Chapter 1 Bankruptcy

Victoria Lewis visited one of Lewis Group subsidiary companies in Pretoria, South Africa. On her way back, she received a call from her father’s assistant, George Gale. He said that her father had fainted in the office.

They rushed him to the JHB General hospital. Victoria Lewis was so scared, she drove straight to the JHB General hospital, she was praying all the way for her father to be well.

When she left home in the morning, her father was well, and it was rare for her father to be sick. She lost her mother ten years ago due to a car accident. The drunk driver crashed into her car, and she died on the spot.

She was eleven-years-old at that time; her father raised her all alone and he never remarried. Her father was her pillar of strength. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost him. She didn’t want to think about it.

When she arrived at the JHB General hospital, her father had been transferred to the ward and he was awake. She rushed to him crying, “you scared me daddy, what happened?”

Her father hugged her, “don’t worry my sweetheart, I’m out of the woods. I received bad news about the company and fainted. The doctor told me that he would keep me overnight for observation.”

Victoria looked at her father, “what happened to the company dad?” Patrick Lewis told his daughter that this morning he had a feeling that something was wrong, then he called all his friends and asked if everything was alright with them, but he couldn’t reach his adopted son, Gordon Bolt.

He went to the Finance department to look for him, since he was the Finance Director at Lewis Group, he was told that he was not in yet.

While he was in the Finance department, he received a call from one of the suppliers indicating that they hadn’t been paid yet. Patrick Lewis was surprised then he promised to pay them that afternoon.

Then he asked the Finance VC Director, Mike Page, to pay the suppliers, then he went back to his office. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Mike Page discovered that there were no funds in the company account. He quickly went to Mr Lewis’s office and told him that there were no funds in the company account.

Patrick Lewis quickly called his bank, and he was told that he had transferred the company funds to an offshore account.

The bank sent him an authorization form with his signature indicating that he indeed instructed them to transfer the company funds to the offshore account.

 Last month, the Finance Director, Gordon Bolt, told him that they had more than 100 billion rand in the company account, but today the company account has been wiped out. He asked his assistant, George Gale, to investigate the matter.

He found that Gordon Bolt had skipped the country with his family. After he heard the news, he didn’t remember what happened. Victoria was so shocked. Gordon Bolt was like a son to his father.

His father took him in when he lost his parents at the age of ten. He took him and adopted him. He sent him to private schools and university. When he completed his degree, he worked at Lewis Group in the Finance department.

Five years ago, when the Finance Director, Bill Green, retired, Patrick Lewis promoted Gordon Bolt as Finance Director.

Victoria hugged her father and comforted him. “Don’t worry dad, we will rebuild, you have helped so many people, help will come.” Victoria stayed beside her father’s bed the whole night.

The following morning, the doctor checked Patrick Lewis and confirmed that he was out of danger. He was discharged and went home with his daughter.

Patrick and his late wife were the founders of the Lewis Group. It was their sweat and blood. Now his company was facing bankruptcy, they owned hotels, real estate, and construction.

He stayed home for a week, then he approached many companies to cooperate with him to no avail. The person he trusted the most, his adopted son, Gordon Bolt, embezzled the company funds and skipped the country.

He visited his friends and asked for help. They all turned him down. His face was haggard, he couldn’t sleep or eat, he looked like a zombie. Victoria tried to comfort her dad, she told him to have faith, and everything would be alright.

One afternoon, he was sitting in his office deep in thought, his Assistant, George Gale, told him that Glen Edwards of the Edwards Group was there to see him. They were very close; they grew up together.

Patrick had helped Glen Edwards several times when his company was in a difficult position. He nodded his head to his assistant.

Patrick Lewis greeted his best friend with a smile. Glen Edwards' attitude towards him confused Patrick, he had a smug in his face as if he enjoyed what was happening to the Lewis Group.

Glen smiled and said, “Patrick, since your company is facing bankruptcy, I agree with the cooperation on one condition: if you can convince your beautiful daughter Victoria to marry my son Robert, I would cooperate with you.”

After Patrick Lewis recovered from the shock, he said “Glen Edwards, we have known each other since we were young, I helped you several times when your company was facing bankruptcy, is how you thank me now?

You owe me more than one billion rand, but I never asked you to pay it back because I treated you as a brother.”

Patrick was so upset and said, "we all know that your son is a womanizer, he doesn’t deserve my daughter. But I would rather go bankrupt than send my daughter to hell.”

Glen Edwards couldn’t refute Patrick Lewis' words. His son was good for nothing, but he felt that since Patrick was in a difficult position, he would accept his conditions and marry his daughter to his son Robert.

“Leave my office, Glen Edwards, our friendship is broken. I will never be friends with you for the rest of my life. You are gloating and you want to benefit from my sorrow.”

Patrick went to the door and opened it wide. Glen Edwards was dumbfounded; he went out of Patrick’s office without saying a word. He was sure that Patrick would accept his proposal.

Patrick was so disappointed, those he trusted the most let him down. He vowed not to trust anyone for the rest of his life. He blacklisted Glen Edwards from his contact list.