Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 563

Alicia sat back in her seat.

She was subtly reminding Heath that destroying White Corporation just to appease a man like Brandon would be a Pyrrhic victory. Even if he stalled until all of White Corporation's projects defaulted and crippled them, could his own family really escape the fallout unscathed?

If White Corporation went under, setting aside any breach of contract penalties, the sheer weight of public opinion in their business circles would be enough to drown him.

Cutting off a long-term partner out of nowhere and halting building supplies would severely damage Heath's hard-earned reputation.

Anyone looking to do business with him in the future would think twice.

It was a domino effect.

Heath sat with a dark, brooding expression, remaining silent.

“She makes a fair point, Heath. There are no winners in this kind of scorched-earth competition. Besides, you don't really know Alicia. She is absolutely nothing like the rumors you've heard,” Micah chimed in at the perfect moment to back Alicia up.

Heath nodded and took a solitary sip of his wine.

“Heath, it hasn't been easy for the poor girl. I've heard about what she's been through,” Mrs. Chamberlain sighed, squeezing her husband's hand. She was a soft-hearted woman. “Don't make things any harder for her.”

Mrs. Chamberlain was a kind soul. Jade used to exploit that kindness, but this time, she genuinely wanted Mrs. Chamberlain to help Alicia.

The evening wore on.

Heath ended up staying for the entire dinner without making an early exit.

That alone spoke volumes about his shifting attitude.

Alicia knew he would launch a private investigation into Brandon and Jade after this.

Once he confirmed Brandon had tried to have his own daughter killed, the rift between him and Brandon would be permanent.

“I have a small apartment on Janeway Road. If you don't have anywhere else to go, you can stay there for a while,” Alicia said calmly, meeting Jade's gaze.

Jade felt a sudden lump in her throat. Alicia had clearly seen right through her desperate situation.

“I just took over the company, and there's a mountain of administrative work and partnerships requiring my attention. I honestly don't have the bandwidth to handle Heath Chamberlain right now. If you're willing, come back to White Corporation. You can start as a mid-level employee in the architectural design department. You already know the salary structure,” Alicia offered.

Many people had warned her not to invite a wolf into her home, but Jade's current circumstances meant she posed zero threat. So, out of respect for her grandfather's memory, Alicia chose to give her a chance.

Jade's breath hitched. She used to be the top executive of the architectural design department, and now she was being asked to start from the middle... If this were the old days, Jade would have been convinced Alicia was deliberately humiliating her. But now, Jade didn't see it that way. She knew Alicia wasn't just giving her a job—she was giving her a chance to climb back up on her own merit and silence the gossip.

In that moment, Jade felt a crushing wave of shame for the person she used to be. It was astonishing how the exact same situation could be interpreted so differently depending on one's mindset.

Why had she always treated Alicia as an enemy, instinctively assuming the worst about her every move?