His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 23

Marcus knew exactly how capable Conrad was, which was why he had agreed to let his precious daughter marry him two years ago. It was clear he hadn’t made a mistake.

Reassured and in high spirits, Marcus’s health began to steadily improve. Seeing that her father was on the mend, Annika left him in Lana’s care and returned to the Sargent Group.

The moment she stepped into her office, Harvey rushed in, frantic. “Annika, my phone has been ringing off the hook.”

For the past two days, Harvey hadn’t slept a wink, busy fending off aggressive, relentless creditors. Annika knew what was happening. News of Zephyr coming to collect debts had inevitably leaked. Most of the Sargent Group’s creditors had been waiting to see how the Beryl Group would react. Conrad’s silence only emboldened them, and they were all too eager to kick the company while it was down.

“Release my contact information publicly,” Annika said.

Harvey hesitated for a moment before nodding and hurrying out to do as she asked.

Once her number was public, she began receiving at least a thousand calls a day from creditors. Over and over, she repeated the same words with endless patience: “I’m sorry, please just give the Sargent Group a little more time. We will settle all outstanding debts after the New Year.”

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew! The Sargent Group is just an empty shell, and Marcus is a fraud! You can wait for a letter from our lawyers!”

Many of the callers were vicious, revealing a dark side of human nature that usually remained hidden.

...

That evening, Annika sat alone in her office, the light casting a pale, exhausted glow on her face. She stared at the top trending headline on her phone, “Company Heiress Faces Financial Ruin as Powerful Son-in-Law Stands By for His Old Flame.”

For two years of marriage, he was certainly being generous, she thought sarcastically.

The Sargent Group needed money, and Annika wasn't in a position to be proud. She accepted the papers calmly. “Please convey a message to Mr. Beryl for me,” she told Hank. “Thank him for his care over the past two years. I wish him and Serena a lifetime of happiness and a house full of kids.”

She added, “I still have some things at Scent Haven. Could you please pack them up and ship them to me? Thanks.”

Hank could see that Annika wanted to sever all ties with Conrad, to the point where she would rather have her belongings shipped than see him again.

Later when Hank relayed Annika’s message to Conrad, especially the part about shipping her things, Conrad sat silently in his executive chair for a long time before irritably lighting a cigarette.