Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

Others may not know Carson's background, but Hope knows it all.

Mitchell Carson is a complete Hydra!

Darren did not hide Carson's identity from Hope because he trusted her completely.

This trust stemmed from a betrayal many years ago.

Previously, Hope had a fierce conflict with her father, Hank Pym, because of the disappearance of her mother, Janet.

She resented her father's concealment and his stubbornness.

Driven by anger, she cast the crucial vote in favor at the board meeting, helping Darren oust Hank Pym from the company he founded.

Darren believed that Hope was on the same page as him, both aiming to push Pym Technology to new heights.

But Darren was wrong.

Hope kicked her father out of the company simply because it was her way of venting her anger at the time.

But she would never allow the technology of Pym Particles to fall into the hands of a terrorist organization like Hydra, and she would never allow Darren to use this technology to create weapons of mass destruction.

Today, she once again asked her father, Hank Pym, to give her the Ant-Man suit.

She had received rigorous intelligence training, knew Darren's security system better than anyone, and was fully capable of infiltrating it and destroying all the research data.

But the stubborn old man rejected her once again.

"That's too dangerous," the old man said. "I've already found the right person."

Recalling her father's uncompromising tone, Hope slammed her fist on the desk in anger.

"Who could be more suitable than me?!"

Hope's heart was filled with resentment and discontent.

It wasn't just because of her mother's disappearance years ago, but also because of her father's distrust of her.

Her father was wary of her from the beginning, preferring to trust a so-called suitable person rather than let her access any of the core secrets of the Pym Particles and the Ant-Man suit.

"Knock knock".

There was a gentle knock on the office door.

Hope's personal assistant pushed open the door, looking somewhat agitated.

"Chairman Dane, we have just received a very unexpected meeting request."

Hope turned around, rubbing her tired temples. "My schedule is full this afternoon. Tell them, whatever the venture capital firm is, to postpone it until next week."

"But Chairman..." the assistant emphasized, "it's the Starr Group."

"Who did you say?" Hope asked, looking surprised.

"Mr. Daniel Wu, Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Investments at Starr Group, has arrived in San Francisco and would like to have a private meeting with you in an hour."

The Stahl Group, the parent company of Water International, has become an insurmountable behemoth in the global business world.

While Pym Technologies stands out in nanotechnology and communications technology, the difference in market capitalization and size between the two companies is like that between an elephant and an ant.

Hope's heart skipped a beat.

She knew all too well the power of this company. If Starr Group's funds were to get involved in Darren's project, the mass production plan for the Hornet suit would be indefinitely brought forward.

Why didn't the people from the Starr Group go directly to CEO Darren, but instead approached her, the marginalized chairperson, first?

Regardless of their motives, she couldn't let Darren make contact with them first.

"Immediately cancel all my afternoon meetings, including the video conference with those old guys on the board," Hope decisively ordered.

"Reply to the Starr Group: I very much look forward to Mr. Wu's visit. Please arrange the meeting place in Garrido, and do not let anyone else know."

"Yes, Chairman." The assistant immediately turned and went out to make the arrangements.

After the assistant left, Hope looked in the mirror next to her desk, straightened her collar, and combed her already neat hair again.

……

One hour later.

San Francisco, Garrido, a high-end private club.

Hope sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, staring coldly at the door of the private room in the club.

She was prepared for a tough business negotiation. She needed to figure out Starr Group's intentions before Darren found out, and even find a way to sabotage the potential investment.

"Click".

The doorknob turned, and the door was respectfully opened by the waiter.

An Asian man with a tall and straight figure, wearing a black embossed haute couture suit, walked into the private room.

He took out a few bills, handed them to the waiter behind him, and then turned his head to look at Hope.

In that instant when our eyes met.

Hope felt as if an invisible hand had gently touched her heart.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment. In her eyes, the slight sway of the hem of the man's suit as he walked, the faint smile on his lips, even his slightly narrowed eyes in the backlight... everything seemed to exude a captivating charm.

"You are my destiny..." She even began to hallucinate...

"Waldfa... what's going on?" Hope gritted her teeth inwardly, forcibly suppressing this absurd physiological reaction with reason. "Love at first sight? How could that be! She's not a teenage girl."

"Ms. Dane, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Azu approached Hope, extended his right hand, and gave a perfectly timed smile.

"Nye...Nyestomi, Mr. Takeshi."

Hope suddenly came to her senses and quickly got up to shake his hand.

The moment she touched the other person's palm, Hope felt a slight electric current travel from her fingertips throughout her body, causing her palms to sweat slightly. She instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, yet she was also somewhat reluctant to let go of that fleeting sensation.

"Damn it, what the hell is wrong with you, Hope?"

Hope cursed herself inwardly. She'd been a privileged child since childhood, a graduate of a prestigious university, and a business elite. What kind of outstanding men hadn't she seen?

She had never been attracted to any man, let alone experienced the panic of a young girl in love.

"Just call me Daniel, beautiful Ms. Dane."

Ah Zu didn't immediately loosen his grip, but instead leaned forward slightly and said in his well-practiced, sexy voice:

"Although I had seen your photos before, I must admit that those photographers' lenses didn't even capture one-tenth of your personal charm."

This was a slightly flippant, polite opening remark. Under normal circumstances, Hope would never have paid it any mind.

But to Hope at that moment, it sounded incredibly sincere, even a bit like the romance of a mature man.

"You're joking, Daniel." Hope quickly withdrew her hand, concealing her inner turmoil, and gestured to the sofa opposite her. "Please sit down. I don't think the Starr Group contacted me today to discuss my appearance."

Azu smiled and, instead of sitting on the guest sofa opposite, went straight to Hope's side.

He sat down less than half a meter away from her.

The sofa sank slightly due to the increased weight, and the alluring masculine scent emanating from Azu entered Hope's nostrils without hindrance.

Hope's body tensed instantly, but she was devastated to find that she had not a single thought of escaping.

On the contrary, I kind of enjoy the feeling of my private space being invaded.