My Fiancé's 'Girl' Gave Me a Buzzcut. I Gave Her a Subpoena for Their Wedding. novel Chapter 16

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Hayes family business started falling apart.

First, their longtime suppliers ghosted them. Said the “product quality didn’t meet standards.”

Ethan sent people to investigate. They wouldn’t even open the door.

Then the banks pulled their loans.

Contracts they’d already signed got yanked-“risk assessment didn’t pass.”

Cash flow dried up overnight.

Next came the clients.

Major deals got canceled out of nowhere. All of them signed with competitors instead.

One month. The company lost thirty percent of its value.

The old man had a heart attack and got hospitalized.

Ethan was running between the office and the hospital every day, barely keeping his head above water.

Sarah cornered him with the baby: “You’re never home anymore. Your son needs you.”

“Dad’s in the hospital. The company’s imploding. What am I supposed to do?”

“Who cares about the company? We’ve got enough money to last forever.”

Ethan stared at her like she was a stranger.

“You have any idea how this family got where it is?”

“My grandfather, my father, my brother-three generations built this from nothing.”

“It wasn’t handed to us.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Well, you can’t just abandon us.”

“The baby’s not even a month old and you’re never around…”

Ethan slammed the door on his way out.

He went to the memorial hall.

The casket was still there. They hadn’t picked a cemetery yet, so they hadn’t buried me.

He slumped down next to it, talking to himself:

“What would you tell me to do right now?”

“You’d probably say don’t panic. Take it slow.”

Pällionaire Dinal Dragged Me to Bed Instead

29.2

“You were always so level headed. So smart…”

He pulled out a cigarette. Lit it.

Through the smoke, his voice got quieter:

“I don’t have anyone to talk to anymore.”

“Dad just yells at me. Sarah only wants money. Lily only cares about herself.”

“You never asked for anything. You always tried to help.”

He took a drag and started coughing.

Coughed so hard tears came out.

“I’m sorry…”

“God, I’m so sorry…”

“I didn’t think it would end up like this…”

“If I could do it over, I’d-”

His phone rang.

His assistant. Voice shaking:

“Mr. Hayes! We’ve got a major problem!”

“Customs seized one of our shipments-they’re calling it contraband!”

“It’s a huge amount. They might press charges!”

Ethan shot to his feet:

“Contraband? That’s impossible!”

“We run a legitimate operation!”

“I’m serious! The police are at the office right now-they want to bring you in for questioning!”

Ethan hung up and bolted out of the memorial hall.

Drove toward the office.

Halfway there, another call came in.

Unknown number.

He answered. A man’s voice-cold, controlled:

“Mr. Hayes. Enjoying your gifts?”

Ethan frowned:

Bock k Vás Pillionaire Rival Dragged Me to Bed Instead

29.1%

Chapter 8

“Who is this?”

“You don’t need to know who I am.”

“You just need to know-this is only the beginning.”

“You’ve got a debt to pay. And it’s gonna cost you everything.”

The line went dead.

Ethan tried calling back. Number disconnected.

His hands started shaking on the wheel.

♡ (0)

(0)

o Pad Instead

29.7%