Chapter 439

Hammond’s face went ghostly pale, his mind buzzing with the extreme fear that gripped him.

“Mr… Mr. Winston, what are you planning to do?”

Maurice continued to casually toy with the knife in his hand, “Considering you know of my past as a surgeon, you should be well aware that my expertise lies in human anatomy”

As Maurice spoke, he suddenly flicked his eyes upwards, his gaze piercing Hammond with an unabashedly ruthless and murderous intent.

Yet his tone was calm, even gentle, “How do you think it would feel, watching your own body being dissected piece by piece while still conscious, huh?”

Hammond was frozen with fear, his body quaking uncontrollably, teeth chattering in terror, “Mr… Mr.

Winston, I’ve served you for many years. You’re not only a titan of the business world, but also one of the world’s top surgeons. You surely wouldn’t…you wouldn’t be so cruel to me.”

Maurice let out a slow, satisfied chuckle, nodding approvingly before casually handing the knife to his bodyguard.

Upon seeing this, Hammond let out a sigh of relief, tears of joy streaming down his face as he thought Maurice had spared him, “Thank you, Mr. Winston! Thank you, Mr. Winston! Please believe me, everything I’ve said is…Ah-”

A painful scream immediately drowned out all other sounds.

Hammond cried out, looking in horror at the bodyguard who had plunged the knife into his chest. The pain was excruciating.

Maurice wiped his hands and slowly stood, walking over to the trembling Hammond before breaking into a smile, “Did you really think I would do this myself?”

“Mr….Mr. Winston……..” Hammond’s lips were twitching violently, the blood seemingly flowing back into his eyes, which were now a terrifying shade of red He was in such pain and terror that he was now barely recognizable as human.

His head drooped heavily as if his neck had lost all strength.

The bodyguard promptly checked his breathing, “Mr. Winston, he’s still alive! Just unconscious!”

“Wake him up!”

“Yes, Mr. Winston!” Following his boss’ orders, the bodyguard repeatedly doused Hammond with buckets of icy water.

The cold water mixed with the blood on his body, forming a dirty puddle.

Janie, who had been watching from the sidelines, felt her stomach churn. She had been with Maurice for many years, but this was the first time she had witnessed such ruthless violence.

Unable to bear the sight of the unconscious Hammond, Janie turned to Maurice, tentative.

“Mr. Winston, maybe we can try a different approach? After all, Hammond has been your loyal employee for years. He wouldn’t betray you without reason. Perhaps there’s something he’s not telling us?”

Upon hearing this, Maurice glanced at Janie, making her heart skip a beat out of fear.

“Janie, as I recall, you’ve been eager to replace Hammond, haven’t you?”

Janie bit her lower lip hard. She instinctively wanted to deny it, but knew she couldn’t hide anything from Maurice. He was a master of psychological warfare.

Avoiding his gaze, she admitted quietly, “Yes.”

“Showing mercy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself. If you lack ambition, how can you expect to replace Hammond by my side?”

Ever since Maurice took over, he had promoted a dog-eat-dog working environment.

Even though he knew his subordinates were constantly scheming against one another for business, clients, and status, he never interfered.

Survival of the fittest was his motto, and all the victors served him. All he had to do was reap the benefits. After all, subordinates were tools for Maurice to exploit.

Maurice studied Janie with a deep, meaningful gaze, “I’m leaving Hammond to you. Whether or not you impress me depends on your capabilities.”

With that, Maurice turned and left, a small smile playing on his lips.

When he returned to the Winston Mansion, Marguerite was in the living room playing with LEGOs alongside Teresa and Hayes.

Hayes seemed particularly fond of Marguerite. Every time he completed a piece, he would excitedly show it to her.

Hayes was clearly Frederick’s child, but seeing him interact with Marguerite filled Maurice with an unanticipated warmth.

Just as he was about to join them, his phone buzzed It was a call from Janie.

He immediately connected the call on his Bluetooth earpiece, lowering his voice, “Speak”

Janie’s voice was laced with exhaustion and a hint of hoarseness as she replied, “Mr. Winston, Hammond’s finally cracked. He said the child that your wife lost is named Hayes, who is Frederick’s current youngest son!”