Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 348

Xavier had deliberately withheld his support, letting the devastating bankruptcy rumors fester and watching the Hawthorne stock completely plummet.

He had been operating in the shadows, quietly snapping up the bleeding shares.

He was just waiting for the perfect moment to snatch Mrs. Hawthorne's massive block of shares, never anticipating that a phantom buyer would swoop in and steal his prize.

Who the hell was it?!

Who had the absolute nerve to steal from his plate?!

Xavier inhaled sharply, forcing a deeply sincere tone. "Mrs. Hawthorne, you know exactly how loyal I've been to your family over the years."

"Julian saved my life. Do you honestly think I would just leave him to rot? There was a strategic reason I couldn't intervene this time, and I will explain everything in detail later."

"So please, do not sell your shares to anyone else. It could be a trap. Where are you right now? I'm coming to you."

Half an hour later, Xavier stormed into the private tea house.

He froze the second he locked eyes with Vivian West, but quickly masked his shock, striding over to take a seat.

"Is Vivian buying these for herself, or is she acting as a proxy?"

The instant he saw Vivian, his mind immediately jumped to Summer.

He had a sickening gut feeling that Summer was pulling the strings from the shadows.

After their divorce, Summer had walked away with an astronomical settlement. She had more than enough liquid capital to buy out the Hawthorne shares.

Vivian arched an eyebrow, a predatory smirk playing on her lips. "I'm buying them for myself, obviously."

Xavier turned his piercing gaze to Mrs. Hawthorne. "Where's the contract?"

She handed him the fully executed document.

Scowling, Xavier snatched it and shoved it into his lawyer's hands, barking at him to scrutinize every single clause for a legal loophole.

If they found even a microscopic error, he could blow up the entire transaction right then and there.

Unfortunately for him, Sebastian Stone had drafted the contract personally. It was an ironclad masterpiece, and Xavier's lawyer couldn't find a single vulnerability to exploit.

Dark fury clouded Xavier's features as he let out a bitter scoff. "Your intel is incredibly fast, Vivian."

Vivian flashed a dazzling smile. "In business, staying ahead of the curve is everything."

As the group wrapped up and headed for the exit, Vivian excused herself to use the restroom.

Xavier watched her thoughtfully, then threw a subtle glance at one of his bodyguards, who seamlessly broke off to follow her.

After exiting the restroom, Vivian walked right past their original room and pushed open the door to the adjacent one, where Summer was casually sipping tea.

Vivian stood in the doorway, waving the signed contract triumphantly. "Mission accomplished."

But Summer's eyes drifted past Vivian, landing squarely on Xavier, who was standing right behind her. "Mr. Sterling. What a coincidence."

Vivian whipped around, violently startled.

Xavier's face twisted into an 'I knew it' smirk. He strode into the room and dropped into the seat directly across from Summer. "What exactly do you want with the Hawthorne shares, Summer?"

"What did you want with them?" Summer countered coolly as she poured a fresh cup of tea for Vivian. But Xavier's hand shot out, snatching the cup before it reached Vivian.

Unfazed, Summer simply poured another cup for Vivian.

Xavier traced the rim of the teacup. "Are you willing to sell them, Summer? I'll give you triple the market value. You'll make a massive profit without lifting a finger."

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