Lauren crossed her arms, smirking. "Michael, didn't I warn you about Ruby? I told you she couldn't be trusted, but no—you insisted I was just jealous of that bitch.

"Now look at what's happened. If those formulas fall into the hands of other pharmaceutical companies, the Pharmaceutical Division won't just take a hit—it'll collapse entirely. You might as well prepare to announce its closure."

Michael's face darkened further, his rage building like storm waves, each one crashing harder than the last. He felt trapped. Troy was his man, and the deal with Ruby was his decision. Now, with such a colossal mistake, he could already imagine the backlash from the Rhodes family's upper ranks.

The humiliation would shatter any dreams he had of becoming the family head. Worse, he would be remembered as the one who brought disgrace and ruin to the company.

Seething with anger, Michael's eyes fell on Troy, who was still sprawled on the floor. With a growl, he lunged at him, unleashing a bruta