Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 165: Ruthless

Albert Locke was worried, so he waited outside the whole time.

When Nina Thorne came out and saw him, she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You’ve been waiting for me this whole time?"

Albert Locke replied, "I was afraid you two would start fighting."

She could tell he was joking. Walking toward the exit, Nina Thorne replied with a faint smile:

"It’s not worth it. Resorting to violence is the most pathetic form of protest."

’We need to separate. It needs to end.’

’All I have to do is leave.’

She hadn’t understood that for the past five years. If she still didn’t get it now, she would only have herself to blame.

Albert Locke was surprised.

He could see she had truly given up on Justin Kane.

Even though Justin Kane had saved her yesterday, she seemed completely unmoved.

’How could she be like this if she hadn’t been hurt to the core?’

The two of them left the seminar venue together.

The moment they left, April Graham emerged from the shadows.

She pulled her gaze away from their retreating figures and quickly entered the lounge.

As she pushed the door open, she saw Justin Kane just about to leave.

A distinctly gloomy aura surrounded him. The air felt heavy, and a faint sadness tinged his features.

"Justin, are you not feeling well?"

April Graham was startled by his appearance. Thinking something was wrong, she became terribly nervous.

Justin Kane didn’t even bother to glance at her. Unwilling to spare a single word, he simply walked past her.

His indifference drove April Graham crazy.

By then, he had already strode out. April Graham’s chest heaved with anger as she chased after him.

"She won’t even say a word to you now, so why are you trying so hard when she’s just giving you the cold shoulder?"

"I love you so much, why can’t you just look at me?"

Her accusatory voice echoed through the long corridor, but the area near the lounge was quiet.

Justin Kane’s long strides halted. He turned his head and sneered, "Just you?"

Those two short words were like knives.

His look of disgust, in particular, was so piercing it made her want to die.

Filled with bitterness, she cried, "I’ve waited five years for you, can’t you see that?"

Justin Kane still paid her no mind and strode away.

April Graham was frantic and blurted out:

"Nina Thorne doesn’t love you at all! Even if you succeed in going public with your relationship, she’ll never be truly devoted to you."

"Why can’t you choose me when you know this is going to happen?"

As expected, Justin Kane’s steps halted once more.

But without turning back, he mercilessly tossed out a phrase, "You’re not worthy."

The words were so sharp they nearly made April Graham spit blood.

His tall figure departed coldly, leaving her standing there all alone.

A chilling ache spread through her chest, and tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes.

Five years.

She had struggled for five whole years to get out of that hellhole.

She had tried everything she could think of to become his woman, only to find that he only had eyes for that bitch, Nina Thorne.

The way he looked at Nina Thorne held a tenderness she had never experienced.

April Graham wouldn’t accept it!

’Why?!’

’Why, after loving him for so many years, did she get nothing?’

’But Nina Thorne could so easily have his body and his heart?’

Just then, April Graham’s phone rang.

A trembling voice came from the other end. "Miss Graham, Max Mason has been taken into police custody. What should we do now?"

April Graham immediately suppressed all her emotions, her eyes turning sinister. "Give him two million. Tell him to keep his mouth shut, or I’ll have his entire family killed."

She hung up, her face twisted with malice, hating Nina so much she could have ground her teeth to dust.

’Nina Thorne, one day I’m going to kill you!’

Nina Thorne and Albert Locke went straight back to the company.

There was a four o’clock meeting, and everyone was waiting for her.

They had returned just in time.

When Jay Jacobs saw her return, he rushed over excitedly.

"Miss Thorne, you were incredible! Everyone in the company watched the livestream. No one will dare to challenge you now."

The value of that livestream was self-evident.

"Stop with the flattery. This battle isn’t over yet."

There were only three days left of the one-week deadline.

She still had problems to solve, which meant she hadn’t fully secured her position.

But she set those aside for the moment and went to the meeting first to formally introduce Albert Locke to the board of directors.

Because all the directors had seen the livestream, Albert Locke’s addition to the team gave them newfound confidence in Nina Thorne.

During the meeting, Nina Thorne promised to develop a new system and lead the entire new energy industry.

"In the coming year, I will show all of you real results." Nina Thorne was full of confidence as she laid out her future plans.

Seeing her swear with such certainty, the directors couldn’t help but exchange glances.

"Miss Thorne, are you really that confident?"

Someone questioned.

"Even The Kane Group and the Graham Family of Vistara haven’t managed it. Can The Thorne Group really do it?"

It was no wonder they were skeptical.

Since her father’s death, The Thorne Group had gradually fallen behind the other major families.

Especially in the new energy sector, it had always played it safe, never making any major breakthroughs.

Nina Thorne’s plan was tantamount to shattering their previous comfort zone.

The risk was enormous.

"Of course we can," Nina Thorne stated unequivocally.

Albert Locke spoke up at the right moment. "Rest assured, Miss Thorne will not disappoint you."

The directors had no choice but to believe it now.

If even Engineer Locke said so, then there surely wouldn’t be a problem.

Following that, everyone welcomed Albert Locke with a round of applause.

After that matter was settled, Nina Thorne addressed the issue of the workers’ unpaid wages.

"I don’t care what this company was like before. Now that I am in charge of the group, I will absolutely not allow this kind of behavior to happen again."

"If there are any more incidents of embezzling public funds, I will hand the matter directly over to the relevant authorities for investigation. I will show no mercy."

Nina Thorne’s words landed with powerful impact.

Everyone was inexplicably intimidated by the powerful aura she exuded. No one said a word.

She looked so gentle and mild, yet she possessed such a commanding presence.

The directors all nodded in response.

Albert Locke and Jay Jacobs watched this unfold, their eyes filled with admiration.

After the meeting, Nina Thorne asked Jay Jacobs to show Albert Locke around the company.

She had just stepped back into her office when Kevin Thorne and his mother swaggered in.

Her secretary couldn’t stop them and apologized fearfully.

Nina Thorne didn’t press the issue and gestured for her to leave.

"Are you ready to pay back the money?" Nina Thorne got straight to the point.

Kevin Thorne reluctantly took out a check and placed it on the desk in front of her.

"The fifty million is all here. I sold everything I could to scrape it all together. You’ve got nothing to say now, right?"

"Is that it?" Nina Thorne raised a cool eyebrow.

Kevin Thorne misinterpreted her, huffing out an apology. "I was wrong about this. I’m telling you I’m sorry. Is that enough for you?"

"Nina, don’t be so hard on your cousin Kevin. He’s just young, that’s why he was tricked into going to a place like that."

Mrs. Young’s words sounded like a plea, but her tone was that of a lecturing command.

"Just give him another chance and let him straighten himself out."

Nina Thorne understood. They still wanted to stay at the company.

She sneered. "What’s an apology worth? If you put this fifty million in a bank to collect interest, it would be enough to feed and clothe those workers for several years."

"What do you want?" Kevin Thorne asked impatiently.

Nina Thorne said mercilessly:

"Pay back the embezzled money, resign gracefully, and tell me everything you know.

I want to know everything you and Leighton Thorne did together. Otherwise, you can spend the rest of your life squatting in a cell."

She was shrewd and calm, her every word a calculated strike.

Last night, after reviewing the investigation materials, she discovered that Leighton Thorne had been in close contact with Apex for many years, and even Kevin Thorne was involved.

In other words, her father’s death might be connected to them...