Chapter 9
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The internet buzzed with outrage and backlash. The Harrison Group’s already unstable stock price took another dive.
Just as I was reading the trending posts with interest, everything vanished in an instant. Even the account that had uploaded Sadie’s video was shut down.
In just one afternoon, a video refuting the rumors was produced and released.
Later, there were two reasons Sadie went back to the country. First, she heard that Declan had returned to the pinnacle of business success and wanted to rekindle their past relationship.
Second, she had accumulated a large debt overseas and had sought out several sugar daddies. After stealing their money, she fled back to her home country.
Unfortunately, the video from a few days ago became viral and reached one of those sugar daddies. He immediately flew here and filed a lawsuit against her.
Meanwhile, after Declan moved the company to my city, Harrison Group’s market value continued to plummet.
He was stuck in the office, scratching his head in frustration, with no one to share the burden with him.
He had always been suspicious by nature and only trusted those who had clawed their way up from the bottom with him.
Now, the workload of two people was on his shoulders alone and even top–tier elites would not be able to keep up.
As for me, I opened a bed–and–breakfast by the sea. With my experience running a large company, I managed it with ease.
We had plenty of repeat customers and new guests coming through word of mouth.
On the day Harrison Group declared bankruptcy, my bed–and–breakfast was busier than
ever.
By the time I finally got a breather, Declan had already been standing at the entrance for who knows how long.
The wind was blowing fiercely outside, tangling his hair.
“Do you need something?”
I approached him after finishing my tasks.
“Harrison Group… is bankrupt,” he said softly. He lowered his eyes with a bitter smile. “Without you, it feels like everything’s falling apart. I can’t seem to manage anything on my own. Am I really that useless?”
I had seen Declan in this vulnerable state seven years ago. When I first rescued him from the river, he was like this.
He kept his head down as tears fell silently. He shared with me the hardships of his life.
Fr. 22 Juma
Back then, I empathiced with his pain and as he spoke, I even came to resent Sadie, whom
I had never met
I hated her for having known Declan since they were young, yet abandoning him without hesitation when he fell from grace, choosing to go abroad without a second thought disregarding ther pest connection
I pitied what Declan had endured
All these complex, intertwined emotions gradually turned to ashes after I saw him sending messages to Sadie day and night.
It turned out that while I was calculating the cost of daily necessities and hoping this month would be better, Declan was always thinking about Sadie. He had never forgotten
Now, as I looked at his tears again, I felt nothing but irritation. So, I said, “If you want to cry. don’t do it in front of me.”
I twirled my hair. “Your bad luck might scare away my customers.”
“What are you talking about?”
Declan stiffened. He reached out to grab my hand, but I subtly dodged it.
“Your bed and breakfast is thriving now,” he said. “You should have time to help me get the company back on track. “I believe if we work together again, everything will be okay.”
“You believe in things way too easily,” I replied, pulling out my employee badge. “I’ve already joined Miller Corporation as their financial director.”
“As far as I know, Miller Corporation and Harrison Group have always been rivals. To avoid any conflicts of interest, Mr. Harrison, it’s best if you don’t come looking for me.”
The moment he saw my badge, his expression shifted completely.
“Don’t forget,” I reminded him. “You’re the one who transferred all my shares to Sadie.” Hearing this, Declan looked at me, his eyes filled with resentment.
