Chapter 525
Shane was already drowning in stress. Seeing the grim reaper’s number flash on his screen, he angrily rejected the call.
But Adrian was relentless, dialing again immediately.
Shane couldn’t just turn off his private phone; he was waiting for critical updates from his fixers. High-level executives couldn’t casually change their private numbers. They were tied to a web of underground contacts, superstitious lucky digits, and carefully vetted proxies. This was the exact reason Adrian still had access to him—they had exchanged private lines back when they were thick as thieves.
Gritting his teeth, Shane answered, hoping to quickly brush off the incoming barrage of mockery.
“How was your day, old friend?” Adrian gloated.
Shane remained silent. He knew damn well why Adrian was calling.
“Hahaha! Looks like you dumped a fortune into the market yesterday. Took out a bank loan, didn’t you?
Of course you did. But the price didn’t budge. Looks like you just threw millions into a bottomless pit, hahaha p>
When Shane refused to engage, Adrian just kept laughing, thoroughly entertaining himself at Shane’s expense.
“Are you finished? I’m hanging up,” Shane finally snapped.
“No, no, listen! You’re actually in a better position than I was. At least the banks still lent you money. You pushed me into a corner with zero lifelines.
But it turns out, my kids are infinitely more ruthless than yours. In the end, you’re going to crash and burn exactly like I did. Hahaha! We can be broke brothers together p>
“Shut your mouth!” Shane roared. “Nobody is ending up like you! Stop gloating. My empire is bulletproof p>
“Right. Good luck with that. Let’s see how long you last,” Adrian chuckled darkly.
“What exactly are you so proud of, Adrian?” Shane sneered, his eyes narrowing. “Those kids severed ties with you ages ago. Their success has nothing to do with you, and you won’t see a single cent of their fortune.
Instead of wasting time annoying me, why don’t you spy on them for me? I’ll pay you a handsome consulting fee. What do you say p>
“Do you think I’m a complete idiot, Shane?” Adrian scoffed. “No matter how much they hate me, they share my blood. The empire is in their hards, which means it still carries the Mercer name. The Mercer Group is alive again.
When I die and face my ancestors, I can at least say our legacy survived. Even if they let me rot in the streets, it’s a thousand times better than letting my legacy belong to a parasite like you p>
“Are you done? I’m hanging up.” The conversation had grown thoroughly toxic.
“Hahaha!
Just one one last piece of
advice: declare bankruptcy now p>
Adrian said, his tone turning eerily
cold “Do it while your assets still outweigh your debts. After
liquidation, you might have enough left for a decent retirement.
מ.
If you’re lucky, you can keep a small storefront to feed your family. It’s a modest living, but it beats being a peasant. Don’t wait until you’re drowning in debt and end up exactly like me. Because then, you are truly dead p>
Though Adrian was mercilessly taunting him, he was speaking the unvarnished truth. It was an exact prophecy of what was to come.
But hearing it only fueled Shane’s blinding rage. He absolutely refused to believe that his colossal empire could be brought to its knees. Unless the ruins were staring him right in the face, he would never surrender.
The next morning, as Mira was having breakfast and preparing for work, Liora Bennett and Celine Ward called to invite her on a vacation.