Chapter 360:

Corrie was grumpy. Brook urged her to act, but her sour expression and scowl betrayed her. His expression was even grimmer. He shoved her, his dissatisfaction evident. "Why that look?" he demanded. "If you don't want to be here, leave. Don't act like I've mistreated you. Your family has benefited greatly from me."

Corrie stumbled back against the doorframe, wincing. Suppressing her pain and anger, she regained her composure. "It's my fault," she said. "Please don't be angry."

"I don't understand why Jayden chose you as his girlfriend," he scoffed. "You're always plotting something. No wonder he prefers Elyse now." He chuckled, then abruptly exited the car, abandoning any pretense of chivalry and leaving Corrie behind as he hurried to a restaurant.

A malicious glint crossed Corrie's eyes. How dare Brook compare her to Elyse, who was insignificant? Corrie, however, was destined for the presidency. Yet, she currently relied on Brook's support for her family and couldn't afford to break ties with him. Composing herself, she opened the door and followed.

She accidentally ran into Debora. Now burdened with significant responsibilities from Enzo, Debora was unusually pleasant. Spotting Brook, she greeted him with a concerned smile. "Brook, it's so good to see you out of the hospital. I'm sorry I went too far last time. Please accept my apology."

Debora's apology was obviously insincere. She even secretly reveled in having pushed him downstairs, incapacitating him for days. Feigning a stretch, she added, "Brook, I've been swamped. I have a meeting with the department manager after lunch, so I can't stay. Enjoy your meal with my future sister-in-law."

Debora glanced at Corrie with disdain and mockery. They moved in the same social circles; Debora knew of Corrie's unsavory actions. She understood Brook was leveraging Corrie's family connections to advance himself. However, in the Owen Group, true power resided with Enzo, whose favor would determine the future leader. Debora scoffed inwardly. Brook might seem polished and clever, but he lacked astuteness. Enzo wouldn't value such indirect strategies as marriage alliances; he valued merit.

Corrie was irritated by Debora's stare. Each Owen family member seemed exceptionally eccentric. After Debora left, Corrie asked Brook, "Is your grandfather really comfortable entrusting the company to someone like Debora?"

Brook replied impatiently, "He doesn't care about gender. He only cares about their ability to run the company successfully."

After a moment of silence, he gave Corrie a disapproving look. "Why are you, an outsider, asking so many questions? Finish your lunch and leave. Don't linger. I need to focus on my work."

Corrie's anger flared; she clenched her fists. Brook's disdain was obvious. Determined, she decided to find a way to evade Jayden's spies and meet Enzo.

Pearce finished his meal and left due to a phone call. After saying goodbye to Pearce, Elyse encountered Jayden's brooding gaze. She smiled awkwardly. "Let's go home," she suggested.

"Okay. Let's go home, and I'll settle things with you," Jayden said, maneuvering his wheelchair toward the elevator. Elyse hurried to keep up. Inside the cramped elevator, tension mounted.

"Do you know who that man is?" Jayden suddenly asked.

Elyse was startled. "He's a friend, a university professor."

Jayden stated calmly, "His watch is worth as much as an island."

Elyse was stunned. "Is a university professor that rich?" she asked incredulously.

"Foolish. Being a professor is just one of his roles," Jayden said, looking intently at Elyse. "I'm genuinely concerned that someone might take advantage of you if I'm not watching out for you."

(The final ".noveldrama" lines seem extraneous and were removed.)