Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72 Securing Thirty Million By Dawn

“Hostile takeover,” I repeated. The words felt foreign. “Valdez Elegance is a private entity. Your board of directors cannot initiate a

standard stock buyout. They cannot force a vote.”

“They do not need a vote, Tristan stated. His face remained carved from granite. ‘Eduardo Valdez expanded his coastal transport fleet three years ago. He leveraged his primary warehouses to secure the capital. The Johnston board is purchasing the commercial debt from the regional banks. They will consolidate the loans and invoke the immediate repayment clauses. They will call the debt

due by Friday.”

“If Eduardo defaults on the repayment,” Tristan continued, delivering the fatal blow, “the board seizes the physical infrastructure. They seize the Valdez warehouses. They seize your Aegis inventory.”

The strategy was ruthless. It was a classic corporate execution. They bypassed my pristine public image and aimed a dagger straight

at the throat of my supply chain.

Eduardo Valdez pulled me out of the freezing rain. He handed me an envelope of cash when I possessed nothing. He sat in a sterile hospital room while I gave birth. Now, the Johnston Group intended to dismantle his legacy because he harbored their enemy.

“They intend to bankrupt him,” I said. My voice turned hollow.

“They intend to neutralize a market threat,” Tristan corrected. He took a step toward me. The desperation bled back into his steel- gray eyes. “I can stop them, Minerva. I retain absolute veto power over acquisitions. But I need you to give me a reason to fight my own board. Come back to the tower. Let me protect you.”

He offered the same poisoned apple. He created the danger, and then he offered himself as the shield. He wanted me reliant on his

capital. He wanted me trapped.

I looked at his outstretched hand. I felt a surge of pure, unfiltered disgust.

‘I do not require your protection,” I promised.

I turned my back on him. I motioned for Marcus and Leo. We walked down the corridor, leaving the billionaire standing in the

shadows of his own failure.

We reached the hotel suite. I locked the heavy wooden door. I bypassed the bedroom and walked straight to the marble desk. I

opened my laptop.

I picked up my secure phone and dialed Eduardo.

He answered on the second ring. “Minerva.”

His gravel voice sounded thin. It lacked the usual steady anchor. He sounded like an old man facing ruin.

“The regional banks froze our operating accounts,” Eduardo reported. The exhaustion was palpable over the cellular connection. “I

1/3

G

|||

O

Г

Thu, Jul

Chapter 72 Securing Thirty Million By Dawn

received the notices ten minutes ago. The Johnston Group acquired our commercial paper. They demand thirty million dollars in liquid capital by Friday afternoon. We possess less than three million in cash reserves.”

‘I know,” I said. I gripped the edge of the marble desk. “Tristan warned me.”

“They intend to strip the warehouses,” Eduardo continued. “They will liquidate the fleets. I spent forty years building those routes. I

survived market crashes. I survived union strikes. I cannot survive a Johnston assault.

The guilt hit my chest, a physical ache radiating through my ribs. I brought this war to his doorstep. I turned his sanctuary into a

target.

‘You will survive this,” I vowed. I stared at the blank wall of the suite. I refused to let him lose his company. “I will secure the

capital. Do not sign a single document. Do not respond to their legal department.*

I ended the call before Eduardo could argue.

I needed thirty million dollars in under forty-eight hours. Traditional banks required months of auditing for a commercial loan of that magnitude. I lacked the time. I needed a predator who possessed immense liquidity and a massive appetite for risk.

I pulled a thick, embossed business card from my blazer pocket.

I dialed Alexander Redford.

The veteran venture capitalist answered immediately. “Miss Hayes. You delivered an exceptional press conference. You destroyed the Whitmore narrative. The market is buzzing.”

‘I do not care about the buzz, Mr. Redford,” I stated. I bypassed the corporate pleasantries. I went straight to the numbers. “I need

thirty million dollars.”

Silence fell over the line.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify