Chapter 282: The Power Dynamics

Zachary chuckled and leaned back against the sofa, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked completely relaxed despite the seriousness of the topic.

"My foolish brother asked me to betray you."

Scott immediately covered his mouth, trying to hold back his laughter.

"He would have realized how ridiculous that sounds if he knew the truth," Scott said, slightly giggling, and his voice filled with amusement.

Ethan also chuckled but said nothing. He just shook his head, clearly amused by William Sterling asking Zachary to harm his own company. ’How foolish!’

Kevin, however, remained confident. He looked at Zachary and smiled. "Well, man, I told you before that we’ll definitely get the project."

His confidence was exactly what Zachary needed to hear. A small sense of relief settled inside him as he leaned back more comfortably.

Zachary had never wanted to control Sterling Group. He had no interest in taking over the company or fighting with his brothers for power.

What he couldn’t accept was the possibility that William might gain complete control and then use that position to pressure the other family into following his decisions.

He would not allow that to happen.

If William eventually became too powerful within the Sterling Group, the power dynamics between the brothers would change, and Zachary knew exactly how difficult that could become.

William had already shown that he was willing to make major decisions without consulting the rest of the family, and Zachary had no reason to believe that William would be more considerate about it if he gained even more control.

That was why Zachary needed to make sure Sterling Tech lost the Norvayne military project. He needed them to lose it badly enough that William could no longer use Riley’s position as proof that his son was ready to lead.

For Zachary, it was no longer simply about winning a business project.

It was about making sure William did not gain too much control over Sterling Group.

"Good! That’s what I wanted to hear from you, Kevin," Zachary said with relief.

Scott, who seemed eager to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable business discussion, immediately stepped in. "All right, let’s not talk about business now. It’s really unpleasant." He poured himself another glass of wine before turning toward Zachary and the others. "Let’s talk about something fun instead."

The others agreed with him. There was no reason to continue discussing business during Skylar’s birthday celebration, especially when they had already said enough.

The four friends soon returned to their usual conversation, laughing and smiling together as though the threat posed by William Sterling and the upcoming military project didn’t exist at all.

For them, the business conflict could wait. Right now, they simply wanted to enjoy their time together.

...

Meanwhile, inside the library, William and Riley remained seated on the sofa. The mood in the room was completely different from the cheerful atmosphere outside.

Both of them looked serious, and neither spoke even though several minutes had passed since Zachary had left.

William remained deep in thought, while Riley sat quietly across from him.

The conversation with Zachary had clearly affected both of them, but for different reasons. William was still thinking about the military project and the consequences of losing it, while Riley was trying to find a way to address the situation before it became a problem for his position as CEO of Sterling Tech.

After a while, Riley finally broke the silence. He cleared his throat softly before speaking cautiously.

"Father, regarding Kevin Richardson, you don’t have to worry about him. I have a plan to make sure we fail them."

William slowly looked at his son.

For a moment, disbelief was obvious in his eyes. After everything they had just discussed, he had not expected Riley to suddenly claim that he had a plan. Still, William had no choice but to hear him out.

"How?" he asked.

His voice remained serious, but his gaze showed a mix of disbelief and curiosity. He wanted to know what Riley could possibly have in mind.

Riley immediately began explaining his plan. Unlike his earlier uncertainty, he spoke fluently and confidently, laying out each part of his idea and explaining how he intended to use it to secure the project. He spoke without hesitation, clearly believing that the plan could work if they acted quickly.

William listened without interrupting.

Several minutes later, Riley finished explaining everything. William frowned as he considered what his son had said. He didn’t immediately respond because he was seriously weighing whether the plan was realistic and whether it would actually give Sterling Tech an advantage over Cresswell Group.

After a moment, his expression slowly changed. The frown disappeared, and the corners of his lips curved into a meaningful smile.

"That’s a great idea," William said. "But you have to make sure it works. If you execute the plan correctly and quickly, I’m one hundred percent sure you’ll win the project."

Riley’s smile widened immediately. The anger and nervousness he had been carrying since his conversation with Zachary seemed to disappear. Hearing his father’s approval restored his confidence, and the possibility of proving himself suddenly seemed much more achievable.

"I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly and without any mistakes," Riley said confidently.

"Well done, my son. Well done," William praised with a satisfied smile.

However, his smile slowly faded when another thought crossed his mind. His gaze returned to Riley, and his expression became serious again as he studied his son.

"Riley, you always ask why I often order you to be careful around your Uncle Zach."

Riley nodded.

He had wondered about that for a long time. He had never understood why his father was always so cautious around Zachary.

As far as Riley could tell, Zachary had never shown much ambition to take over Sterling Group. He was usually quiet and calm, rarely involving himself in family disputes or company matters unless asked.

Zachary was very different from his second uncle, Samuel, who was much more outspoken and often openly challenged his father’s policies. Yet, his father seemed more fearful of Zachary than anyone else.

"Why?" Riley asked curiously.