Chapter 152

Madeleine bent down to pick up the chopsticks. She'd been tense for a while, but didn't say anything. After a beat, she finally muttered, "Not… not good." Beckett stood up and grabbed a fresh pair of chopsticks for her. "Don't overthink it." She didn't say it was impossible—just not a good idea. "Mr. Beach, don't go head-to-head with Alex. He runs Mountain Construction, and the partnership between their company and ours is massive. If things go south, both companies could take a hit," Madeleine said quietly. She knew Beckett understood that better than she did. Still, she had to speak up. Beckett didn't respond. He was weighing the pros and cons in his head. Of course, corporate interests came first. And with the tight spot he was in, that held even more weight. The hard part was choosing what mattered more. He never thought of himself as the emotional type. People had always said he was too rational—cold, even. But lately… he didn't quite recognize himself anymore. Madeleine slurped s