Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Genevieve mulled it over for a second. Johnson knew how to drive a hard bargain.

Chances were his second condition was his real aim all along.

He asked for a lot of money, but TuringTech Innovations wasn’t worth that kind of money right

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But if Genevieve could keep all the patents and tech, it would save her a heck of a headache down the road. So, maybe there was room to negotiate after all.

Genevieve smiled and said, “We’ll need to hash out the specifics.”

That was her way of tentatively agreeing to his terms, with a clear message: she had conditions of her own that needed to be met.

Johnson smiled and raised his eyebrows, raising the glass in his hand. “Here’s to a fruitful partnership!”

They were surrounded by swarms of people. Genevieve didn’t overthink it and took a polite sip from her glass. The fruit wine packed more of a punch than she expected, but she swallowed it down anyway.

Johnson was beaming as he stood up, “Ms. Lawrence, my secretary is also here. Why don’t we take this to her room to go over the finer points?”

He seemed pleased to reach an agreement. Whipping out his phone right in front of her, he dialed up his secretary to get her room number, eager to get going.

Genevieve was stunned for a few seconds. She knew Johnson was gay, so she hadn’t really been on guard around him. She figured she might as well strike while the iron’s hot and hammer out the contract details, so she didn’t decline the offer.

She sent a quick text to Louis to keep him in the loop and followed Johnson upstairs, remembering that the secretary’s room was 602. What she didn’t realize was that her message was never sent,

Riding the elevator up, Genevieve exited onto a floor that was all rest and relaxation, the plush carpet making it a quiet zone.

But as soon as she stepped off, a heavy fog seemed to weigh down on her head.

Taking a few steps, something felt very off. Leaning on the railing, she let the ocean breeze hit her face, trying to clear her head.

Seconds later, her body started to heat up, a warning siren blaring inside her head. She fumbled for her phone only to realize the signal was jammed–she couldn’t make a call to save her life.

A dark suspicion crept up from the depths of her thoughts. ‘Could it be the drink that Johnson handed me?‘

Genevieve realized something wasn’t right, clenched her fist tightly, and was just about to turn and

Chapter 127

leave when the door opposite her flung open.

Johnson grabbed Genevieve’s arm and pulled hard into the room.

“Ah!” Genevieve let out a sharp scream. Her whole body felt weak and her mind was groggy; she had no strength to fight back,

Her struggles did nothing as Johnson dragged her inside, threw her to the floor, and locked the door behind them.

The pain brought a moment of clarity to Genevieve, and with a pale face, she tried to get up. looking at him. “Johnson, have you lost your mind?“

There was no so–called secretary in the room. ‘Could this all have been a trap set by Johnson?” Genevieve couldn’t understand. ‘Why would he do this?‘

Johnson towered over her, shedding any pretense of his normally cordial demeanor, taking on a chilling air. He took off his watch with a smirk that was far from friendly, no longer pretending to be the amiable man everyone knew.

He picked up an item from a nearby cupboard, a whip….

Genevieve’s expression tightened. “If I go missing, people will start looking for me.”

Johnson let out a soft chuckle, his eyes dripping with disdain as he walked over to the bed and switched on a camera. Then he turned to Genevieve, “Ms. Lawrence, just bad luck on your part. Someone offered a pretty penny for a video of us together, and I took the deal. All that talk of cooperation was just a game, that company’s been sold off a long time ago…”

He began to unbutton his shirt, greedy as a gambler eyeing his chips, looking as though he wanted. to devour her and claim the rest of his payment.

Genevieve felt a burning heat throughout her body, her eyes misting over. She dug her nails into her palm to stay alert. “I can give you any amount of money you want, just name it. I’m the daughter of Lawrence Group; I have money…”

“Ms. Lawrence, do you think I’d fall for your act just because you bear the Lawrence name? If you were the Lawrence heiress, would the Hoffman family have turned their backs on you? Ston struggling, no one here can save you. Today’s Anthony’s engagement and everyone’s focus is elsewhere. Don’t be scared, I’m quite gentle with women…” He tugged at the whip in his hand, faking a smile that did nothing to hide the cruelty in his eyes.

The next second, he raised the whip, lashing it viciously towards her….

Outside at this moment, a massive firework burst open in the night sky, illuminating half of the sky. It was brilliant and colorful.

Beautiful patterns slowly transformed into an extravaganza of multicolored lilies, precious and bright.

Then, as the lilies gently descended, at the very moment they were about to fade away, they suddenly burst again to reveal a message: “Genevieve, I love you.”

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Chapter 127

The message lingered in the sky longer than any other part of the display, a feast for the eyes that no one wanted to end. Out of the scintillating message appeared an array of beautiful, intricate patterns. People spilled out onto the decks of the cruise ship, gathering to watch the exclusive firework show put on for just one person.

This fantastic display was something Anthony had meticulously planned. A cruise, fireworks, gifts- every bit of his sincerity was tucked into these grand gestures. Yet, he had scoured every deck high. and low and still couldn’t spot the one person he desperately wanted to see.

Suddenly, a sinking feeling set in his gut.

With such a commotion, Genevieve couldn’t possibly have no reaction. If she were thrilled, she’d be out here hugging and kissing him by now. And if she weren’t pleased, at the very least, she’d have come to chew him out for it. But she was nowhere to be found.

Quickly, he got a hold of Daniel and ordered him to have the bodyguards search for her. immediately. The fireworks show would captivate the crowd’s attention for nearly an hour–but Anthony had no time to wait.

Quincey angrily found Anthony and said, “What the heck are you doing? Has that woman put a spell on you? Call off whatever this is now! You’re making a fool of yourself!”

Anthony helped Andrea’s father some time ago. Quincey thought that he had a crush on Andrea, so she accepted her again. Seeing this scene, she was so angry!

Anthony’s face turned to stone, his worry evident beneath his cool exterior. Without a second thought, he shoved Quincey aside, his tone icy and detached as he said, “It’s not stopping. This entire cruise party is for Genevieve.”

He strode towards the deck, his face a mask of dread. Daniel had checked the security footage and hurried over to whisper something urgent to Anthony. Without wasting a moment, Anthony’s face sank into a gloom as he and his entourage hastened to the sixth floor.

They arrived at the door of room 602. Anthony banged on the door with an alarming intensity. But there was no response inside.

He took a step back and kicked the door open. Inside, two figures were in the throes of what could only be described as “intense intercourse,” clutching the bed sheets with shock at the intrusion.

Anthony barged in with a darkened face. His bloodshot eyes darted around, barely containing the brewing storm of emotions.

His body was wound tight, coiled like a spring ready to snap.

In the next second, he sent Johnson flying with a kick, and the woman underneath screamed.

Anthony’s gaze hardened as her face came into view. It wasn’t Genevieve.

A moment of relief washed over him, and then, just as quickly, his heart constricted in fear.

Just moments before, Daniel had told him, “Genevieve exchanged some words with Johnson and then went upstairs…” And Johnson, that guy was never up to any good!