One week ago.
Isabelle sat locked up in her study,deep in thought. She needed a giant,one that could fight Alex and the network power of Ruth. She knew only the Chen corporation wasn't enough.
And from her previous life,she knew exactly where the most powerful and dangerous stood- the Zhen corporation,the name alone made empires tremble.
And the man at the helm,Kevin Zhen had been the coldest, most untouchable CEO in the country. He had no scandals or weaknesses and hardly appeared on media. But Isabelle knew something the world didn't. In her previous life,half a year from now,the Zhen corporation would nearly crumble under a leaked secret a secret only she knew.
A secret worth an entire fortune.
This was her leverage.
The next morning,dressed sharply in a black skirt suit and heels,her long black hair in a neat ponytail, Isabelle made her way to the Zhen corporation headquarters. A towering glass building that scraped the skies.
Upon entering the building,she headed towards the receptionist.
"I am here to see Kevin Zhen", Isabelle asked calmly.
"Miss do you have an appointment",the receptionist asked.
"No".
The receptionist looked up from her desk startled,"I'm sorry miss Mr Zhen doesn't accept unscheduled-"
"Tell him Isabelle Chen is here and I know about project Northgate.
The woman blinked,her fingers pausing over the keyboard.
"Who does she think she is,requesting a meeting with our CEO" the woman snorted In her mind,"let's see if he'll meet you"- then she led isabelle to the waiting area and phoned the upper floor. And in no time a senior assistant came down in a rush.
"Please follow me miss Chen, Mr Zhen will see you now.
The receptionist was shocked seeing that the CEO was willing to meet her and was happy she didn't cause any problems.
The elevator door closed behind her with a click, swallowing the chatter of the staffs.
Inside the private lift,her eyes were fixed on the digital floor number rising torwards the 88th floor.
On reaching the top,her fingers tightened around the leather strap of her purse. Her heart thudded in nervousness and the weight of the moment. She remembered someone saying in her previous life ,"if you mess up,you're erased.
She wouldn't mess this up.
She couldn't afford to.
When the doors slipped open,the floor was silent,carpeted in rich grey,the walls lined with modern glass panels and brushed steel. The room was furnished and painted with a combination of grey,white and black. Fitting for a man like Kevin. The reception area was empty except for a tall man standing near the massive glass office doors in the reception area.
"Miss Chen", he said gesturing smoothly. "This way"
She followed him into an expansive office that overlooked the entire city. The windows stretched from floor to ceiling,as if to remind visitors exactly how high above the world they stood when speaking to Kevin Zhen.
And there he was, sitting behind a sleek obsidian desk,dressed in tailored charcoal suit, with silver cufflinks glinting under the warm light. His face was expressionless with sharp features. He was so incredibly handsome that she froze on the spot and swallowed admiring his beauty. Before she could start drooling,she snapped back to her senses. He looked young- but there was an ageless weight in the way he sat.
"Sit" he said,his voice low.
She then took the chair across from him and sat back straight.
"You have five minutes", he said. "Speak"
"Wow, no greetings or pleasantries,good" Isabelle thought.
She opened her purse took a flash drive and placed it on the table."what I'm about to say may sound insane, but I promise you. it's real. This contains files on project northgate. It will go public in about half a year. Zhen corporation competitors will use it to trigger investigations. Then your earnings will plumment. Your father's medical fund will be frozen. And your uncle will try to steal your seat using the board."
She then paused waiting for a reaction maybe a hint of shock. But there was none. He just sat there unmoving,without blinking.
"Go on", Kevin said,his tone unreadable.
"I want an alliance",Isabelle said.
" I'll give you the names of the company behind the leak months in advance. I'll even give you the encryption key to the original leak itself. You'll stay clean, untouched. In return, I need your help in destroying the Chen family. And your agreement to a contract marriage"