THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 124

Julian's face twisted the moment he heard those words.

"There's a problem with my proposal?" He let out a derisive snort. "Howard Quinn? That kid's barely out of college—what gives him the right to question my work?"

Back when Julian's face first appeared on the cover of the Financial Times, hailed as the dark horse of the decade, Howard was still busy scribbling out his thesis.

In Julian's eyes, Howard couldn't hold a candle to him—not even close.

And now, some fresh-faced rookie dared to criticize his proposal? The thought alone was laughable.

He almost burst out laughing from sheer disbelief.

Dalton wetted his lips, eyeing Julian with concern. "Julian, have you been under too much stress lately?"

Dalton had read the proposal Julian submitted to Pinnacle State Corporation. He'd spotted a few hidden flaws—glossy on the surface, but hollow beneath. It looked good on paper, but wouldn't survive the real world. This wasn't Julian's usual style at all.

For the first time, Dalton began to wonder if all those brilliant past proposals from the Chandler Group really came from Julian.

After all, the Shepherds and the Chandlers had always been close. Dalton had even heard rumors back in the day: Jarvis Chandler insisted Julian marry Caitlin for two reasons—her promising future, and her rumored business acumen. It was Caitlin, people whispered, who'd rescued the Chandler Group from the brink.

Dalton had always scoffed at such talk. How could a girl from a sleepy rural town, who never even finished high school, be a business genius? Absurd.

But now, thinking back, the rumors sent a chill down his spine.

Was it possible that his idol, the man he respected all these years, was just a business fraud? That the real prodigy had been someone else entirely?

Dalton's expression darkened, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Julian, meanwhile, had no patience for Dalton's pointless questions. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Does Felix Quinn know about this?"

Felix was the chairman of Pinnacle State, and Howard's father.

"That's not what I mean," Dalton said quickly, backtracking. "It's just… something feels off." He hesitated, then added, "I've also heard that Dr. Chatham has already signed with Apex."

Julian scoffed. "Impossible! Why would Dr. Chatham pick Apex? They're not even in the same league as us. Use your head—if Dr. Chatham had signed with them, he wouldn't have kicked Caitlin and Victor out of his lab in the first place."

He loosened his tie, irritation etched on his face. "I've already sent Hector Chase from planning to Dr. Chatham's lab to collect the signed contract."

Apex? Compete with him? The thought was laughable.

Just then, the door swung open and in walked Hector.

The moment Julian saw him, his mood instantly brightened. Hector had left for Dr. Chatham's lab two hours ago; clearly, things had gone smoothly. Dr. Chatham must have signed the contract.

Julian could barely contain his excitement. "Hector, hand me Dr. Chatham's contract!"

But Hector looked uneasy. His voice was muffled as he met Julian's gaze. "Mr. Chandler, I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. I didn't meet Dr. Chatham. I didn't get the contract. His assistant told me Dr. Chatham has already signed with Apex."