Sylvie glanced in surprise at the young assistant standing before her.

Almost immediately, her cold, sharp stare landed on Elodie. Clearly, this little assistant wouldn’t have dared speak to her like that without Elodie’s tacit approval. How amusing, Sylvie thought.

Elodie’s wariness was barely concealed. The only reason she’d managed to acquire Nexus Analytics was by riding Sylvie’s coattails, and yet she was already putting on airs.

“So this is the kind of person Ms. Thorne cultivates-doesn’t even bother with basic manners toward a guest.” Sylvie’s lips curled in a wry smile. Her tone was calm, almost dismissive; a mere assistant wasn’t worth her irritation.

Elodie didn’t even look up, methodically gathering the reports she’d been reviewing.

Candida’s polite smile didn’t waver. “Ms. Fielding, if you want an explanation from Ms. Thorne, perhaps you should make an appointment first. Who knows, if she agrees, your little intrusion today might not count as a breach of etiquette.”

Sylvie’s expression hardened. She decided there was no point wasting words on Elodie and Candida. Instead, she turned to Jason. “Jason, why don’t you speak with me?”

Jason’s heart skipped a beat. What was he supposed to do in this situation? He glanced nervously at Elodie, but aware of Sylvie’s connection to Mr. Silverstein, he forced a polite smile. “President Fielding, with Ms. Thorne here, I really can’t overstep my bounds.”

Sylvie frowned.

Elodie finished her task before finally looking up. “If you have something to say, please say it.”

Sylvie turned to face her, recognizing Elodie’s bureaucratic posture. But she had no choice—she needed to resolve this today. The recent partnership between Neural Intelligence and Nexus Analytics meant that, even with new management, all the contracts, resources, funding, and connections had to transition to Elodie’s side. There was still a mountain of paperwork to sign.

Coming here wasn’t her first choice, but with Neural Intelligence in chaos lately, she had to stabilize the situation somehow.

She didn’t hesitate any longer. Sylvie prided herself on not mixing personal grievances with business. A competent executive, after all, does what needs to be done.

She reached into her bag, pulled out the contracts awaiting signature, and handed them to Elodie. Her voice was cool and businesslike. “Here are the agreements I worked out with Jarrod. Please review them and process them as soon as possible.”

Elodie barely glanced at the documents before responding, her tone steady and efficient. “Since you’re here, let’s get straight to it. We need to discuss the termination of our partnership.”

Sylvie’s eyes widened, shock flickering across her face as she looked up at Elodie. Had she heard that right?

Elodie ignored her reaction. Candida, anticipating the moment, handed over a termination agreement she’d prepared in advance. Elodie flipped through it, then spoke. “Please sign here, Ms. Fielding. Effective

immediately, there will be no further cooperation between Neural

Intelligence and Nexus Analytics.”

Sylvie’s face turned ashen, icy disbelief in her eyes. “Elodie, what is this supposed

to mean?”

Elodie met her gaze without

flinching. “Do you need a reminder? Nexus Analytics is under my name now. Whatever special exceptions Jarrod made for you in the past have nothing to do with me. And as for Neural Intelligence’s

infringement issues with VistaLink Technologies, that’s a conflict with Nexus Analytics as well. You and your company have violated our interests. That makes you the party in breach.”

Sylvie’s lips tightened, her grip on the contract sheets unconsciously growing tense.

She hadn’t expected this. Elodie had been waiting here just to ambush her-and at the worst possible moment.

Even Jason was stunned. Ms. Thorne’s decisiveness was ruthless. Sure, Jarrod had bent the rules for Sylvie in the past, but she was still Mr. Silverstein’s girlfriend. And there was almost three million outstanding between Nexus Analytics and Neural Intelligence. Ms. Thorne had gone straight for the jugular.

He glanced uneasily between the two women. There was an undercurrent between them, something beyond the recent disputes with VistaLink Technologies. The tension felt personal, especially given the way Ms. Fielding and Ms. Thorne faced off.

“Elodie, ever heard of cooperation?” Sylvie snapped, her temper finally flaring.

She was drowning in messes lately. With the rollout of the new system, nearly every partner was pulling out, and the penalties Neural Intelligence owed to various companies had already hit over two and a half million. For the first time, Sylvie truly understood the burden of running a company. Her last hope had been that Nexus Analytics could offer her some breathing room-a lifeline, however brief.