Chapter 4

4.

When I tried to reach out to Julian again, he refused to see me.

For the next six months, Julian cut back on his social life. Aside from work, he spent all his time with Chloe and Leo.

When Chloe and I met again, she looked insufferably smug. "Amber, your precious son is so pathetic. I casually mentioned I liked wood carving, and the boy practically lost his mind trying to learn it. His hands are covered in bloody cuts every day just to please me."

"He's just as desperate and pathetic as you are."

Our parents cleared their throats. "Chloe, mind your tongue. This is a business meeting. Keep it professional."

"Amber, dear," my father said, turning to me. "The price we're paying for your raw materials is much higher than the market rate. Times are tough, and our margins are tight. If you don't lower your prices, you'll force us to find another supplier."

I instantly realized what was happening. They weren't afraid of me anymore.

Before, they made me their supplier to keep me quiet. But now, Chloe had more dirt on Julian and had secretly gathered sensitive core data on the Sterling Group. She was confident she had Julian in the palm of her hand.

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"Dad, Mom, I am your biological daughter too. You won't even let me have this business?"

My parents wore cold, businesslike smiles. "Amber, business is business. Don't try to guilt-trip us with family ties."

"You've already made quite a fortune from us these past few months—"

"But you owe me my life!" I interrupted coldly. "Ten years ago, you dumped me in Eastern Europe to die. My survival was an accident."

"And now, you want to ruin me again?"

Chloe sneered, her voice shrill. "Dear sister, let's just lay all the cards on the table! Either get lost and settle for whatever scraps we throw you, or we terminate the partnership right now. The Wood family and the Sterling Group will team up to completely crush you!"

I looked at my parents. They kept their heads down, silently agreeing with Chloe.

At that moment, instead of anger, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and liberation. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Fine. Let's terminate the partnership."

The very next day, I cut off all supplies to the Wood Group, throwing them into a massive production crisis.

Chloe's call came in immediately. "Amber, are you out of your fucking mind?!"

My voice was calm. "Didn't you say you wanted to terminate the partnership?"

"That was for the next contract! Cutting us off suddenly is a breach of contract! Where are we supposed to find an alternative supplier on such short notice?"

"I'm sorry, but that's not my problem. My shipping lines are facing issues. As for the breach of contract penalty, let the court decide how much I owe you."

By the time the legal process finished, the Wood Group would already be bleeding dry, even if they won.

Chloe let out a venomous laugh over the phone. "Fine, Amber. This is your little counterattack, isn't it? Don't forget, you bitch, your son is still in my hands—"

I hung up on her. When she called back, I ignored it.

That afternoon, I rushed to the hospital. Leo had suffered a severe allergic reaction after being exposed to a known allergen, but thanks to a timely rescue, he was out of danger.

Julian's face was dark with fury. He clenched his jaw. "Thank you for warning me. If you hadn't, Leo would have died. I didn't think Chloe could be this evil."

I glanced toward the end of the hallway. "She's here."

Chloe stormed in. Seeing me there, she lost all control, lunging forward and slamming me against the wall by my neck. "Amber, I told you to stay away from my family! How dare you show your face here?"

But the next second, Julian, who had always tolerated her, grabbed Chloe by her hair and threw her violently onto the floor.

"Family?" Julian growled.

"Chloe, who the hell is your family?"