Chapter 172

Howard tightened his grip on the phone, a thousand words caught in his throat. In the end, he swallowed them and slipped the phone back into his jacket, the vibration still buzzing against his pocket. Right then, a woman brushed past the table, the chain on her bag catching the wine bottle and tipping it off balance. It wobbled for a moment before crashing to the floor, red wine spilling across the tiles. "Oops! Mr. Larson, I'm so sorry! Waiter!" The woman hurried off to find someone to clean it up. The splash brought Megan back to that business trip to Jucine when they drank together at the hot-spring hotel. "Howie, what if they make us drink? I don't even know my limit," Megan said. They were set to meet a business partner in three days. He was known for his heavy drinking. Howard smiled and said, "Relax, you don't need to drink." Back then, Larson Group was still in the middle of its pivot. Even though the Larson Group was a powerhouse in Acreport, it was still struggling t