Betrand remained frozen in shock, completely ignoring Merry’s question. His hand, still gripping the phone, began to tremble, his fingers clenching around the device so tightly it was as if he wanted to crush it. His breathing turned erratic and uneven. Slowly, he turned his head. His eyes flickered quickly toward Blake, a mix of shock, fury, and fear flashing in his gaze. His brows furrowed deeply, the muscles in his face tightening. He studied Blake, unable to believe that the man could be responsible for this. His other hand balled into a fist at his side, his nails nearly digging into his palm. “Sir, we just received new information that the Pairend company’s business is also experiencing a drastic decline.” His assistant’s voice trembled, causing Betrand’s own hands to shake even more. It felt like Betrand had just been struck repeatedly. Even Pairend—a company that had only been established a year ago yet had shown impressive growth and profitability—was suddenly experie