Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Does President Grant Know What Kind of Relationship He Has with the Wife He Keeps Mentioning?

The awkward tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

While the others considered Joanna Sherman dispensable, they hadn’t actually planned on kicking her off the project. What they feared more was Sophia Shaw quitting.

After offending Sophia Shaw last time, they’d had to swallow their pride and grovel, even forcing Representative Jacobs to intervene just to get Lead Aerospace to reluctantly agree.

They didn’t dare risk it again.

With Sophia Shaw remaining silent, Representative Jacobs had no choice but to clear his throat. "Why don’t both sides take a step back?"

"Zenith is willing to give up the position of overall project lead and offer Lead Aerospace additional financial compensation," Vincent Grant stated.

A silent, humorless smile touched Sophia Shaw’s lips.

’To protect Joanna Sherman, Vincent Grant—a man known for his ruthlessness in business—was conceding time and time again.’

Levin Sawyer scoffed. "And what’s to be done about this? Having Miss Sherman here will affect my Faye’s mood."

The message was loud and clear: Lead Aerospace didn’t give a damn about Zenith’s money.

Levin Sawyer deliberately leaned closer to Sophia Shaw, his gaze softening. "President Grant may dote on Miss Sherman, but Faye here isn’t unloved or uncared for. Work is tiring enough as it is. If I were to let her mood be ruined on top of that, I’d be a terrible boss."

Though he referred to himself as her boss, the way he looked at Sophia Shaw was the way a man looks at a woman.

Vincent Grant’s fingers, resting on the table, silently tightened into a fist. His brow darkened. Even without looking up, Sophia Shaw could feel his scorching gaze bearing down on her.

"Chief Engineer Shaw, may I have a word with you in private?" Vincent Grant’s voice was calm and even, its low, magnetic tone perfectly showcasing the composure expected of a top-tier businessman.

Levin Sawyer watched Vincent Grant’s performance and sneered internally.

’On one hand, he’s unconditionally protecting Joanna Sherman. On the other, he can’t stand another man paying attention to the "wife" he’s neglected for so long.’

’He wants to have his cake and eat it too.’

’Fucking hypocrite!’

The more Vincent Grant acted this way, the more Levin Sawyer wanted to get under his skin.

He spoke up again. "My apologies, President Grant. My Faye is kind and soft-hearted; she’s easily taken advantage of. A private conversation won’t be necessary. Whatever you have to say, say it here, on the table."

Levin Sawyer shielded Sophia Shaw completely, and with Sophia herself refusing to take a stance, the situation reached a stalemate.

"Chief Engineer Shaw, President Grant has already stripped me of my title. He’s only letting me shadow you, to be an invisible nobody. Isn’t that enough?" Joanna Sherman asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I’m already a failure in your eyes. Why must you be so ruthless as to drive me to complete ruin?"

Tears shimmered in her proud eyes, making her look like a delicate white flower, battered by the rain yet still standing tall—an image both righteous and pitiful.

’But her words were utterly shameless!’

Sophia Shaw watched her silently. "Miss Sherman, every word you speak is laced with resentment towards me, as if I’m the reason you’re being treated this way. If that’s how it is, then there’s nothing more to discuss!"

With that, she stood and headed for the door.

The room erupted in a panic as several people rushed to block her path.

Mr. Owen, President Morgan, and President Reed looked like they were about to fall to their knees. "Chief Engineer Shaw, we’re begging you, please don’t leave! If you walk out now, the project is doomed! Our companies will be ruined!"

"If these major companies go under because of us, we’ll be condemned for all time! Please, be merciful! Be the bigger person and don’t hold this against us!"

Joanna Sherman was stunned. She never expected that Sophia Shaw, who had been quiet the entire time, would storm out after just one sentence from her.

Worse, Mr. Owen’s plea to "be the bigger person" implicitly branded her as the petty one, grinding her face into the dirt.

Levin Sawyer stood up as well, making it clear that if Sophia Shaw left, he would follow.

His eyes landed on Joanna Sherman, a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. "Lead Chief Engineer Sherman, you’re truly one of a kind!"

"You lacked basic competence, missed critical data, and caused a satellite launch to fail, dragging a whole team down with you. To this day, Elder Hawthorne and the other senior advisors who consulted for you are too ashamed to show their faces."

"Anyone else would have been too ashamed to go on living. They would have committed hara-kiri to atone for their failure."

"But here you are, acting all self-righteous and turning around to blame my Faye for ’bullying’ you."

Levin Sawyer’s words were brutally direct, offering no cover. He had completely exposed her in front of everyone.

The forced semblance of peace was shattered. Levin Sawyer had effectively branded Joanna Sherman’s forehead with a single, glaring word: INCOMPETENT!

Her pride lay shattered in pieces.

Joanna Sherman’s face was ghostly pale. She tried to clench her fists, but her fingers wouldn’t obey, trembling uncontrollably.

Levin Sawyer’s words had perfectly articulated what the other executives were thinking. The three of them—Mr. Owen, President Morgan, and President Reed—nodded in agreement.

’He’s absolutely right.’

’Finally, someone is willing to say what needed to be said!’

"As the head of Zenith, I bear the primary responsibility." Vincent Grant, who had been silent, finally stood up, shouldering all the blame. "I apologize to everyone here, and I apologize to Chief Engineer Shaw."

"Even now, President Grant can’t bear to see his dear Miss Sherman suffer the slightest injustice, can he?" Far from being impressed by Vincent Grant’s apology, the sarcasm on Levin Sawyer’s face only deepened.

"If you’re that devoted to her, you should marry her, take her home, and put her on a pedestal. Don’t let her out here to wreak havoc on the rest of us!"

He didn’t have to be so nasty, but Levin Sawyer truly felt Sophia Shaw was getting a raw deal.

’She had given so much, only to be met with his complete neglect!’

’Yet Joanna Sherman makes mistake after mistake, and he stands by her, loyal to a fault!’

Vincent Grant already felt a sense of responsibility. Besides, Joanna Sherman was one of Zenith’s own; he couldn’t just stand by and watch her be humiliated. But Levin Sawyer had insisted on saying such vile things, and Vincent’s face instantly turned blacker than ink.

"Chief Engineer Sherman is under my command. As her direct supervisor, it is my duty to take responsibility for her management," he responded coldly.

"Also, I, Vincent Grant, am a married man. President Sawyer, I suggest you refrain from making such comments in the future!"

"Wife?" The sneer on Levin Sawyer’s lips was dazzling in its contempt.

"President Grant, you keep bringing up your ’wife.’ Anyone who didn’t know the situation might actually think you’re deeply in love with her."

"But from what I hear, the rumor mill says that you and Miss Sherman here are the ones who are deeply in love and on the verge of tying the knot."

"If I were your wife, I’d give you a few good slaps across the face before leaving you in the dust!"

"Oh, and by the way, have you even asked this ’wife’ of yours what she considers your relationship to be right now?"

Vincent Grant’s cheek twitched almost instinctively, his gaze falling heavily on Sophia Shaw.

’The memory of her slapping him was still fresh.’

But this wasn’t the time or place for personal affairs. Though Vincent Grant found Levin Sawyer’s words odd, he had no intention of pursuing it further. He simply said, "This is not the place to discuss private matters."

"Chief Engineer Shaw, Joanna is indeed immature. That’s why I was hoping you could mentor her. What will it take for you to agree to let her stay?"

"That’s right, Chief Engineer Shaw. Name your price. President Grant will surely agree," Mr. Owen chimed in.

The three executives wiped sweat from their brows, sighing in relief. ’As expected of a man of his stature,’ they thought, ’so much more reliable.’

’The resentment in their hearts began to subside.’

Fearing the situation might deteriorate again, Representative Jacobs quickly joined in. "Chief Engineer Shaw, President Sawyer, perhaps you could propose some other condition?"

"Faye, shall we do Representative Jacobs a favor?" Levin Sawyer asked pointedly.

’The implication was clear: in his eyes, President Grant wasn’t worth a damn.’