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    I had known about Grayson’s capabilities since I saw hus tile He had received specialised training but


    As had rified that I couldn’t reveal any of Grayson’s information


    Publicly, Grayson was portrayed as a high achieving student from a prestigious school, the only child of


    an average family in Fonwood. That was the extent of his reputations


    I did feel uneasy using Grayson to investigate the Pierce family when As had assigned him to me


    Mostpanies tended to slow down from Christmas instil New Year’s Day. However, All Empire


    caught us off guard. They insisted on starting work immediately on projects that were supposed to


    begin after the New Year. They even shortened the timelines


    It was unreasonable given the uing New Year holiday, which typically disrupts work for 20 days.


    They showed no leniency, citing that properties were already sold and new owners were eager to move


    in


    Meanwhile, the Echelon Group project remained ongoing and couldn’t be paused.


    I called As, who was abroad, but didn’t tell him about my concerns. Instead, I approached Nick, who


    also seemed troubled by the situation. Though he didn’t say much. I understood his concem There was


    no room for negotiation.


    Ryan tried to find a solution, and Grayson talked to various external resources However, we hit glead


    ends.


    Nevertheless, time waits for no one. The New Year was fast approaching After the holiday, business


    would slow down everywhere.


    On top of that, starting work at this time meant I had to advance the workers paychecks. It was risky


    since the workers might not return on time after the holiday.


    ATL Empire seemed ruthless. Sometimes, I questioned why I had to push myself so hard. Couldn’t I


    enjoy a peaceful and uplicated life?


    However, dwelling on such thoughts was useless. It felt like I was being forced into a corner with no


    way


    out.


    Just when I felt overwhelmed, Atticus extended an unexpected helping hand.


    One day, I received a call from him inviting me to meet. It felt somewhat peculiar. Aside from our


    coboration on the duplexes, I had no further dealings with him and no intention of working together


    again


    1 feared that Echelon Group might be another ATL Empire. If that happened, I would be caught in


    a crossfire. I couldn’t betray Ryan.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    These people were truly something else. They traveled so far just to discuss something. Like myst


    meeting with Celine, I wouldn’t have been taken advantage of If the meeting wasn’t so far away. I still


    didn’t know who wanted me gone.


    So I brought Grayson this time. He was already there when I arrived at the club.


    Upon seeing us enter, Atticus politely gestured for me to sit down. He poured a cup of tea and got


    straight to the point.


    “I heard you’ve been facing difficulties with your projects recently?”


    I smiled and didn’t attempt to hide anything. If he could directly address the issue, he must have known


    already, Pretending otherwise would onlyplicate matters.


    I didn’t sugarcoat it. “Yes. The timelines have been squeezed too tightly, and with the uing holiday,


    there’ll be a shortage of workers for a while. The early stages are still unstable, so it’s proving


    challenging.”


    He fell silent and gestured for me to drink the tea. Then he said, “I can lend you Echelon Group’s


    construction team, and you can handle the wages.”


    I nearly choked on the tea.


    This was indeed a lifesaver. It came so effortlessly. Someone was rushing to clear obstacles for me.


    Naturally, I looked at the man before me in astonishment.


    Perhaps my expression was too exaggerated, but he looked at me with a faint smile. “What’s wrong?


    You don’t trust me?”


    “N–No!” I quickly waved my hand. “The thing is, what about your project?”


    He gave a confident, casual smile. Reclining on the sofa, he said, “I recently bought a plot near the city.


    and the nning is underway. This project will keep me busy for the next two years, so I’m clearing the


    way. It’s my top priority for the year.”


    He looked at me with a gleam in his eyes.


    “I will not be working on any other projects in the meantime. The initial stages of the project will be


    wrapped up after the New Year, providing a period for reorganization. You can manage it. It also allows


    me to use your help to care for my people. It’s a win–win situation!”


    Atticus spoke casually, but I sensed this matter wasn’t so simple.