Chapter 344

Isabella carved out time that afternoon to brief Nathaniel on the incident. "You'll need to redirect the conflict's focus," she advised.

He caught her meaning instantly. A slow grin spread across his face. "Understood. I know exactly how to handle this."

Moments later, Nathaniel's phone buzzed with Victoria's call. He answered with deliberate casualness.

"Mr. Graves, I assume you're aware of this morning's... misunderstanding."

His chuckle was razor-sharp. "Ms. Kensington, are you referring to when your family slandered my team's competence? Or perhaps when they accused us of breaching contract terms?"

Victoria backpedaled. "My apologies, Mr. Graves. Genevieve acted inappropriately. I'll ensure—"

Nathaniel cut her off. "More concerning is how you dismissed my employee for defending our company's reputation. Tell me, does that sound like professional conduct to you?"

His voice turned glacial. "Your actions constitute defamation against Sterling Innovations. Collaboration requires mutual respect—something you've clearly forgotten."

The line crackled with tension. "Effective immediately, I'm terminating our contract. Expect legal documentation regarding reputational damages."

Victoria's breath hitched. She'd anticipated placating him over Genevieve's tantrum—not becoming the primary target. "This is hardly worth dissolving our partnership over—"

"My schedule is packed, Ms. Kensington. I'll await your formal response." The call disconnected with finality.

Nathaniel immediately dialed Isabella. "Done. Full recording secured."

"Excellent work," she murmured.

Isabella had orchestrated this precisely. She knew Victoria would underestimate Nathaniel's retaliation, mistaking this as a simple personnel dispute.

Now they held irrefutable evidence of Victoria knowingly disparaging a business partner—a career-ending misstep in their circles.

Nathaniel snorted. "Honestly, Alexander shoulders the blame here. He owns twelve companies—why hand Innovatech to Victoria?"

His voice darkened. "He never considered how this would put you in an impossible position."

Isabella remained expressionless, though the truth of his words resonated. Some betrayals cut too deep to acknowledge.