Chapter 2707: A Scheme Within a Scheme

"What else have you done behind my back?!" Kieran Janus’s inner alarm bells went off as he glared at Sylvan Cheney.

"You’ll see it on the front page tomorrow morning." Sylvan Cheney’s lips curled faintly.

"Sylvan Cheney, you heartless bastard, biting the hand that fed you!"

"Fed me? Go on then, tell me—what exactly do I owe you for?"

"You’ll get what’s coming to you!" Kieran was furious, almost incoherent with rage.

Over the past year, if at the beginning he’d still been wary of Sylvan Cheney, later on he’d completely let down his guard around him, especially after Erin Janus got pregnant.

No matter how fierce the wolf is, once you lock him in a cage, sooner or later his claws and fangs get worn down.

That was exactly what Kieran thought.

But he never expected that right when Erin was about to give birth, Sylvan Cheney would hit him like this.

When he’d been vacationing on Phaket Island, he’d vaguely felt that something was off... but he hadn’t taken it to heart, because he’d always believed Sylvan Cheney no longer had any motive or reason to move against the Janus Family.

A man already second only to the very top, with ten thousand people beneath him—how could he be willing to give up all that glory and wealth?

But he was wrong, outrageously wrong.

For a whole year, Sylvan Cheney had never been under his control.

"You’re right, I will get what’s coming to me. But before my retribution arrives, I’m going to watch your Janus Family go down." Sylvan Cheney’s expression didn’t change; a calm light flickered in his eyes.

Kieran was shaking so hard his lips quivered; for a moment he couldn’t even get a word out.

He finally understood—Sylvan Cheney would rather be a tiger roaming the mountains than a pampered beast locked in a cage, living in comfort but restrained at every turn, even if the wilderness was full of danger and he could lose his life at any moment.

He had underestimated Sylvan Cheney and overestimated himself.

He’d set a trap for Sylvan, and Sylvan had gone along with it and laid a trap within the trap for him.

He’d thought he was the one moving the pieces, never imagining he’d become a pawn himself.

"Sylvan Cheney, all the construction materials were signed off by me and reviewed by designated experts. How did you manage to cut corners behind my back?" Kieran sucked in a sharp breath. "And how did you end up owing the bank that much money? I never signed any of those documents!"

"The entire project was under my command, and every single person on it was mine. If I want to do something, how hard do you think that is? At first I actually planned to leave you a way out—after all, I did owe your family some kindness. But later I realized you were... very disappointing." Sylvan Cheney smiled faintly. "As for the signatures... old James is getting on in years. Compared to you, he’s a lot easier to handle."

"You... I raised a wolf in my own house!"

Kieran had never imagined Sylvan would even make use of old James. The old man was so aged his speech was already slurred; of course he couldn’t resist Sylvan’s coaxing and manipulation.

On top of that, old James especially doted on Erin. As long as Erin said a few good words for Sylvan in front of him, the old man would soften immediately.

By the time Kieran caught on, there was no turning the situation around.

"My rule for dealing with people is simple: you force me one step, I’ll yield three. But if you keep hounding me, don’t blame me when you’re shattered into pieces." Sylvan Cheney looked at him coldly, his face frosty, jawline taut, a dark gleam in his eyes, waves surging underneath.

"Lunatic!" Kieran cursed. "Fine, Sylvan Cheney—you’re ruthless, truly ruthless."

The two men stood face-to-face, gunpowder thick in the air, a spark away from igniting.

The air pressure felt low; the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.