Chapter 878
Andrew said, "I didn’t call your bluff without reason. From the very beginning, I knew you were faking it.”
Tiana’s expression darkened. She hated when people saw through her, especially someone younger than her. If Andrew could see past her deception, did that mean he was smarter than she was?
With a chilling smile, she replied, “Oh? Then, by all means, enlighten me. But I suggest you don’t try to make something up just to smooth things over.”
There was amusement in her tone, but her eyes were ice-cold. Andrew shook his head, looking unimpressed. “First of all, you knew the tea was poisoned, which is why you never took a single sip. No–actually, to be more precise, you wouldn’t have touched anything in this conference room, poisoned or not.
“You were already on guard the moment Bane showed up because you knew that snake was always playing dirty. You were ready for him at every turn, weren’t you?”
Tiana let out a low huff. “Fine. I’ll give you that. The second I realized Bane was by Michael’s side, I knew he’d try to poison me at some point.”
She paused for a moment before pressing further. “But even if I didn’t drink the tea, the colorless fragrance in the room had already spread into the air.
"There was no way I wouldn’t have inhaled it. So tell me, Andrew–how could you be so sure I wasn’t poisoned?” The others shared the same question, turning to Andrew in curiosity.
Tiana was human, and she obviously needed to breathe. Hence, she would have surely inhaled the poison, but—there was no way around it.
By all logic, she should have been poisoned like everyone else.
Andrew shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out. After all, I didn’t get poisoned; Mrs. Rhodes didn’t get poisoned. And Michael and Bane? They didn’t get poisoned either. That only left one possibility—Michael and Bane had already taken an antidote beforehand.”
He continued, “And as for Mrs. Rhodes—someone as cautious as you would’ve taken precautions. Whether it was an advanced detoxifying pill or some kind of immunity booster, you would have prepared for this moment.”
Lauren’s eyes widened as realization hit her. “That actually makes perfect sense!”
The others quickly nodded in agreement. It was clear now—Tiana had been prepared all along.
Andrew met Tiana’s sharp gaze and continued, ignoring the storm brewing in her expression.
“Today was a pivotal moment in deciding who would take control of Rhodes Corporation. Given your nature, do you really expect me to believe you didn’t prepare for the unexpected? Come on. Maybe the others believe that, but I sure as hell don’t.”
Tiana let out a low, dangerous chuckle. She was furious—but at the same time, she had to admit, she was impressed.
“Alright, I’ll give you credit where it’s due. You really did see right through me.”
“But do you know what I hate the most?” she asked, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “People who aren’t under my control knowing too much.”
Andrew raised a brow. “So what? Are you planning to get rid of me now? Just toss me aside like a tool you no longer need?”
Tiana scoffed. “Andrew, you saw what I’m capable of. Bane was a ruthless killer, and I took him down with one hand. You, on the other hand—”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’ve never played by my rules. You refuse to be controlled by me. So tell me, wouldn’t it only be natural for me to take you down next?”
The second those words left her lips, Lauren and Marcus’ expressions drastically changed. Even the others looked unsettled, their gazes darting between Andrew and Tiana.
They wondered if she was really going to go that far.