Chapter 183
Chapter 184
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Meanwhile, inside the Alfred family mansion, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Mr. Alfred stood in the study with his phone pressed tightly against his ear.
“Please… don’t do this,” he pleaded desperately. “We can still work something out. Give us a little more time. We can negotiate p>
The person on the other end didn’t respond. The call was abruptly disconnected.
Beep.
Mr. Alfred stared at the screen for a moment before his face twisted with rage. “Fuck p>
He hurled the phone onto the marble floor.
Crash!
The device shattered into pieces, sending fragments flying across the room. Everyone present flinched.
Not a single person dared to speak.
Mr. Alfred’s chest rose and fell violently as he pointed angrily at the broken phone.
“Mr. Eric!” he roared. “Our last major shareholder has pulled out too p>
Silence filled the room. He laughed bitterly before slamming his fist onto the table.
“Do you know what that means? We have nothing left! Alfred Enterprises is nothing more than an empty building now. Our stock price has crashed beyond recovery. We’ve hit rock bottom… no, we’ve fallen
even lower than that p>
His eyes burned with fury. “All because of that bastard! Eric… Rain… whatever the hell his name really is p>
No one dared to interrupt him. Ever since Rain Derek had been exposed as the man who murdered his identical twin brother, stole his identity, and took over his company, everything had collapsed overnight.
The authorities had frozen every asset connected to Rain while investigating the case. Every contract he had signed under the false identity of Eden Derek was declared void pending legal review. The investments Alfred Enterprises had made through him had effectively disappeared.
It was as though hundreds of millions had vanished into thin air. But that wasn’t even the worst part.
At Mr. Zed’s banquet, Victoria had publicly introduced Rain as her fiancé before hundreds of influential businessmen and investors.
The news had spread throughout the entire business community. Now people questioned Alfred Enterprises’ judgment.
If Victoria had been close enough to become engaged to him, how could she have known absolutely
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nothing?
Some believed she had simply been deceived. Others weren’t so convinced.
Rumors spread that perhaps the Alfred family had known more than they admitted.
Whether true or not, trust had already been destroyed. Shareholders began selling their stocks. Business partners quietly suspended negotiations.
In less than twenty-four hours, Alfred Enterprises had been pushed to the very edge of bankruptcy.
Victoria stood motionless. Her face was completely pale.
She wanted to explain herself, but no words came out.
Mrs. Alfred, who had once proudly praised her as the family’s greatest hope, suddenly pointed an accusing finger at her.
“You…” she shouted, her voice trembling with anger. “You caused all of this p>
Victoria’s eyes reddened. “Grandmo p>
“Don’t call me that!” Mrs. Alfred snapped. “You brought that man into this family without even properly knowing who he was! You trusted him so completely that you announced him as your fiancé before the
entire city p>
She took a step closer, unable to contain her fury.
“Look at us now! Everything we’ve built over decades is crumbling because of your terrible judgment p>
Steve, who had remained unusually quiet throughout the argument, suddenly stepped forward.
For years, he had lived under Victoria’s shadow. Every achievement of hers made him look insignificant in comparison. But today, for the first time, he saw an opportunity to speak without being immediately dismissed.
“Actually…” he began slowly, “how do we know she didn’t know p>
The room instantly fell silent.
Steve continued, “Think about it. She was the closest person to Rain. They were engaged. They spent so much time together. Are we really supposed to believe she never noticed anything suspicious p>
Several relatives exchanged uncertain glances.
“…He has a point p>
“Maybe she knew something p>
“Even if she didn’t know everything, perhaps she helped him hide it p>
The whispers grew louder.
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Victoria’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What?” she cried. “How can you even think that p>
Tears streamed down her face. “I gave everything to this family! Every day I worked for Alfred Enterprises p>
Her voice trembled. “I was deceived too! I trusted him just like everyone else. I tried to help this family, but everything went wrong. Even if the outside world doubts me…” Her eyes swept across everyone in the room. “…my own family shouldn’t p>
Mrs. Alfred showed no sympathy.
“Stop trying to manipulate us with your tears,” she snapped coldly. “Whether you knew or not doesn’t change the fact that you’re the reason we’ve been dragged into this disaster p>
Victoria lowered her head and cried silently. Mr. Alfred rubbed his aching forehead before raising his
hand.
“Enough p>
Everyone turned toward him.
“I understand everyone’s anger,” he said wearily. “Yes, Victoria made a terrible mistake. But blaming each other won’t solve anything p>
He slowly looked around the room. “If this situation continues for another twenty-four hours, Alfred Enterprises will officially become insolvent p>
His words struck everyone like a hammer. “We’ll be bankrupt p>
Silence followed. Mr. Alfred continued in a heavy voice.
“When that happens, every one of us loses. We all depend on this company for our livelihoods p>
One after another, they slowly nodded. No one could deny it.
“So…” Mr. Alfred asked tiredly. “Does anyone have a solution p>
The room became quiet once again. Then one of Victoria’s cousins cautiously raised his hand.
“I… I can only think of one person p>
Everyone looked toward him.
“Julia p>
Several people frowned.
The cousin continued, “After what happened at Mr. Zed’s banquet, her reputation has skyrocketed. Everyone knows Mr. Zed publicly transferred his support to her company. With the Minister of Finance already backing her, investors are paying attention to her more than ever p>
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He took a deep breath. “If anyone can save Alfred Enterprises… it’s Julia p>
The room fell silent.
A few seconds later, several family members slowly nodded.
“He’s right p>
“She’s our only hope p>
“If she agrees to help us, investors might regain confidence p>
Not far away, Leah quietly sat on the sofa without saying a word.
She had expected this conversation from the very beginning.
As everyone desperately searched for a solution, she simply watched with quiet satisfaction.
Mr. Alfred let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“I know Julia has the ability to help us,” he admitted. “But this isn’t a small favor p>
He closed his eyes briefly.
“We humiliated her. drove her out of this family. Why would she help us now p>
No one had an answer.
Mrs. Alfred suddenly spoke. “Because she’s still part of this family. Blood is blood. No matter what happened in the past, she carries the Alfred name. She can’t just stand by and watch this family be destroyed p>
Leah almost laughed.
She looked at Mrs. Alfred as though she had just heard the biggest joke of the year.
After everything they had done to Julia… They still believed Julia was obligated to save them.
The irony was almost unbelievable.
P
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.