Liam heard those three words and felt a pounding in his temples.
While the Linwood Group couldn't quite match the stature of Foster & Co., bringing it to its knees overnight wasn't a simple task.
The Linwood Group was riddled with vulnerabilities just waiting to be exploited.
He sighed inwardly, knowing it would be another sleepless night. Orders from above always mean endless legwork down below.
Even with a six-figure salary, he was just another corporate worker bee.
After hanging up, he slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The sleek black car tore through the rain-soaked night like a panther, speeding toward the company.
Outside the window, sheets of rain were shredded by the car’s velocity, only to close back up behind it.
His mind raced like a well-oiled machine, frantically scanning through Linwood Group’s various business sectors. He had just a few hours to identify the fatal flaw that would send the company into irreversible bankruptcy.
The rain continued its relentless downpour.
Ethan had been kneeling in the rain for over two hours. His face was ashen, devoid of any color.
At last, he couldn't hold on any longer. His body gave way, and he collapsed into the puddle, sending a splash of water into the air.
Victor stood nearby, witnessing it all. With a resigned sigh, he bent down, struggling to drag Ethan into the car.
He quickly slid into the driver’s seat and sped off toward the hospital.
The windshield wipers worked furiously to clear the incessantly falling rain, yet visibility remained poor. Victor frowned deeply, glancing into the rearview mirror at the unconscious Ethan sprawled in the back seat.
He couldn't fathom why Ethan insisted on torturing himself this way.
The harm he had inflicted on Claire had long been an unhealed scar, and now this self-flagellating repentance seemed utterly pointless.
He claimed not to care for Claire, yet he was always preoccupied with her well-being, not wanting her to cry or run away. For her forgiveness, he was willing to kneel in the rain, casting aside his pride.
But to say he cared for Claire would be misleading, as he repeatedly lashed out at her for Vanessa's sake, hurling insults and even resorting to violence. He had ruthlessly destroyed Claire's once-promising life, leaving her disabled.
Ethan's actions were baffling and incomprehensible.
The rain had stopped, leaving the air fresh and crisp.
Ethan slowly regained consciousness. As soon as he opened his eyes, his phone rang abruptly.
"Hello..." His voice was hoarse like sandpaper, barely audible, as if dredged from the depths of his throat.
"Boss, why are you only answering now? I've been calling you all night! You need to get to the office immediately; the Linwood Group has gone bankrupt!" Quinn's urgent voice came through the phone, filled with panic and helplessness.
"What?" Ethan shot up from the bed, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"You need to explain what you mean by 'the Linwood Group has gone bankrupt.' The company was fine yesterday; how could it collapse overnight?"
In truth, given the scale and complexity of the Linwood Group, taking it down overnight would indeed have been an enormous challenge.
However, the Linwood Group was already a sieve of financial and tax problems beneath its polished exterior, a fragile shell ready to crumble.
It hadn't taken Liam much effort, nor a whole night, for the Linwood Group to fall spectacularly.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom