider it a gift for Elara."Abel's gaze darted between Elara and Theodore, suspicion flickering in his eyes.Theodore added, "Elara is my girlfriend. As long as it makes her happy, why wouldn't I?"Abel turned to Elara in shock. "You and Mr. Snapp areâĶ"He had been considering arranging a marriage for Elara with some older, divorced businessman, hoping to leverage the union for the Jones family's benefit. Yet, the da
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 256
The hashtag #PriscillaPriceReturns shot to the top of trending searches on X, setting the Internet ablaze."Welcome back, Queen!""Now that Queen Priscilla has returned, Capitol's high society is about to descend into chaos again!""Who is Priscilla? Is she really that famous?""If you don't know who Priscilla is, you must be Gen Z."Older netizens quickly jumped in to educate the uninformed.The Price family had risen to prominence in the previous era. After the founding of the nation, the first-ever central bank governor had come from the Price family. Priscilla, now 47 years old, was the adopted daughter of the Price family.25 years ago, her entanglement with the three Price brothers was enough to fill a million-word novel of love and tragedy. In the end, Priscilla locked her heart away and took over Price Nation.She watched as her three brothers met their fatesâone crippled, one lost to madness, and one renouncing the world to become a priest.Priscilla had been the most
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There's No Turning Back   Chapter 469
Harold smiled as he explained, "Of course, they're talking about the most prominent figure in all of Capitol."Although Angie had lived in Melcina for years, she still kept up with the major gossip surrounding Capitol's elite families.And when it came to the most famous heir of the Snapp family, none other than Theodore came to mind. His reputation was practically legendaryâeverything he touched turned to gold. It was as if, with just a flick of his fingers, he could rise to the top of any industry."Does he have any business dealings with Quantum Tech?" she asked.Harold replied, "Ms. Price is interested in having Mr. Snapp's firm, Polaris Law Firm, take over Quantum Tech's legal affairs."The moment Harold said this, Angie understood that Priscilla clearly had an ulterior motive. She must be looking to shift her business focus back to Eucon, and using Quantum Tech to pull Theodore into her orbit was the first step."So, that means Mr. Snapp's visit is to discuss a legal partne
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 468
When Angie realized what she'd been saying, she quickly apologized, "Sorry, Leonard, for making you listen to my complaints all this time.""It's fine." Leonard's cool voice resonated like a struck bronze bell, sending subtle vibrations through her heart.This was the first time Angie had managed to keep Leonard on the phone for so long, though their entire conversation revolved around Elara.Leonard showing such rare patience made Angie's lips curve upward in delight."Can I call you again in the future?" She ventured the bold question, though anxiety churned inside."You may call if it's regarding Quantum Tech matters."He had glimpsed an Elara who was completely different from the respectful woman he knew through Angie's words. So, she had a temper tooâhow intriguing.Angie's smile stretched ear to ear as she continued, "Leonard, thank you for listening to my grievances.""Oh, right."Suddenly remembering something, Angie added, "Quantum Tech has a front-end project collabo
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 467
Angie visibly flushed with embarrassment, and the other employees fell silent. Some immediately lowered their heads to focus on their meals, while others held their breath, pressing their lips together to control their expressions."Angie's been abroad too longâshe's not used to strict workplace hierarchies," Samuel defended her, raising his voice."Elara, now that you're CEO, you just can't wait for everyone to bow and scrape before you, huh? You might not realize this, but modern workplaces emphasize equalityâwe all address each other as colleagues now."His mocking tone was unmistakable. As the eldest son of the Quinn family, he clearly didn't take Elara seriously.Elara met his disdainful gaze. "Fine."She continued calmly, "Then let's abolish internal titles at Quantum Tech. All employees will be leveled equally, with salaries determined by performance. Anyone above L4 will be downgraded to L4, so there's true equality across the board. That's the only way to eliminate workpl
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 466
When Elara came to her senses, she noticed Leonard was already goneâand Angie had disappeared with him.The nature of Leonard and Angie's relationship was undeniably intriguing, but since Leonard chose not to share, Elara felt it would be improper to pry into her elder's private affairs.She then joined the other Quantum Tech employees in seeing off the city officials. Harold immediately seized the chance to cozy up to her. "Elara, I'm dying to knowâhow did you become Quantum Tech's leader?"He continued eagerly, "I've been helping out at Quantum Tech recently. Ohm Technologies and my lab are collaborating on a project with them."Elara merely nodded, showing no interest in further conversation.Undeterred, Harold pressed on. "Let me introduce you to everyone at Quantum Tech."His enthusiasm was purely for showâhe wanted the company to know he had special connections with Elara."You know Mr. Quinn, right?" he asked, making introductions.Elara glanced at the sharp-featured man
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 465
"Elara, you're the developer of the Prism project? Why have I never heard you mention this before?" Harold blurted out in confusion.After processing this information, he suddenly remembered Priscilla's second statement. He blinked, wondering if he'd misheard.He immediately turned to Samuel beside him. "Did I hear that wrong? It's so noisy hereâwhat did Ms. Price just say? Who's Quantum Tech's leader?"Samuel's expression stiffened visibly.Meanwhile, Angie stared at Elara with suspicion. "What kind of deal did you make with Ms. Price? How could you possibly be Quantum Tech's lead?"Her instincts told her there had to be some mistake. She'd investigated Elara earlier. She was just a woman who dropped out of her direct PhD program at Capitol University to get married and become a housewife, without any substantial work experience.Someone like Elara might qualify as a janitor at Quantum Tech at best."What qualifications does she have to lead Quantum Tech?" Samuel muttered under
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 464
"My apologies, Ms. Price, the alarms in the data center are too loud. Let's switch to a video call."As she spoke, Elara connected her phone to the projection system. Priscilla tapped her screen to enable video, and in the next second, her face appeared on the large display.Everyone looked up at the screen in surprise. Angie even gasped. "Ms. Price?" From Priscilla's perspective, her phone only showed Elara's face through the camera feed."Ms. Price, I'm already in the data center. Please give your instructions," Elara continued.Her tone remained perfectly neutral. Priscilla responded, "You're Quantum Tech's leader. What professional guidance could I possibly give you?"Elara turned on the speakerphone, amplifying Priscilla's voice through the room. Amidst the urgent wailing of alarms, Priscilla's words sounded almost surreal. The surrounding crowd struggled to process what was happening."Elara Jones, do you realize city officials are inspecting Quantum Tech today? With the
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 463
Angie led the group into the digital data center."Good afternoon, Ms. Shelton." The employees greeted her with deep respect, their gazes filled with admiration.Angie maintained an aloof demeanor as she asked, "How's the testing on Prism's data coming along?""The basic framework is stable now. We're currently fine-tuning the details of Prism's database."Angie nodded. "Run the Prism system for our guests.""Uh... About thatâ"The staff hesitated. "We haven't fully mastered this framework yet..."Angie frowned. "After all this time, you still haven't figured it out?"Seeing their uneasy expressions, she sighed. "This framework's structure is elementary. Fine, I'll do it myself."The researchers' eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing this."The Prism model's framework design is incredibly complexâit completely defies conventional understanding. Yet Ms. Shelton mastered the entire codebase so quickly after joining!""No wonder she's Aempleforth Street's most sought-after g
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 462
Samuel sneered. "I bet she's just clinging to Prof. Fisher by exploiting her past connection with Harvey."Harold pressed his lips together, silently agreeing with Samuel's words.As Angie finished her introduction of Quantum Tech, she took advantage of the officials' hushed discussions to glance at Elara. Remembering the photos Rosalie had sent herâshowing Elara painstakingly building rapport with XavierâAngie let out a cold, mocking laugh through her nose.She strode directly to Leonard's side to ask, "How's Xavier doing?"Elara was slightly surprised by the question. Angie bore some resemblance to Xavier, so she wondered what exactly their relationship was.Leonard ignored her inquiry and instead asked, "How long do you plan to stay at Quantum Tech?"Their exchange suggested familiarity."My goal is to join Dragonheart!" said Angie.She met Leonard's gaze with blazing confidence, but his expression remained as cold and detached as an eternal glacier.Craig interjected, "Pro
There's No Turning Back   Chapter 461
The mayor, Craig Strickland, was both surprised and delighted by Elara's words. "So, Quantum Tech has made such rapid progress on the digital project under Ms. Jones' leadership!"He turned to his secretary and ordered, "Clear my schedule for the next two hours. I'll be accompanying Ms. Jones to inspect Quantum Tech."Elara's voice drifted to Leonard's ear. "Would Mr. Fisher like to join us as well?"Leonard let out a soft scoff. "You do enjoy making trouble for people."Elara volunteered eagerly, "I can push your wheelchair!"Only after she had wheeled Leonard onto the MPV did he speak again. "Do you plan to use me as your shield at Quantum Tech too?""Mr. Fisher, I need you." Her voice, that was soft yet earnes,t sent a ripple of something unnameable through Leonard's chest."I need your guidance. I want you to watch over me a little longer."She settled into the seat beside him as the MPV door slid shut. Leonard's expression tightened imperceptibly, his right index finger re
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