Chapter 620 Cornered

The Powell Corporation ran audits and held shareholder meetings annually. When that time came, such a massive financial shortfall was bound to blow up.

There were only two months left before the audit…

Paul felt a chill at the back of his neck. This mess was going to land squarely on his shoulders.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it–the worst part was that the Powell Corporation’s foundation had been hollowed out. They were about to face a mountain of lawsuits and a giant hole in their balance sheet.

If they couldn’t handle it, the Powell Corporation would fall from the ranks of the capital’s elite. It might even go bankrupt.

That night, Paul didn’t dare go home.

Taylor called Yunice and told her Paul was acting strangely.

Yunice figured it was time to fan the flames. “Taylor, didn’t you say you wanted a divorce? I think this is your chance. Go public with it. Say the investments weren’t a joint decision between spouses. That could help reduce the financial liability you’ll have to bear. Even if you still get caught up in lawsuits later, at least you’ll have the image of a victim–someone the public might sympathize with.”

According to marriage law, major financial decisions like large-scale investments required mutual consent from both spouses, clearly documented in writing for both to be held accountable.

Paul had made the investments in secret. The profits weren’t used for joint expenses either. Since Taylor hadn’t signed off, she had grounds to dispute any shared liability.

But laws weren’t always dependable in the face of power and influence. The real concern was whether the Powell family would resort to dirty tricks and drag things out, making Taylor suffer.

Yunice had engineered the Powell family’s financial crisis. She didn’t want Taylor to get caught in the crossfire.

She was determined to minimize the collateral damage this would cause Taylor.

Taylor took Yunice’s advice seriously. But after a moment of hesitation, she voiced a long-standing suspicion. “Yunice, I know you want to take down the Powell family. So… was this your plan?”

If it was, Yunice had to have powerful backing. There was no way she could orchestrate such a huge crack in the Powell Corporation’s defenses on her own.

Yunice denied it. “It had nothing to do with me. I just heard about it from someone. Got tipped off.

The Powell Corporation’s done so many shady things, made so many enemies–there are plenty of people who want them to go down. It’s not just me.”

Taylor pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to believe Yunice was capable of something so cold and calculated. She liked Yunice–didn’t want to see her corrupted by schemes and revenge. A girl like Yunice should be surrounded by love, cheerful and carefree, untouched by manipulation and mind games.

Yunice smiled. “Seriously, it’s not me.”

Taylor sighed. “Alright. I’ll be careful.”

After hanging up, Yunice turned her focus back to her afternoon classes.

There weren’t many people left in the herb field. Yunice’s plot had already been cleared of weeds. But the seedlings Wyatt had accidentally pulled–though replanted–had damaged roots. After a day and a night, they still hadn’t recovered. They drooped sadly, looking like they were withering.

The professor passed by her section, paused mid-sip of his tea, eyes widening slightly. But he didn’t say anything and walked on.

He probably had no idea what kind of move she was playing.

After school, herb identification class wrapped up. Yunice was just leaving the field when Wyatt called her.

“You’re off campus?”

“I thought you went back to Wellinges Pharma. Why are you here again?”

“The commute takes that long?”

“A helicopter? Forty minutes, huh. Okay then.”

Yunice kept the call going while jogging toward the campus gate.

“Yunice? Going out?” someone called behind her.

She stopped and saw Tommy.

He was holding a teaching plan, surrounded by a few students.

The students turned to glance at her, curious who she was–why the top student was talking to her so casually.

Tommy smiled. “This is our department’s SAT champ.”

The students stared even harder. Their expressions turned more complicated.

A moment later, they drifted off, leaving Tommy to walk over.

“Need help getting around campus?” he offered. “Want your senior to give you a tour?”

Yunice glanced past him and said, “I don’t think I’ll need your help.”

Tommy’s smile froze. He followed her gaze.

Wyatt stood there, arms crossed, looking down at him.

Taller by a full head, Wyatt had an oppressive presence that made Tommy’s breath catch.

Wyatt grinned. “Tommy sure is thoughtful. Helped check her dorm, carry her luggage, and now wants to be her tour guide?”

Tommy blushed and awkwardly said, “Please don’t misunderstand. I just see her as a friend. She’s new, and I’m just familiar with the area, that’s all.”

Wyatt replied, “Perfect. Since I’m taking my wife to dinner, why don’t you–someone who knows the area well–show us around a bit?”

Yunice looked from Tommy to Wyatt. She could already smell the tension–but she didn’t stop it.