“No, this has nothing to do with her.” Gabriel finally spoke, though he didn't have the nerve to look at Curtis. “I've been unhappy with how you've treated me for years, Curtis. I just didn't mention how I feel! Why can I only be your assistant when I'm so talented? Not to mention you berate me all the time. I sold some of Faymon Group's secrets to other companies because I can't stand seeing the company operate so smoothly.”
Curtis replied plainly, “Do you know how severe your crime is?”
“I'll only be spending a few years in prison.” Not only did Gabriel shrug, but he also smiled. “Do you know the money I made selling those secrets was multiple times higher than my annual salary? A few years in prison is worth it for the money I got.”
“I'll give you one more chance, Gabriel. Tell me everything, and I'll let this slide.”
“There's nothing more for me to say. I admit to my doing.”
The two men entered a silent stalemate that lasted for a few minutes.
Since he insists on admitting to his crime, I won't waste my time talking to him any further. When Curtis' train of thought ended there, he turned around and left. “Then you'll pay the price for your actions.”
A bitter smile formed on Gabriel's countenance as he watched his former employer leave the interrogation room. I'm sorry for disappointing you, Mr. Faymon, but I can't let Stella go to prison now that she's pregnant.
Due to Gabriel admitting his crime in front of the reporters, Faymon Group's shares continued to drop. Only a few days after that scandal, another one popped up.
The CEO of an e-commerce company under Faymon Group, who only occupied the position for less than four years, was revealed to be cheating on his wife. Even worse, he had a two-year-old daughter with his mistress. He abused his wife and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about what happened.
Those two scandals caused Faymon Group's shares to drop at a frighteningly fast rate.
Even after Faymon Group publicly announced they had dealt with the CEO and Gabriel, the situation still didn't turn around.
While all that was happening, someone bought up to several hundred million worth of Faymon Group's shares.
Tilly sensed something fishy was going on and immediately told Curtis about it. “Should we contact the Securities Regulatory Commission and tell them to restrict that buyer's ability to purchase more of our company's shares? “
As Curtis read through that mysterious buyer's purchase records of Faymon Group's shares, his expression appeared composed, as though it wasn't a serious issue at all.
“No need.” Then he shut down his computer. “If he wants to buy it, let him buy it. Have the shareholders arrived yet?”
“Almost all of them have,” Tilly informed.
Curtis put on his suit and stepped out of his office with Tilly.
For the past few years, Faymon Group had been doing exceptionally well financially. Because of that, the shareholders were very happy with the company's performance. However, they started to panic after the two scandals appeared one after another in the span of a few days.
After all, they would only earn even more profits if Faymon Group was doing well.
The moment Curtis stepped into the conference room, the shareholders began talking about the recent events and indirectly blaming him for the company's losses. Some even said he wasn't a human for hiring Gabriel as an assistant.
Instead of getting angry, Curtis sat calmly. Once it was time, he started the meeting.
Near the end of the meeting, someone entered the conference room.
Stella, who was brought into the room by Tilly, spoke politely. “You were asking for me, Mr. Faymon?”
“Yes. Sit.” Curtis pointed at a spot near him.
The shareholders were confused as to why he invited her.
As they gazed at him with confusion, he asked Tilly to show everyone a document. “Due to Ms. Zink's excellent performance, I'm making an exception and promoting her to the board of directors. Additionally, I'm transferring a little over two percent of the shares to her. Thus, she's one of Faymon Group's shareholders from today onward.”
Some of the shareholders' expressions shifted drastically.
They, at most, only had a little over three percent of the shares. It was why they were unhappy Curtis took out two percent of his own shares and gave them to Stella.
Curtis swept his gaze past the crowd. “What do you all think?”
Half of Faymon Group's shares were in his possession. Hence, he had an absolute say in all company matters. Even if the shareholders combined their shares, they still wouldn't have enough to impeach him.
Everyone was very unhappy with Curtis' decision. However, they had no choice but to support it.
Curtis led a round of applause and handed the document to Stella. “Congratulations.”
Stella was still dumbfounded by that sudden turn of events. Why did he transfer his shares to me and make me a shareholder? I wish I could tell what he's thinking from his expression, but he just looks composed.
After a moment of hesitation, she accepted the document from him and grinned. “Thank you for placing your trust in me, Mr. Faymon. I'll do my best and won't let you down.”
The edges of Curtis' lips curved slightly upward. “I believe in you, Ms. Zink.”
Meanwhile, Rayna had no idea what was going on in Norwal City. She was still on an island in Nardor.
As the months went by, her abdomen swelled. At that point, it looked like a watermelon on the verge of falling to the ground. Because of that, she had difficulty moving around.
Jefferson paid a lot more attention to her care as time passed. Unless she wanted to stroll on the beach, he would keep her company in the house. Additionally, he had to call for a doctor more and more frequently.
The fact that Rayna was carrying triplets, thus having a harder time protecting the babies compared to the average pregnant woman, was something he was aware of. It was why he never stopped being careful around her.
After Jefferson had lunch and exchanged a few words with Rayna, he abruptly coughed violently. In response, he covered his mouth with his hand. Moments later, he saw blood on his palm.
She hurriedly grabbed the enzyme inhibitors and water for him.
Seeing his pale countenance made her panic. Then she proposed softly, “Let's head back and look for Mr. York, Jefferson. Your condition worries me...”
As she spoke, she choked.
Half a month ago, Jefferson, who was well up until that point, started coughing violently. Every time it happened, he would sound as though he was going to cough his lungs out. It was the same scenario like the time they went to Frosa to look for a cure.
“Your company has been a source of joy for me.” Afraid that the smell of blood would discomfort her, he physically distanced himself from her. “I will watch you give birth to your children.”
Rayna wasn't sure what to say as she covered her mouth.
For the past two months, she had been feeling very exasperated. While she was staying in a serene place, it wasn't what she wanted. Many times, she wanted to take her frustration out on Jefferson. However, she would always ignore that impulse when she thought of the sacrifices he had made for her.
She wasn't going to abandon a man on his deathbed, and she couldn't bear watching him die either.
Due to a lack of appetite, Rayna went to sleep early.
After an unknown amount of time passed, someone patted her cheek and woke her up forcefully. “It's time for us to go, Belle.”
“Where to?” Rayna asked with confusion as she was helped up by Jefferson.
Carefully, he took her down the stairs. “Your pregnancy's about to reach its end, which worries me. Also, some medical equipment can't be shipped here. Hence, I'm thinking of moving you to a place where a doctor can examine you at any time.”
She didn't oppose his idea as he escorted her out of the building.
In the distance, on the beach, a helicopter was waiting for them. Jefferson helped her board the vehicle before saying, “I need to grab something from the house.”
After he left, Rayna caressed her belly, wondering where he would bring her to. I wonder if the place he mentioned is located in a city. Will Curtis find me in that case?
When she saw the phone the pilot placed on the passenger seat, she came up with an idea.
Using Anglandurn, she spoke. “You should head inside the house and help him grab his things. There are a lot of them.”
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