One Thursday morning, Hans Schmidt entered her private study to inform her that Rhodes Dynamics was facing a severe operational crisis. Wesley had overleveraged the company to fund a massive expansion and desperately needed to acquire a shipping firm called Patriot Logistics to save a crucial contract.
“If he fails to secure this acquisition, the board of directors will likely move to replace him before the next fiscal quarter,” Hans explained. “Buy Patriot Logistics immediately and do it through one of our untraceable shell corporations,” Cassie commanded without looking up from her tablet.
Hans warned her that they would have to pay a significant premium over the actual market value to close the deal so quickly. “Pay whatever price they ask, and ensure that Wesley Rhodes is left with absolutely no options for a secondary partner,” she added.
Two days later, Wesley’s acquisition bid was rejected, causing the stock price of Rhodes Dynamics to plummet by nearly thirty percent in a single afternoon. Investors began to panic, and the business news networks were filled with speculation about the impending downfall of the once-golden tech mogul.
However, the true masterstroke occurred during the annual Winter Gala at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, an event Wesley attended as the guest of honor. He arrived with his fiancée draped in expensive diamonds, walking the red carpet with a forced smile that couldn’t hide the sweat on his brow.
The room fell into a sudden, vacuum-like silence when the massive double doors opened and Cassie Miller stepped into the ballroom. She was wearing a structured white silk gown that commanded the attention of every person in the room, and a necklace of rare yellow diamonds glowed against her skin.
It took the photographers several stunned seconds to recognize her, but once they did, the flashes from their cameras became a blinding wall of light. Wesley turned pale, his wine glass trembling in his hand as Cassie glided toward him with the grace of a hunting leopard.
“It is wonderful to see you again, Wesley, though I must say that the stress of the market seems to be taking quite a toll on your health,” she remarked smoothly. She didn’t wait for a response but simply continued walking past him, leaving the scent of expensive perfume and the sting of humiliation in her wake.