Chapter 647: Susan Overhears Henry's Conspiracy

The news caused little stir; people read it and quickly forgot. However, it ignited internal turmoil at Phillips Bank, leaving staff wondering how senior management would respond to the exposed situation.

Manuel’s primary goal seemed unattainable. Yet, it remained uncertain whether the company would succumb to pressure and force his resignation. The current situation offered clues.

As the central figure, Manuel remained remarkably calm, leaving work on time as colleagues watched. This fueled speculation among employees. Logically, maintaining appearances might have persuaded senior management to retain him.

Susan, a low-level employee participating in staff chat groups, observed mostly positive comments about Manuel, many expressing regret at the prospect of his dismissal—a predominantly female sentiment, she surmised, likely due to his charm.

However, Susan also felt it would be a pity to lose Manuel. She doubted her father's supposed intention to force his resignation, speculating that Manuel might share this assessment, explaining his nonchalance. Suddenly remembering the time, she decided to leave work.

"I'm off. Wanna go with me?" she texted Henry, their primary form of communication for the past two weeks. Their relationship had grown stale, passion waning, their reunion feeling obligatory.

"I'll work overtime today. Take care. I'll bring you night snacks," Henry replied. "OK. See you later." "OK."

Susan left the office, bored during her drive home, contemplating the long evening ahead. Seeing the lingering sunlight, she anticipated another solitary dinner.

She called Hannah. "Hi Hannah. Wanna dine out tonight?"

"Oh, sorry, Susan. I've got a plan tonight."

"Are you gonna work extra hours?"

"Nope."

"Then why did you stand me up?"

"It's Oscar's birthday. We'll celebrate."

"I'm coming over to join you guys," Susan announced.

"Sorry, Susan. I'm afraid not!" Hannah refused.

"Hannah! Why not!" Susan's anger flared, feeling abandoned for Oscar.

"Not tonight."

"Aren't we friends?" Susan snapped, furious.

"How about tomorrow? Come over to my place. I'll tell Max to cook your favorite dishes."

"What kind of friend are you? Bye." "Hello...."

Susan hung up, furious at Hannah's rejection for Oscar, feeling utterly alone.

She dialed her father. "Dad."

"Susan? What's up?" Edward responded, surprised.

"I'll go home for dinner tonight. Tell the servant to cook some of my favorite food."

"I'll be out tonight," Edward replied frankly.

"Out?" Susan frowned.

"Yeah. I'll take Justine out for dinner. If you want to go back, I'll tell the servant to prepare more..."

"No need," Susan retorted instantly, feeling increasingly isolated by everyone's social engagements.

Angrily, Susan hung up, feeling distraught.

"Where are we going, Miss Phillips?" her driver asked cautiously.

"Back to the office. I'll be on overtime!" Susan declared.

Stunned, the driver turned the car around. Susan simply wanted to avoid being alone until Henry finished work.

Returning to the office, she went directly to Henry's office, entering without knocking. She heard Henry say, "Manuel will quit if we pressure him a little harder..."

Their eyes met. Several board members, including the one who had mentioned Manuel's goal earlier that day, were present, discussing something serious.

"Susan? Why are you back?" Henry asked smoothly, "Didn't you leave first?"

"I was bored, so I came back to wait for you. You seem very busy. I'll leave you to it," Susan said, closing the door.

Back in her office, she couldn't shake Henry's words, revealing his intent to force Manuel's resignation. This surprised her, considering she, along with others, had perceived Manuel as a threat to Henry’s position.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in."

Henry entered.

Susan forced a smile. "Don't mind me. I'll just come up with something to kill time."

"Don't be silly, honey. How can I focus on work now? We've finished the discussion. We can go now," Henry said calmly.

Susan nodded.

"What do you want for dinner? I'll cook if you want to eat at home. I'll make a reservation first if you want to dine out."

"Henry." Susan's inability to conceal her feelings was evident.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to make Manuel leave Phillips Bank?"

"Yes," Henry confirmed firmly.

"But at today's meeting..."

"I just pretended," Henry admitted.

Susan bit her lip.

"Dear Susan, actually, I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to worry you. But now I think it's necessary to make it clear. I don't want any misunderstandings between us."

Though disgusted, Susan listened silently to Henry's explanation.

"Manuel joined Phillips Bank with only an evil purpose. He wants to control the group. You might not know that I once had 20% shares. But Manuel played dirty tricks and took them away from me."