Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 72: Cooperation?

The night was as black as ink, and the southern Riveria grew increasingly desolate with the onset of winter.

A black Maybach tore through the night, its engine’s low growl matching the suppressed fury of its owner inside.

Aidan Sterling gripped the steering wheel, veins bulging on the back of his hand, his taut jawline and bloodshot eyes reflected in the window.

Seeing that he had arrived at a Lakeside Villa, Aidan’s speed suddenly dropped. The tires screeched against the ground, finally halting in front of a villa with excellent concealment.

The villa was brightly lit, yet exuded a sense of cold desolation.

Aidan knocked on the door ring, and in a moment, a servant led him inside.

The living room was vast, decorated in a stark black, white, and gray style. Julian Sullivan, head of the Sullivan Family, was wearing a dark gray loungewear, sitting on the sofa sipping tea alone, the mist blurring the look in his eyes behind the glasses.

He seemed not at all surprised by Aidan’s arrival, even gesturing to the empty seat opposite him.

"President Sterling, what an honor to have you visit. A rare guest." Julian Sullivan’s voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

Aidan Sterling coldly surveyed Julian Sullivan, a sardonic curve tugging at his lips: "President Sullivan, you seem to have the leisure to drink tea at this moment? I guess the Innovatech pre-IPO momentum hasn’t yet burned to The Sullivan’s doorstep?"

Julian Sullivan’s hand holding the cup paused momentarily. He looked up, his gaze through the glasses landing on the evident fierceness on Aidan’s face.

"President Sterling, what you say." He calmly put down the teacup, "Innovatech’s glory is President Donovan’s ability. Our Sullivan, we’re just trying to make ends meet in peace."

"In peace?" Aidan sneered, taking a few steps to the sofa, leaning over, both hands on the coffee table, moving closer to Julian Sullivan, voice low, "Julian Sullivan, there’s no one else here, drop that pretense. When Shane Donovan stepped over your Sullivan family to climb up, why didn’t you talk to him about being at peace?"

Julian Sullivan’s expression remained unchanged, only his eyes deepened slightly.

Aidan stared at him, continuing to poke at his pain points: "I heard The Sullivan’s financial report last quarter wasn’t pretty? How did it feel when the key lab heads were poached by Innovatech with high salaries?"

"President Sterling is well-informed." Julian Sullivan finally stopped circling around, his body slightly leaning back against the sofa, putting some distance between him and Aidan, "So, you visit me in the dead of night to laugh at my misfortune?"

"Laugh at your misfortune?" Aidan straightened up, "I came to offer you a ladder."

"Oh?" Julian Sullivan raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"Shane Donovan is getting engaged." Aidan spat out the words, each like wrapped in ice shards, "To my sister."

The living room fell into dead silence.

Only the ticking of the wall clock’s second hand was distinctly audible.

The tranquility on Julian Sullivan’s face finally cracked slightly, surprise flashed before a deeper caution took over.

He picked up the teacup again, thumb gently stroking the warm cup wall, not speaking.

Seeing this, Aidan gave a cold laugh, "What? President Sullivan, are you scared? If the Donovan and Sterling families join forces, who do you think will be devoured to the bone next?"

Julian Sullivan raised his eyes, sharp as a knife, "Is President Sterling threatening me?"

"I’m stating facts." Aidan tugged at his lips, "Or are you willing to be oppressed by Shane Donovan for a lifetime, watching him reap fame and fortune, with a lovely wife in his arms, while your Sullivan family business becomes just an embellishment on Shane Donovan’s commercial map?"

These words were like a venomous snake striking Julian Sullivan’s most sensitive nerve.

His fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, knuckles whitish.

No one knows better than him the terrifying nature of Shane Donovan.

That young man possessed a ruthlessness beyond his age and an eerily accurate market acuity, in just a few years, he had disrupted the decades of accumulation of The Sullivan.

If the Donovan and Sterling families were truly united, Shane Donovan like a tiger with wings, The Sullivan might...

Julian Sullivan remained silent, the air seeming to freeze.

He needed to weigh, to gauge Aidan’s true intentions and the potential benefits and risks of cooperation.

Aidan did not push, he walked to the window, looking out at the deep night, rain slanting against the glass, trailing down like his currently dark and inscrutable thoughts.

He loathed this game of teaming up against a common enemy, especially when the counterpart was an old fox like Julian Sullivan.

But just thinking about Shane Donovan’s bottomless eyes possibly landing on Stella Sterling, the impulse to destroy everything nearly consumed his rationality.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed when Julian Sullivan finally spoke, his voice carrying a slight hoarseness burned by tobacco, "How does President Sterling intend to cooperate?"

Aidan turned swiftly, a bloodthirsty light surging in his eyes: "Simple, ruin this engagement."

Julian Sullivan chuckled lightly, with a touch of sarcasm, "Sounds easy. If President Sterling had a way, you wouldn’t have traveled all the way to Riveria to partner with me... unless..."

He raised an eyebrow, thinking of the rumors swirling all day today, "Public opinion?"

"Public opinion?" Aidan walked back to the sofa, sat down, long legs crossed, posture once again becoming languid, yet exuding deeper danger, "What if... it wasn’t just public opinion? What is Innovatech Bio most afraid of pre-IPO?"

Julian Sullivan’s eyes behind the glasses narrowed: "Data fraud? Core technology infringement? Safety incidents?"

He shook his head, "Shane Donovan is meticulous, it’s hard to find a breakthrough in these aspects."

"What can’t be done openly, do it covertly." Aidan leaned forward, lowering his voice further.

Julian Sullivan’s eyes flickered, instantly understanding Aidan’s intent.

But he didn’t answer immediately.

He was assessing, evaluating the risk of this matter, and...

The role Aidan was playing in this matter.

He didn’t believe Aidan was merely motivated by sibling affection. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"President Sterling’s animosity towards President Donovan seems to far exceed the scope of commercial competition?" Julian Sullivan probed.

Aidan’s face suddenly darkened, eyes briefly flashing with almost uncontrollable violence before it quickly vanished.

"...That’s not for you to know." He snuffed out the cigarette butt, glanced at him, "Will you cooperate?"

Julian Sullivan looked at him, understanding in his heart.

It seemed there’s a deeper, hidden enmity between Aidan Sterling and Shane Donovan.

Which, for him, was a good thing.

Indeed, there was risk, but the benefits...

If it meant severely damaging Innovatech, or even pulling Shane Donovan off his pedestal, that bit of risk was worth taking.

Silence extended in the living room, only the heavy breathing of the two men interwoven.

Finally, Julian Sullivan slowly stood up, walked to the liquor cabinet, and poured two glasses of red wine.

He handed one of the glasses to Aidan.

The clinking of glass produced a crisp sound.

Aidan tilted his head back, downing the fiery liquid in one go, the wine burning his throat but failing to quench the destructive fire in his heart.

Julian Sullivan looked at Aidan, his eyes behind the glasses gleaming with cold and calculating light.

A new game had begun.

"President Sterling, I’m all ears..."