Chapter 42: He's Screwed

Hearing Joaquin's sinister laughter, Satisha felt a surge of excitement course through his body. "Dad, what exactly are you planning?" Joaquin's eyes gleamed with malice as he chuckled darkly. "Remember, it wasn't Fazal who beat you. It was Tacito who laid hands on you!" "What?" Satisha and Nicole were momentarily stunned, but then the realization hit them like a bolt of lightning. "Dad, are you thinking of getting my uncle involved?" Satisha asked, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anticipation. Satisha's uncle was the captain of the Jackville Police Detachment. If they could frame Tacito for the assault, his uncle could arrest him and drag him to the police station. "Exactly," Joaquin replied, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Once your uncle has him in custody, we'll force him to hand over the prescription and the Emperor Attire. And then, we'll make sure he never sees the light of day again." As the gravity of Joaquin's plan sank in, Satisha and Nicole exchanged looks of pure elation. "Hahaha! Perfect! Dad, call my uncle right away. We need to get rid of that little bastard once and for all!" Satisha's voice was filled with vicious glee. "Our Harper family will rise to unimaginable heights, and Tacito will be nothing but a memory. Haha..." Their laughter echoed through the room, filled with malice and anticipation of their impending triumph. --- At White Enterprises, the clock was nearing ten when Bella and Tacito arrived at the building, riding their electric bikes. Mr. Naoki had gone ahead to gather his team, leaving the two to enter the building alone. As they walked through the main entrance, Bella's usually composed face darkened with concern. The building felt eerily empty, and a strange tension hung in the air. "What's going on?" Bella muttered, a frown creasing her brow as she quickly led Tacito to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. As soon as the elevator doors slid open, the company's secretary rushed towards them, her expression filled with anxiety. "Ms. White, thank goodness you're here! The Garment Department's senior executives are in a meeting, and it's turned into a full-blown argument!" "What?" Bella's expression turned grim. She had recently been promoted to president, and the Garment Department had been under her supervision. If things were falling apart on her first day, it would reflect poorly on her leadership. Without wasting a second, Bella and Tacito hurried toward the conference room. As they approached, they could hear the heated voices spilling out into the hallway. "She gets a promotion, and we're left to clean up the mess in the Garment Department!" "Exactly! And now her useless husband is supposedly our new chief technical advisor? What qualifications does he even have?" "To top it all off, the Harper Group has hired Naoki, one of the top four designers in the Land of the Red Dragon! We're doomed!" The room was filled with complaints and discontent. Hearing the bitter remarks, Bella's face grew darker by the second. *Squeak!* The door to the conference room swung open, and Bella and Tacito stepped inside. The noisy room fell silent at once, all eyes turning to them. The hostility in the air was palpable, especially in the way the senior executives stared at Tacito. "Mr. Zander, what were you saying just now?" Bella's voice was ice-cold as she fixed her gaze on a middle-aged man with a rotund figure and large ears. This man, Mr. Zander, had been the former vice president and her assistant, but his recent behavior had been anything but supportive. "Bella, I'm sure you heard what I said," Mr. Zander replied, unphased. He stood up, glaring at Tacito with undisguised contempt. "What qualifications does your husband have to be the chief technical advisor of White Enterprises? Does he even deserve the position?" The room buzzed with murmurs of agreement. Many of the senior executives nodded, their disdain for Tacito evident. In Mr. Zander's mind, Bella's promotion should have left the position of chief technical advisor open for him. Instead, Tacito's unexpected appointment had crushed his ambitions, fueling his resentment. Bella's expression hardened. "What do you propose, Mr. Zander?" Mr. Zander sneered, glancing around the room before replying, "If your husband wants to keep his position, fine! But he needs to bring in someone like Naoki to lead the costume design. Otherwise, he's not fit for the job! Isn't that right, everyone?" The room erupted in agreement. The disdain for Tacito grew more intense with every passing second. Everyone knew that designers of Naoki's caliber were nearly impossible to recruit. It wasn't just about money; it required an extraordinary level of influence and connections. But Tacito remained unfazed. In fact, he seemed almost amused by the situation. He turned to Mr. Zander, a faint smile playing on his lips. "And what if I've already invited someone like that?"