The question he asked was deeply sarcastic.How could a conscientious entrepreneur ever do something so heartless?Dumping wastewater into an underground river?It was not just any dirty water—it was the nasty kind from making clothes, full of chemicals. If someone had drank from it, they could have died.At first, there were not many reporters hanging around the villa.It was a fancy neighborhood, full of big shots. No one wanted to step on the wrong toes.However, Cilix had his people bring over the reporters from the company's basement.Once the media got wind of it, they all came running. Every major news outlet in Redenbaugh City was on the scene.After they heard the reporter and saw the photos and reports he was waving around, almost everyone was buying it. They started giving Cilix the side-eye, mixed with a good dose of anger.Water was everything. They could not live without it.There was Cilix, playing with people's lives like it was some kind of joke.He was alwa
However, it was not just about digging up the dirt. He had to stop that journalist, Colton Swanson, from Redenbaugh City TV, and snatch those papers right out of his hands.Yancy rang up with the lowdown. "That reporter, Colton Swanson. He's a newbie, only two years in. Here's the kicker—his old man's the big boss at the provincial police department."No bribes, no bullying.Cilix's head pounded like a drum. "Get PR on a game plan, stat."The reporter was his problem to deal with, face to face."Got it," Yancy said, and just before the line went dead, she could not help but add, "Hey, keep your cool, alright? Your health comes first."Cilix felt a flicker of warmth inside, and his face relaxed as he agreed, "Okay."Skylar caught the change in his expression and felt a heavy weight settle in her chest.She took a few deep breaths before knocking on the door. "Mr. Kelvin Lowe and the village chief are waiting for you."Cilix ignored her completely, brushing past her to see his v
A smirk played across Cilix's face.The Lowe family had always acted like they were his saviors, but all they had ever done was give him a bowl of rice when he was a kid.However, they still carried themselves with such arrogance.He glanced over at Skylar. "Set up a room for your parents, let them get comfortable."Mom and Dad, this place has it all. You can stay for as long as you like."Rosie's brow furrowed. "What are you getting at?"Cilix rose to his feet, towering over her. "I never meant to go after Hoyt. However, when someone shows up with evidence, in front of all the shareholders, I have to look into it. It's not a big deal. He just has to cover the shortfall, which really means taking a financial hit."However, after today's drama, Hoyt, as the plant manager, won't get off so easily. If we can't contain this mess, he's looking at jail time!"Rosie jumped up. "Wait... Jail time? Cilix, you've got to have a heart! Hoyt's been on your side. You can't just throw him und
"Enough screen time, Madeline. You need to rest," Trevon said, taking the tablet from her hands.Madeline massaged her tired eyes. "Did you have a hand in this mess?"Cilix was too skilled to just watch this disaster unfold. He would surely try to stop it before it got out of hand.However, that was wishful thinking.The online storm was raging out of control. Someone was definitely stirring the pot.Trevon's lips tightened, and he remained silent. He had enlisted the Gibson Group's help, but someone else had beaten them to the punch.The Fergusons had already greased the media's palms, ensuring the Sanders Group scandal was the talk of the town, and they were not about to let Cilix cool things down.He had only given a fraction of the effort the Fergusons had.Why were the Fergusons so intent on taking down the Sanders Group and Cilix?It had to be for Madeline's sake.The thought twisted Trevon's gut into knots. He was all tied up inside.Madeline noticed his odd look and
Trevon was fuming, even more upset than she was.He knew he had a hand in how things had spiraled. If he had not been so repulsed, if he had not ignored Riley's antics, Madeline's brother would not be caught up in that mess.The thought of a guy resorting to being a gigolo was downright humiliating.Trevon knew that Madeline was torn up about her brother, but the mess was made, and it was time to clean it up.He was seriously worried about Madeline as he said, "Don't stress too much about Cooper. Remember, you've got a little one on the way."Madeline shot him a withering look and huffed, "Since when do you yap so much? Get lost, will you?"Talk about awkwardness.Her brother was cozying up with her ex-mother-in-law.Just the sight of Trevon sent her mind into a tangle of dark thoughts, and all she wanted to do was hide her face and bolt.Trevon replied calmly, "I'll go now. The water for your foot soak is ready."Ever since winter hit, Madeline's feet were perpetually frozen
Without hesitation, Madeline said yes.She was an academic in name, but she felt she had not really given back to the world of traditional culture. With a chance to make a difference, she was all in.Baxter grinned. "We're setting up a cultural relics restoration project, not just for paintings. We'll have a bunch of live streams for it. We're a bit short on ancient paintings, though, so we'll be asking folks to send theirs in for some care and restoration."That was fine by Madeline. She was ready to stick to what she knew best and rock at it.The gig would kick off the next day with a live stream from the provincial museum, and Madeline was on board.No objections from her.With a smile, Baxter turned to leave and nearly crashed into a guy.The dude just gave him that icy smirk.Baxter shuddered. What was with that creepy grin?Only after leaving Oralia did Baxter turn to his assistant. "Who's that guy?""The Fergusons have a whole lineup of five sons. That one looks like H
The online news storm hit harder and faster than Cilix ever expected, and the PR department's emergency plan was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.Cilix could not even begin to guess how many were fanning the flames behind the scenes.The year's end was crunch time for performance, but that mess had the Sanders Group's clothing stores taking hit after hit.Orders nosedived. That morning, cancellations came in waves, a rate five times the norm, scraping the bottom of the industry barrel.If that kept up, the Sanders Group would turn into the industry's punchline.At least some deals with distributors were locked in and safe from the storm for the time being.However, even with that silver lining, the Sanders Group's stock price plummeted the moment the market's gates opened, and it was looking grim.If they could not turn that ship around...Cilix massaged his temples, feeling the weight of the world. "Any word from Colton?"Yancy's expression was as dark as the storm cl
'Forty-five million dollars? That's enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat. Does Hector really hold this woman in such high regard?' Brody thought to himself.Hector would flip if he knew that Stephen's orders were part of the reason Lydia could not leave.However, Brody was not about to make his own life difficult. He shrugged helplessly and replied, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do."Hector stormed out, his plans thwarted and his temper flaring.Brody let out a long sigh, picked up the phone, and made a call. "Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Hector Ferguson was here demanding Lydia's release.""Just ignore him," Stephen replied calmly."Got it."With the conversation over, Brody hung up, his gaze lingering on a painting before deciding to call Madeline.Madeline, on the other end, did not seem worried. "I'm aware. Just make sure Brody keeps a close watch on Lydia."Hector thought that was if they were overseas, where he could just throw some money around and take Lydia away? He clearly