Chapter 8 Taking Over

• The following morning, Charles found himself sprawled on the floor, the absence of Whitney beside him starkly evident.
• Though they had been married for three years, they had never truly made love; Whitney always occupied the bed while he resorted to sleeping on the floor, using whatever makeshift bedding he could find.
• "Where could Whitney have gone?" Charles pondered aloud.
• After searching through the house without success, he finally came across Henry in the living room, casually sipping tea while engrossed in the newspaper.
• "You're finally up, you good-for-nothing! While you were snoring like a pig, Whitney left for the office ages ago to find a way to connect with Dracorise Group. You need to get moving and make breakfast!" Henry barked, glaring daggers at him.
• Everything suddenly clicked for Charles. He realized he couldn't let Whitney bear the weight of worry alone any longer; it was time for him to step up.
• Determined, he resolved to visit Dracorise Group that very day, intent on meeting their leaders, taking charge of the situation, and quietly assisting Whitney in finalizing the contract.
• As her husband, he felt it was his responsibility to win this bet for her, ensuring that the Chadwicks would no longer look down upon her.
• If necessary, he would make the Chadwicks apologize to her, begging for her forgiveness!
• After whipping up a decent breakfast for Henry, Charles hopped onto his small electric scooter and sped off toward Dracorise Group.
• As he parked beside the building, a sleek black Mercedes smoothly pulled into the space next to him.
• "I was wondering who would dare to show up on that tiny scooter, thinking they can walk into Dracorise Group looking like that. Turns out it's you." A familiar voice derided from the car as the door swung open, revealing a young couple.
• The man was dressed in a sharply tailored designer suit that hugged his physique, while the woman wore a provocative outfit. Despite her excessive makeup, she was undeniably stunning.
• Charles scowled—it was Melissa and her husband, Norman. What a terrible coincidence to run into them here.
• When Charles remained silent, Norman threw him a disdainful look. "Just look at you, unable to even stand up to my wife's jibes. Pathetic," he mocked.
• How did someone like Whitney end up with such a loser? Norman thought to himself.
• If it weren't for Charles, I could have been the one to marry Whitney instead of being stuck with the less impressive Melissa.
• Feigning concern, Norman asked, "Charles, it's nearly lunchtime. What are you doing here at Dracorise Group? Did Whitney send you because she was too scared to come herself?"
• Not wanting to divulge too much information, Charles shrugged and replied, "I'm here looking for a job."
• "Looking for a job?" Melissa burst into laughter. "You think you can actually join Dracorise Group? You, who can't do a single thing?"
• Charles frowned at her. "What's it to you?"
• "Did I say something wrong? A worthless person like you, without any qualifications or skills, couldn't even land a position as a security guard at Dracorise Group. How about we set you up with a job? You could work for us cleaning toilets, and we'd pay you three thousand a month. How does that sound?" Melissa retorted, eager to demean him further.
• With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a crumpled tissue at Charles's feet and smirked. "There, let's see how skilled you really are. Clean this up!"
• Charles shot her a grin. "No thanks. I'd rather throw both of you lowlifes out instead."
• "Who are you calling lowlifes?!" Norman yelled, fuming.
• "You!" Charles shot back, refusing to engage further as he strode toward the entrance of Dracorise Group.
• "Hey!"
• Norman rushed after him, intent on knocking some sense into Charles, but Melissa held him back.
• "Darling, don't make a scene here. It'll leave a bad impression on Dracorise Group. We don't need to fight with this loser. Besides, I already figured out his little plan. He wants to work at Dracorise Group to help Whitney land the contract," she said, her lips curling into a smug smile.
• "So that's his scheme. He thinks it's that simple, huh? Not that getting in will matter; what influence does a nobody like him have once he's inside?"
• Norman straightened up and announced, "Let's head upstairs. Today, I'm representing the Simmons in discussions with the chairman of Dracorise Group. Maybe I can even assist you in negotiating with the Chadwicks."
• "You're amazing, Darling! I love you!" Melissa exclaimed, throwing her arms around Norman and planting a kiss on his cheek, causing him to beam with pride for a moment.
• Meanwhile, as Charles rode the observation elevator up, he glanced down at the couple and muttered, "Norman, huh? Pride comes before a fall."
• Once he reached the top floor of Dracorise Tower and stood before the chairman's office, he was greeted by Wyvern's eager smile.
• Wyvern had arranged everything for Charles, ensuring that he was ready to sign the agreements to take over Dracorise Group.