Raelyn’s POV Jackson left with a grin, and just like that, the room was quiet again—just the two of us. “It’s late. If there’s nothing else, you should head home,” Aiden said coolly, clearly trying to send me off. I raised an eyebrow. “I’m staying to take care of you.” “Not necessary.” I walked over and sat down beside him. “You got hurt saving me. If I just went home like nothing happened, wouldn’t that make me heartless?” I picked up an apple and waved it at him. “Want one? I’ll peel it for you.” Aiden didn’t reply. He just pulled his laptop over with his uninjured hand and started working. Well, that was a dead end. I dropped it and pulled out my own laptop from my bag, deciding to dig up whoever was behind that ambush. Using facial recognition, I traced those guys to a local Varken underground gang—just a bunch of scumbags for hire. I kept digging into their recent calls and transactions. Every trail pointed back to Lawson Corp. “Aiden, do you know who was behind the attack?” I asked, testing the waters. He didn’t even blink. “Lawson Corp.” I was stunned. “How do you know?” Aiden replied steadily, “Thunder Pack’s stocks have skyrocketed recently. Lawson Corp’s jewelry division is thriving—they’ve basically cornered the low-end market and are now creeping into the high-end space. So tell me, who has the most to lose?” “The failed collaboration last time must’ve pissed them off. They didn’t get a slice of the pie, and now they’re jealous of our results. So naturally, they’re the most likely to make a move?” Aiden gave a rare smile. “You’re smart.” I had to admit—his analytical skills were no joke. “So what are you going to do?” I asked. As someone who never let grudges slide, now that I knew who was behind it, there was no way I’d just let it go. Aiden’s eyes darkened. “Of course I won’t let them off the hook.” Good. If he was going to handle it, then I could rest easy. Aiden’s hand wasn’t like mine—he wasn’t Alpha-level like I was. So he stayed in the hospital for two more days until it fully healed. The Eclipse Pack called to check in, and I covered for him, saying we were just working overtime at the office. Fortunately, Alex had been away on a business trip during that time, so the lie stuck. Two days later, once Aiden had fully recovered, we returned to the company. But the moment we walked in, I noticed some unfamiliar faces in the building. Aiden didn’t waste time. As soon as we were back, he called a senior staff meeting to discuss the next phase of operations. “This quarter, I intend to stabilize the low-end jewelry line, then invest heavily into breaking into the high-end market…” His plan matched mine perfectly. I shot him a look of admiration. This heir really knew what he was doing—his strategic planning was on par with mine. “I disagree.” The quiet conference room was suddenly pierced by a sharp voice. Aiden looked up. His expression immediately turned cold. “What’s your take, then?” I followed his gaze to see who had spoken—Zane Stone, the head of HR. This guy always acted like he was better than everyone. Now his face was full of smugness and disrespect. “Mr. Salvatore, have you been gone so long you’ve forgotten how to plan? We haven’t even secured the low-end market yet. Right now, those products are selling like crazy. If we blindly jump into high-end jewelry and it flops, who’s going to take responsibility?” Zane’s tone was aggressive, and he made no effort to hide his contempt.“It won’t flop,” Aiden said calmly. “If we only stick to the low-end, the public will get bored. We’ll miss the best window to go high-end.” Zane looked like he didn’t hear a word. His voice got sharper. “Well, I disagree. Why not ask the rest of the room what they think?” Aiden’s gaze swept across the table. “Anyone else have objections?” A hesitant voice spoke up. “Mr. Salvatore, I think Mr. Stone has a point. If we really lose money… it’d be a big problem.” Others started murmuring in agreement. I’d had enough. I stood up and raised my voice. “Then allow me to explain Mr. Salvatore’s vision.” Zane gave a mocking snort. “Ms. Beck, I know you’re on his side. But blindly backing him could drag us all down.” I didn’t even blink. “Sorry to disappoint you, but my mentor happens to be the internationally renowned jewelry designer Joanne Johnson. I trained under her personally. So I’d say I’m not blindly backing anyone—wouldn’t you agree?”