Emily, still laying on Valerie, her long, slender legs crossed at the ankles as her orgasm was being gently rubbed away, watched Teresa with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Brooke, still kneeling on the floor, narrowed her eyes as she scrolled through the tablet Teresa had handed her, an array of emotions playing across her face: Confusion, anger, then realization, followed by a deepening of the anger. She looked up, her eyes locking onto Teresa's, a dangerous glint in them.

"Teresa, what is the meaning of this?" Brooke's voice was low, dangerous, a stark contrast to the sultry purr she had used earlier. Emily looked between the two women, her curiosity piqued, her earlier pleasure forgotten in the face of this sudden tension.

Teresa, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression calm, met her mother's gaze. "I think you know exactly what this is, Mom. It's the company financials." she said with a seemingly unearned smugness.

"When did you… Who collected these?" Brooke sputtered, her eyes scanning the documents.

Teresa shrugged with a nonchalant expression, "Oh, you know, just a little project I've been working on. I thought it might come in handy, considering our current situation."

Emily, still lying on Valerie's lap, her breath now steady, raised herself up on her elbows, her eyes flicking between the three women. "What situation are you referring to, Teresa?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of caution.

Teresa's gaze shifted to Emily, her eyes cool and calculating. "Tell Emily why you wanted the company financials, Mom." she commanded, her eyes not even acknowledging Brooke's.

The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Brooke's eyes flashed with anger, but she maintained her composure. She looked at Emily, her expression carefully neutral.

"Emily, I represent the interests of investment mogul Melissa Steel," Brooke began, her voice smooth and calm.

"Represent, as in she's sleeping with Ms. Steel," Teresa interrupted, her voice dry, a hint of disdain in her tone. Emily's eyes widened in surprise, her gaze snapping to Brooke, who simply raised an eyebrow in response.

"That's enough," Brooke warned, her voice like ice. "Emily, what Teresa is trying to say, in her usual tactless manner, is that Ms. Steel has entrusted me with the task of purchasing this company under the Steel Incorporated banner. I was merely trying to... incentivize you to... cooperate with our little project." she finished, her voice dripping with sarcasm, her eyes narrowing at Teresa.

Emily processed this new information. She looked from Brooke to Teresa, her expression thoughtful. "So, let me get this straight," she began, her voice steady, "You wanted the company financials to help Ms. Steel make an informed decision about purchasing this company. And in exchange for my cooperation, you were going to... what?"

"Oh, Emily, please. Stop the poor, indignant act. You were aware of Steel's desire to purchase the company. You and the board even desired for the sale to go through. That's why you denied access to the company financials." Teresa chimed in with an amused tone. "You wanted to keep Steel in the dark about the company's true financial state. You were planning to use the sale to line your own pockets."

Emily's eyes widened, her face flushing with anger. "That's a lie! I was merely trying to protect the company's interests. The financials are complex, and I didn't want Ms. Steel to misinterpret them."

Brooke rolled her eyes, still scrolling through the tablet. "Why? What's wrong with the company?"

Emily began to pout, her career and world beginning to unravel, "Nothing! I mean, it's the stock price. We need Ms. Steel to buy it at $10 a share or it's a wash. The problem is that there's a shortfall. We were just about to announce it, and that'll probably drop our stock to $8 a share, or lower. All Ms. Steel would have to do is wait, and she could wipe us out." she finished, her voice laced with frustration and desperation.

Teresa raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "And you couldn't just be honest about it? Tell Steel the truth and let her decide if she still wanted to buy the company at a lower price?"

Emily scoffed, her eyes flashing with anger. "And risk her pulling out of the deal altogether? No thank you. I've worked too hard to build this company up to let it crumble now."

Brooke finally looked up from the tablet, her eyes cold as she regarded Emily. "Unfortunately, Teresa, Emily is right. We couldn't afford the debt restructuring at that price. No, we need to invest in the company now, then sell it at an inflated price, and use that capital to repurchase it at a price that makes you and the board happy, Emily." she said cooly, with a grin beginning to form at the corner of her mouth.

Valerie was puzzled and confused, "Wait, how would you do that?" she asked, her eyes darting between the three women, trying to make sense of the situation.

"And here we go," Teresa said, her voice dripping with condescension.

Brooke interrupted both women, "Ms. Steel owns various shell corporations. Those companies can buy a large percentage of the stock at the current price. I say at least forty percent of available holdings. Then we'll announce that Steel Incorporated is interested in buying it." she began, her voice gaining momentum as she outlined her plan. "That'll drive the stock price up, maybe even double it. Our shell corporations then sell the inflated stock. That's when you announce the shortfall."

Emily's eyes widened, her expression a mix of shock and awe, "Then Steel Incorporated officially buys the stock at the lower price, using the profit the shell corporations made to repurchase it at a price that benefits everyone involved." she explained, finishing Brooke’s plan with a hushed tone, her mind racing with the implications.

"Exactly," Brooke said, her grin widening, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "And nobody gets hurt. Well, except for the shareholders who bought at the inflated price, but that's the risk of trading."

Teresa rolled her eyes, her expression sour. "Except for the fact that it's illegal, Mom. Not to mention unethical."

Brooke waved a dismissive hand, her expression unconcerned. "Illegal? Only counts if you get caught. Unethical? So was the act of my tongue parting Emily's folds. But it felt fantastic, didn't it, Emily?" she added, her eyes gleaming with mischief. Emily's cheeks flushed, her mind flashing back to the intense pleasure she had experienced earlier. She looked away with a guarded expression.

"I'll call the board right now," Emily said, her voice steadier than she felt. "We'll need to convene and discuss this new development."

Brooke nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. I'll inform Ms. Steel of our progress." She stood up, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt, her earlier encounter with Emily seemingly forgotten.

"You three can stay here and discuss... personal matters. I must," Emily started, then blushed again, "Use the bathroom." She quickly got up and left the room, leaving Valerie and Teresa alone with Brooke.

Brooke watched Emily's retreating figure, a smirk playing on her lips. "She's a feisty one, isn't she?" she commented, turning her attention back to Teresa and Valerie.

Teresa and Valerie exchanged a knowing look, "So, were you able to resist her, Valerie?" Teresa asked, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

Valerie blushed, her eyes darting to Brooke, then back to Teresa. "I... Well, I mean..."

Teresa leaned in and gave Valerie a gentle peck on the lips, "It's okay. No one can resist my mom. That's why I gave you permission to enjoy her." Teresa whispered, her breath warm against Valerie's ear. She looked at her mother, Brooke, who was watching them with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"Permission?" Brooke asked with narrowed eyes, her gaze shifting between Teresa and Valerie. "What did you tell her, Teresa?"

Teresa smiled innocently, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, nothing much. Just, everything."