Chapter 222: Miles York Will Handle It

As soon as Miles York returned, Alice Cole hurriedly told him about Brooke’s idea.

“What did you say? Brooke actually wants to silence someone permanently?”

Miles was shocked. It was safe to say he wasn’t exactly a saint, but even he had never considered going to such extremes. For Brooke to come up with such a scheme… It seemed his instincts were right. This daughter of his no longer felt like his daughter at all.

“Yes. Brooke said that girl tracked her down and keeps demanding money, so she just…” Alice felt a knot in her stomach at the thought of Brooke acting this way.

Partly, her heart ached for her daughter. Ever since Brooke came home, she had faced nothing but setbacks and never truly enjoyed a good life. But she also wondered how Brooke had turned out like this. To actually harbor such dark thoughts… Alice Cole’s daughter shouldn’t be like this! Besides, Brooke hadn’t been like this when she first returned. Back then, she was so understanding and gentle.

“Here’s what we’ll do. Tell Brooke not to do anything foolish. Leave this matter to me,” Miles said.

“What are you going to do?” Alice wondered if Miles was stepping in because he feared Brooke would botch the job, meaning he intended to do the dirty work himself. But no matter what, Miles was the CEO of the York Group. He couldn’t afford to get his hands dirty!

“I was the one who found that college student in the first place. I negotiated with her, and she promised me she would take this secret to her grave. Now that she’s using it to threaten Brooke, it’s naturally my responsibility to resolve it.”

Hearing this, Alice realized Miles only planned to confront the girl, not resort to anything drastic.

“Alright then. Handle it carefully. I’ll go let Brooke know.”

Alice stood up and headed toward Brooke’s room, completely unaware that Brooke had already hired thugs to kidnap Sophie Lane and teach her a harsh lesson.

She might have been helpless in the past, but now she was the wealthy heiress of a prominent family. For someone to dare threaten her—they must have a death wish. Brooke was determined to use her own methods and money to put Sophie in her place.

“Just do exactly as I say. Money is not an issue,” Brooke spoke into her phone. “Yes, tie her up first. Call me when it’s done. I want to see her in person. We’ll decide what to do next once I get there.”

“Brooke.”

Startled by Alice calling out from the doorway, Brooke lowered her voice and hissed into the receiver, “Get it done as soon as possible. I have to go.”

She quickly hung up and opened the door to find Alice standing outside.

“Mom? Is something wrong?”

“I told your father about that girl—Sophie Lane, was it?—threatening you. Don’t worry, he said he’ll take care of it. Just stay out of it.”

Brooke hadn’t expected Miles to step in, especially since she was already handling it herself. Besides, relying on him was useless anyway. If his methods worked, would Sophie have dared to blackmail her in the first place? But she couldn’t let Alice know she had already hired people to deal with Sophie.

“I understand, Mom.”

“Oh, Brooke, you’ve been put through so much.” Alice gently stroked Brooke’s hair. Why couldn’t her daughter just enjoy the carefree life of a wealthy heiress for once?

“I’m fine, Mom. How could I feel wronged when you’re always on my side?” Brooke feigned a sensible, blissful smile. “I’m so lucky to have a mother like you.”

Alice was deeply moved. “That’s right. I will always be in your corner. So, if anything happens, you must tell me, okay?”

“I know, Mom.”

“Good. Get some rest now.”

Brooke nodded. She watched Alice walk away and shut the door. Her sweet, obedient smile instantly vanished, replaced by a dark, sinister expression.

“You only know how to say nice things. When it comes down to actual help, you’re utterly useless,” she muttered.

The next day, upon arriving at the office, Miles instructed his secretary, Keith Morgan, to contact the college student, Sophie Lane.

“Mr. York, is something the matter?” Keith asked.

After all, she was the one who had originally tracked Sophie down. Keith knew all about their illicit deal. Hadn’t they agreed that once the money was paid, they would cut all ties? Why was he suddenly reaching out to her again?

“She’s been a little foolish lately. She tracked down Brooke and threatened her.”

“What?” Keith was stunned.

She had meticulously selected this girl from countless candidates. Sophie had seemed completely innocent and honest. She shouldn’t have been capable of pulling something like this!

“What is it? Do you have something to say?” Miles asked, noticing Keith’s hesitant expression.

“Mr. York, I just don’t think Sophie is that kind of person.” Keith had, after all, interacted with her personally.

Hearing this, Miles chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “You’re still too young, Keith. There are some things you don’t understand yet.

“She might not have been that kind of person before, but people change. The moment they get a taste of real money, greed rears its ugly head. Or maybe her appetite was just whetted, and now it’s growing completely out of control.

“Giving her a million back then was what sparked that greed in the first place.

“Now that she sees how profitable our company is, she probably thinks a million was a lowball offer and wants another piece of the pie.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. York. It’s my fault for picking the wrong person.”

Keith’s apology was sincere. She had joined the York Group right out of college, starting at the very bottom as a secretarial assistant. When she first met Miles, a middle-aged male executive, she had worried about the unspoken rules of the corporate world and being subjected to unwanted advances.

But as time went on, she realized her boss’s mind was consumed entirely by the company. To him, the York Group was the only thing that mattered. He never fooled around. Despite her youth and position, there had never been a single whisper of office gossip about them. Later, when the head secretary went on maternity leave, Keith was promoted directly from secretarial assistant to executive secretary.

The workload was heavier, but the benefits were vastly superior, and Miles often handed out generous bonuses. She knew she was working for the right boss. Because of that, she was more than willing to run personal errands for him on the side. She never complained about unpaid overtime or refused a task simply because it wasn’t strictly company business. Yet now, she felt deeply guilty. Her failure to handle this matter perfectly had brought unnecessary trouble to Miles.

“Don’t blame yourself. No matter who you chose, the result would have been roughly the same.” Miles seemed completely unfazed. He knew very few people were immune to greed. Practically no one could resist the temptation of getting rich without putting in the work.

Furthermore, they were the ones terrified of exposure. If the scandal broke, the public would only point fingers at the Yorks. They would take the brunt of the fallout, not Sophie. In fact, she might even benefit from it. If she flipped the script and claimed the rich family coerced her, she could probably walk away unscathed and even return to her studies.

“Just contact her and set up a meeting place. Also, prep another million.”

“Understood.”

“Go on, get back to work.”

Keith nodded, turned on her heel, and walked out of the office.