Can’t Win Me Back

"You've been freed?" Justin asked, his voice distant.

"Sir, I'm really sorry for troubling you. You even had to make arrangements for me," Sheryl said apologetically.

"I just made use of my connections. It's nothing. Besides, I figured they'd summon you-Jasper did get his medications from you, after all."

Sheryl, still shaken from earlier, lowered her gaze. "Is that cop, Rio Olson, one of us? He seemed eager to arrest Jasper, so I thought you might have recruited him. But during the interrogation, he was relentless. He wouldn't go easy on me at all." "He is one of Mr. Barrett's men. That's enough for now."

Sheryl mulled over it for a moment. Then, she lowered her voice and said, "Sir, Jasper can only be charged for drug use. As a first-time offender, it's not enough to keep him behind bars. I suspect he'll be bailed out by the day after tomorrow." Justin chuckled softly. "So?"

"It's a shame we couldn't take him down for good," Sheryl said through gritted teeth.

"Jasper has Grandpa's support and the Taylor family backing him. His roots in Solana City run deep after years of influence. He's a formidable opponent." Justin's lips curled into a chilling smile. "All I want right now is to reclaim what's mine. After that, I'll consider the rest." Sheryl understood exactly what Justin meant. He wanted everything Jasper had.

...

The next morning, an emergency board meeting convened in Beckett Group's conference room. The agenda was whether Jasper should be dismissed as president of the corporation.

room was heavy with tension. This was

without allies. Some board members defended him.

in trouble, we should stand by him. How can we abandon him after all he's done for us?"

was

days since Mr. Jasper's incident. We've lost billions. How do

he avoids prison,

will stain his

The public

how can he represent us in negotiations? How can he face the public? The president is the

of this corporation!"

nodded in

situation had reached

Jasper. Jasper's leadership and expertise were invaluable. But the scandal left the board with no

tailored suit, he radiated assurance. "I'm certain I can secure Project A5 for Beckett Group, whether or not

tone was calm,