Henry had used his connections not only to influence the media to spin false narratives about the healing gels but also to manipulate the different medical stores and clinics so that they banned Derma Heal from their shelves.As Kronos Tech’s name was dragged through the dirt, the public outrage caused an even larger fallout, and its ripples were felt all across Glenmonte.People not only refused to use the new healing gels, but also started raising questions about all other serums and medications developed by the same company.Throughout the day, the panic selling continued, and Kronos Tech’s share prices plummeted 25% before the fall was finally arrested by new inflows.Sitting back in his cushioned armchair, Henry was enjoying the carnage when the graph changed suddenly.Within a matter of seconds, Kronos Tech’s stock price stabilized, and the line on the graph shot upward, rocketing above the opening price and instantly turning green.Henry’s expression changed from mildly annoyed

Charlotte expected to be met with cold hostility and was prepared to use her feminine charms to soften Alex up, just enough to get him to listen.But instead of pushing her away, Alex welcomed her like an old acquaintance.“I was expecting you. Just didn’t think you’d show up so soon.”“I know you hate me, but I just need you to hear—”Charlotte stopped midway, stumped by Alex’s calm acceptance. She was prepared to face his wrath, and couldn’t figure out why he seemed so calm.“You were?” she mumbled softly. “But why? I was the one who first aired the news about the cancer patients. It all started from my channel…the Weekly Buzz.”Alex merely smiled at her and held the passenger door of his car open.“I believe such matters should not be discussed out in public. Please get in, and we can continue this conversation.”Looking at Alex’s unusually calm behavior, Charlotte hesitated. She simply couldn’t read a single thought behind those hazel eyes, and it made her increasingly nervous.Al

As morning dawned on Glenmonte the next day, a sleepless Henry Pietersen checked his phone for the thirteenth time. He had been calling Charlotte since last night, but she seemed to have disappeared without a trace.Neither was she answering her calls nor responding to any texts or emails.“Come on. You just had one God damn job to do,” Henry muttered, still staring impatiently at his screen as if it would miraculously cause a new message to pop open. “You can’t rely on anyone these days. Freaking lousy slackers all around me!”As the day went by, things only went from bad to worse with more terrible news flooding in from all corners.By evening, Henry was thoroughly agitated by the news buzzing on the TV, showing his oil farms being overrun by native American protestors.He called the chief of police a third time to fix the issue.“It’s been seven hours now! Get these pests off my land!” he barked into the phone.But the weary chief replied in the negative.“We already did that once.

Alex had used Governor Phillipe Du Mont’s connections to get the state officials to legally suspend all operations in the Pietersen refinery in Huntersville. And the paperwork was just enough to keep all his lawyers thoroughly occupied.With his final piece on the board, Alex made the move that he had been planning ever since he found out Henry Pietersen had tried to get him killed.Henry Pietersen arrived in Huntersville by the morning flight and went straight to his family's old mansion, where his mother, Tessa Pietersen, was quarreling with an attendant at the table.“Madam, you really must eat something. You’ve been starving yourself since last evening. At least try a bit of bacon or a slice of the apple pie. Staying hungry like this won’t—”“I said I don’t want anything!” Tessa snapped, stabbing the pie with her fork. “Now get the hell out of my face before I throw you out!”“Ma, I’m here,” Henry Pietersen’s voice came from behind as he walked into the supper hall, his boots rubb

The next day, Henry Pietersen returned to Pietersen Corporations’ main office and convened an emergency meeting of the board of directors to discuss new investments and fix the problems plaguing their company.But as Henry walked into the conference room, he was greeted by a host of unfamiliar faces instead of the ones he had been working with for the last twenty years.Seated at the head of the oval table at the far end of the room was Phillip Dawson himself, dressed in an elegant two-piece suit paired with a white shirt and a pinstriped black tie.“Congratulations on your bail, Henry,” he greeted without getting up. “Welcome back.”Henry stepped inside and looked around in terrible confusion. “What’s going on here? Who are these people?”“There have been some changes. We have some new investors on board,” Phillip replied, gesturing to the chairs on his left, which were occupied by Rachel Dawson, Josiah Warrington, and Jakob Rashford.Henry remembered seeing Josiah defending Alex on