True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

Horace abruptly ended his call and turned to Clifford, saying. “Mr. Bryant, something’s come up that I need to take care of. Someone else should handle today’s briefing.” 

After that, he tossed the laser pointer to someone nearby and left the conference room. 

Clifford’s face darkened in an instant, and he called out sharply. 

“Hold it right there! Who said you could just up and leave in the middle of a meeting? During business hours, you…” 

Before Clifford could finish his reprimand, Horace cocked his head and replied indifferently. 

“Winnie’s been taken to the precinct. I’m going to pick her up.” 

His words lodged Clifford’s impending lecture in his throat. 

He stood briskly from his chair the next second, his face stern as he announced, “Meeting adjourned for today.” 

Then he strode toward Horace. “I’m coming with you. 

The others in the conference room were confused. 

Instinctively, they glanced at Terrell, the vice president, who was also halfway out of his seat. Terrell cleared his throat and stood up with composure, “Well then, let’s adjourn for now.” 

Winnie had just finished giving her statement at the precinct and was waiting for Catherine and Georgina when car engines came from outside. 

Everyone turned to look as several luxury cars pulled up at the front. 

The car doors opened, and several stern–faced men in suits got out, the two leading the pack. having a powerful presence. 

They marched into the precinct with urgency 

The precinct captain came out upon hearing the commotion and was stunned at the sight of 

the newcomers. 

“Mr. Bryant, what brings you here all of a sudden? Is there a problem?” 

Clifford and Horace were leading, followed by the corporate legal team. The scene suggested that the president of the Bright Group had to intervene, indicating something serious. 

The precinct captain quickly reviewed any recent cases involving the Bryant family in his mind. 

But there were no leads, no clue at all. 

“I’m here for…” Clifford was about to speak when Winnie’s voice, tinged with surprise, called out from inside. 

TELL 

“Dad? Horace?” 

Even Winnie herself was a bit stunned. 

But upon seeing her, Clifford’s eyes flickered briefly before he quickly approached. 

Horace was just as swift, and within a few steps, they were by Winnie’s side. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Did anyone give you a hard time?” 

Both asked simultaneously, undisguised concern in their eyes. 

Winnie felt a soft warmth in her heart and shook her head obediently. “I’m fine.” 

“What on earth happened? How did you end up at the precinct?” Clifford asked. 

Noticing their concern, the precinct captain figured this young lady must be part of the Bryant family and gestured to an officer for an explanation. 

Winnie said, “Ran into some thugs. I came to give a statement.” 

Thugs! Clifford and Horace’s expressions instantly narrowed with dangerous intent. 

Some lowlifes dared to mess with their Winnie! 

The precinct captain became immediately serious. 

“Outrageous! I can’t believe such a thing has happened in my jurisdiction. Ms. Bryant, don’t worry. We’ll deal with those thugs with the utmost severity.” 

Winnie looked at the precinct captain. “I appreciate that. After all, those acted under orders, and there might be retaliation.” 

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After hearing the possibility of retaliation, Clifford’s face darkened further. 

“What exactly happened?” 

At that moment, a junior officer brought over the case file, and the precinct captain asked him to explain. 

The officer quickly summarized the incident. 

It was mainly about Catherine suing Hans, and the Quentin family paid thugs to threaten the other party to drop the case, not expecting Winnie to get caught in the middle. 

The precinct captain realized it was the underage bullying case that had been blowing up online and frowned. The victim, Catherine, was in his district, and after the case escalated, he had instructed his officers to keep a close watch on her family, not expecting the Quentin family to dare send goons. 

“The Quentin family?” 

While the captain focused on the Quentin family, Clifford was more concerned that they had. 

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indirectly threatened his daughter. 

Horace knew more about the Quentin family and Catherine’s case because he had hired the lawyers for Springer and Winnie. 

If the Bryant family would take up someone else’s cause, Horace wouldn’t stop them. 

He had thought the presence of the Bryant family’s legal team would defer the Quentin family. but they seemed to have no reservations, even daring to hire thugs with the intent to harm… 

That left the Bryant family no choice but to stop playing nice. 

The Quentin family was probably too idle, picking on a young girl. It was time to give them something to worry about. 

The Quentin family likely never imagined their hired thugs would fail to intimidate their target. and draw the ire of another power. 

Winnie saw Catherine safely home. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

She tried to bring Ghost Baby to bid farewell to Catherine, who had seen it for the first time. The tiny creature was about the size of Catherine’s palm. 

But when it dawned on her that it was her newly formed child, her eyes immediately brimmed 

with tears. 

Ghost Baby couldn’t speak but could feel the bond of kinship. When Winnie released it, the little one floated over to Catherine on stubby legs, nuzzling her cheek with its tiny head. 

With the shroud of malice lifted, one could see the visible joy on the child’s face. 

Catherine carefully tried to cradle the Ghost Baby before her, feeling its attachment. Tears slid uncontrollably down her cheeks. 

She had once despised the existence of this child and even felt relief at its absence, but that was all from her hatred for Hans. 

Toward the child, she always felt a sense of guilt. 

“Winnie, thank you. Thanks for bringing it to see me.” 

Winnie watched her and said, “It was an unformed soul, nourished by the resentments in the old schoolhouse, and became the Ghost Baby. Although those resentments are gone, their fixation on you still exists. I’m afraid it will be difficult to guide it into reincarnation.” 

That was something Winnie realized only after seeing its ginseng doll–like form. 

A typical spirit of an infant would at least have a formed appearance. 

was 

But this one only the size of a palm, and with its fixation on its mother, forcing it into reincarnation could provoke its resistance. 

Catherine’s feelings for the child were complex, but she couldn’t bear the thought of it being 

unable to move on. 

“What can we do then?” 

“If you want, you could keep it by your side as a guardian spirit. With proper offerings and guidance, it could stay with you and might bring you good fortune.” 

Catherine was visibly shocked by Winnie’s suggestion. 

As if having understood, the Ghost Baby spun around happily and cuddled up to Catherine again. 

Seeing Catherine’s silence, Winnie pursed her lips and added, “There is a second option. That is to sever the blood tie between you two forcefully. If it can let go of its attachment to you, it can enter the cycle of reincarnation smoothly.” 

Catherine was faced with two choices and it was up to her to decide which path to follow.