Troy immediately turned to Lauren, his face full of desperation. "Ms. Rhodes, please, I've worked tirelessly for you in the past. I'm begging you—just this once, grant me mercy!"

Lauren crossed her arms, giving him a cold glance. "I can consider it, but there's one last question you need to answer. What exactly have you done with Ruby besides sleeping with her? Any other shady dealings I should know about?"

Troy hesitated, his face paling. After a moment, he clenched his teeth and confessed, "I… I showed her three of the Pharmaceutical Division's formulas. But please, Ms. Rhodes, understand—I only showed her. She didn't copy them, so it shouldn't be a big problem… right?"

Before Lauren could respond, an enraged voice boomed from the doorway. "Troy, you're asking for death!"

The furious shout echoed through the office, followed by the sharp, rapid clack of dress shoes on the tile. Moments later, Michael stormed in with several high-ranking executives, his face twisted with fury.