"Christie, don't listen to that loser's nonsense. He's just making stuff up to mess with you—none of it is true!" Irene said hurriedly, noticing her daughter's shaken expression.

Leroy snorted. "Christie, you're not actually buying Andrew's crap, are you? Come on, he really stood there and claimed he built Stevens Corporation from the ground up. What a joke!"

Christina did not respond. Her face had gone pale, her expression hollow and exhausted as her entire worldview began crumbling.

Aspen stood quietly, her eyes filled with contemplation. She had always considered Stevens Corporation's rise from a small, struggling workshop to the powerhouse it was today an anomaly.

For the longest time, she had assumed Christina was some kind of prodigy, a brilliant businesswoman who single-handedly made it happen. However, after working closely with her for a while, Aspen realized Christina was not as extraordinary as everyone believed.

Sure, she was smart enough to handle her CEO duties