Serena Jennings answered the phone.
"...Caleb Lockwood?"
As soon as she asked, she heard Caleb Lockwood’s soft laugh from the receiver.
"It’s ...who else did you think it would be?"
Caleb Lockwood’s voice was as steady and confident as ever.
Serena realized that Caleb Lockwood had not been confined by Jasper Linton.
"Where are you now?"
"Secret."
Caleb Lockwood’s teasing made Serena frown.
"You skipped work for a day, and tomorrow when you get to the company, I’ll have HR fire you."
Serena’s words were decisive and left no room for rcy.
She didn’t want any involvent with Caleb Lockwood anyway, and now she had a pretext to get rid of him.
There was a brief silence from Caleb Lockwood on the other end of the line.
"Isn’t now a bad ti to fire ?"
Caleb’s words were tantamount to telling Serena he already knew about the Lockwood Group’s issues.
"So you called just to add insult to injury?"
"Can’t I be offering help in tis of need?"
Caleb’s counter-question made Serena pause.
She didn’t go upstairs but sat down on a bench downstairs, patiently listening to Caleb.
"The Lockwood Group is currently embroiled in a major scandal, and its stock price is plumting... you should keep an eye on a company called Solara Tech, which is quietly buying up shares from Lockwood Group’s minority shareholders and small investors."
"I’ve noticed this company. It’s controlled by the EYSG Group, but EYSG is a company registered on Halycon Island, and I can’t see its shareholding structure."
"Hmm...the controlling party for EYSG Group is Rischel Co. on Kyros Island."
The information Caleb provided gave Serena a sense of foreboding.
These layered company structures are partly for legitimate tax avoidance.
But mostly, they are used for illegal projects or to hide true intentions.
The registration Caleb found in Rischel on Kyros Island is probably not even the top-level company.
"Is soone short-selling the Lockwood Group to make a hostile takeover?"
As Serena uttered these words, the image of Julian Xavier involuntarily flashed in her mind.
Could Julian Xavier be a corporate spy sent by the hostile acquirer?
While Serena and Caleb were on the call, in ridia, joker stood on a bridge, facing the sea breeze.
He held a phone, watching as the shell companies he operated systematically acquired shares of the Lockwood Group.
At this mont, he had shed his Julian Xavier disguise.
"This ti...where else can you run?"
Joker squinted his eyes against the sea breeze, the smile on his baby-faced features giving off an eerie impression.
Halycon Island.
Caleb Lockwood stood in a sleek office, as a blonde, blue-eyed beauty ca in and handed him a folder.
"Mr. John, here is the cash flow of all your companies."
"Okay."
Caleb took the folder, flipping through it carefully page by page.
City A.
Vornath.
Serena had a long phone conversation with Caleb before going upstairs.
Before she reached the front door, she slled the rich aroma of pizza.
Serena looked up and saw Ethan White.
Ethan White stood at her doorstep, holding a box of irresistibly fragrant pizza.
Her stomach imdiately let out a growl.
"Sorry..."
She sheepishly scratched the back of her head.
"No need to apologize to . I figured you hadn’t eaten well, so I ca by."
Serena looked at Ethan’s gentle smile, and the unease in her heart slightly diminished.
She opened the door and invited Ethan inside, where they shared the pizza.
Ethan had already learned about the Lockwood Group’s current predicant through online news.
As Serena ate, he didn’t ntion it at all.
While Serena ate, Ethan told her jokes.
Ethan wasn’t the type who liked telling jokes, nor was he particularly skilled at it.
Serena knew Ethan was doing this for her.
After they finished both boxes of pizza, Ethan asked Serena:
"Now that the stock price of the Lockwood Group is crashing, the shareholders will definitely pressure you for an explanation. What do you plan to do next?"
Serena paused, not lying to Ethan.
"Even though the board of the Lockwood Group was overhauled when I took over the company, many shareholders still have so ties with the Lockwood Family..."
At the ntion of the "Lockwood Family," Ethan couldn’t help but frown.
"Just before I ca upstairs, I got a call from Caleb Lockwood... he suggested I bring in a White Knight."
"Absolutely not!"
The minute Serena finished speaking, Ethan vehently opposed.
Ethan spoke sternly, "Caleb Lockwood has ulterior motives! Calling you to invite in Lockwood Family capital right now is clearly an attempt to capitalize on your crisis..."
"But Solara Tech is continuously buying up Lockwood Group shares, I’m afraid..."
"Even if Solara Tech is a malicious acquirer, doesn’t that an the Lockwood Family is one too? Caleb Lockwood does this to try and reclaim the Lockwood Group. Serena, you can’t fall into his trap."
Seeing Serena fall silent, Ethan continued, "The company Julian Xavier is with has been working with Caleb Lockwood from the start. Julian might even be a corporate spy sent by Caleb to corner you, so bringing in a White Knight seems justified."
Ethan’s warning seed to make a lot of sense.
In fact, many companies, when fending off a hostile takeover, end up with their White Knight also as a hostile acquirer.
However, Serena didn’t believe that Caleb was as Ethan described.
If Caleb really couldn’t let go of the Lockwood Group, he wouldn’t have left everything and given all the assets to her initially.
Ethan scrutinized Serena’s face.
Judging by her expression, he knew Serena didn’t believe him.
In truth, Ethan knew his words were full of holes.
"Serena..."
Suddenly, Ethan grasped Serena’s hand.
Serena lifted her gaze to see Ethan looking at her with extre seriousness:
"Don’t take any advice or benefits from Caleb Lockwood... the more you let him help you, the more you’re giving him opportunities..."
At this point, Ethan’s eyes revealed a painful sorrow.
"Could it be... you still can’t let him go?"
"Ethan, I’ve already told you, I..."
"Then reject him!"
In a rare mont, Ethan cut Serena off before she could finish.
The Ethan before her was resolved, a side of him Serena had never seen so assertive.
"Serena, reject him... I’ll help you find a solution to the Lockwood Group’s crisis."
Her hand slightly hurt from Ethan’s grip, yet Serena did not pull it away.
The room felt eerily quiet as if uninhabited.
Serena remained silent for a long ti before nodding.
"Alright, I’ll listen to you."
That night, Ethan stayed at Serena’s house.
Yet neither of them slept, spending the whole night crafting a series of plans to salvage the Lockwood Group’s stock.
Before they could implent these plans, Serena unexpectedly received a call from Officer Lowell.
"What? Julian Xavier is dead?!"
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