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Chapter_282
Mr. Percy was the first to lose his composure, his voice rising with urgency as he shot a frantic glance at Elaine. “Elaine, how can they refuse to sell to you like this? We’re already in too deep—Skye Gem Ltd.’s assets are frozen, the shares are locked, and we’re drowning in debt. You’ve got to find a way out of this mess!”
Elaine, feigning helplessness, let out a sigh. “I wish I could do something to help, truly. But my hands are tied. To be honest, it’s Whitney behind this. She’s pulling the strings, threatening Mr. Rufus to stop him from selling Skye Gem Ltd. to me. Her pettiness knows no bounds. It’s one thing to target me, but to trap all of you, the veterans of Skye Gem Ltd., in this corner? It’s despicable!”
“What?!” Mr. Percy’s voice exploded with anger. “So, this is Whitney’s doing? If she can’t have Skye Gem Ltd., she’d rather see it fall apart?”
Elaine, fanning the flames, nodded. “Exactly. And she’s even managed to anger Ludwik. No matter how much I’ve tried to calm him, he’s furious. He’s warned everyone in Banyan City to stay away from your shares, leaving Skye Gem Ltd. with no options.”
Mr. Percy staggered back, despair washing over him. He then recovered, his face contorting with rage, veins pulsing in his neck. “It’s Whitney’s fault! If she wants to play dirty, we’ll play dirty too. Let’s give her a taste of her own medicine!”
“We’ll make her pay!” the others echoed, their voices filled with resentment.
Elaine raised a hand, feigning protest, but a cruel smile curled on her lips. “Let their anger simmer. It might just lead to her downfall.”
Jaxon chuckled, clearly impressed. “Elaine, you really know how to manipulate a situation.”
“Let them stew,” Elaine said, her voice low, an edge of satisfaction creeping in. “Whitney thinks she can ruin me? We’ll see how long she lasts under pressure.”
By midday, Whitney was in her kitchen preparing lunch for Sammy when there was a violent knock at the door. She rushed to open it, only for a slap to come out of nowhere, landing hard on her cheek.
“Whitney! You selfish, despicable wretch!” Mr. Percy stormed in, followed by a group of angry shareholders. “Skye Gem Ltd. was your grandfather’s legacy. Why are you driving us to ruin?”
Mr. Liam stepped forward, his voice accusing. “We’re not getting any younger. When Skye Gem Ltd. went into liquidation three years ago, we had nowhere to turn. We were counting on Elaine to buy out the company, and thanks to Mr. Lippert, we were about to strike it rich. But no, you had to ruin everything with your underhanded tactics. We won’t let you get away with this!”
Whitney, feeling the sting of the slap, took a moment to steady herself before facing the shareholders. Their sudden knowledge of her apartment address and their accusations about ruining them—it all clicked. She realized who had given them the information. The malicious glint in Elaine’s eyes from that morning made sense now.
But Whitney wasn’t rattled. She put a smirk on her face and asked coolly, “And who told you I’m the one responsible for your downfall?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Mr. Percy sneered. “In trying to bring down Elaine, you’ve angered Mr. Lippert. He’s sworn to block any attempts to sell your shares in Banyan City, which leaves us with nothing but worthless stock. We’re as good as dead!”
Whitney’s eyes narrowed. Elaine had played her cards well, and Ludwik was just as ruthless. But this worked in Whitney’s favor. She needed the shareholders angry, desperate, and out of options. This was exactly what she needed to push her plan forward.
Nonchalantly, she sat down and began cleaning her ears as if this were a minor inconvenience. “Yes, I can’t stand Elaine. But, leaving personal vendettas aside, I gambled with Skye Gem Ltd. and lost. I’ll apologize to you, my dear uncles and aunts. But if you’re holding unsold shares, that’s on you. You had three years to sell, but you were greedy, hoping to strike it rich with Ludwik.”
“You dare blame us? After throwing everything away?” Mr. Percy, now furious, gestured to his men outside. “Bind her! Take her away!”
Sammy, watching in horror, ran toward his mother. “Mom!” he cried, his voice shaking with fear.
In an effort to make the situation appear more convincing, Whitney hadn’t told Sammy the full truth about what was going on. Now, with the shareholders closing in, she knew they had to act quickly. She shielded Sammy with her body, giving up the struggle. “At least let me change my clothes,” she said, her voice calm, though her heart was racing.
Mr. Percy waved dismissively. “Fine. But make it quick.”
As Whitney retreated to her bedroom, she quickly called Nyx. Her lips curled into a smirk as she spoke into the phone. “Nyx, it’s time to accelerate the plan. Use the billion I gave you to buy out the shareholders’ stakes at rock-bottom prices. Let them know about Royal Jewelry Company’s involvement, and they’ll be tripping over themselves to sell.”
Nyx, on the other end, quickly understood why Whitney had threatened Mr. Rufus the previous night and continued to freeze Skye Gem Ltd.’s assets. The shareholders were desperate. They no longer had any emotional attachment to the company. This was all part of Whitney’s long game.
After Whitney emerged from her bedroom, she and Sammy were escorted out by Mr. Percy’s men, the commotion alerting the apartment’s security. However, there was nothing they could do to stop the shareholders’ rampage.
At Everwood Villa Estate, Elaine was helping the maid with the dishes, her eyes on Ludwik. She wore an air of concern, trying to hide the satisfaction in her voice. “Ludwik, I just heard that the shareholders of Skye Gem Ltd. have gone after Ms. Valentine. They’re furious and might resort to violence.”
Ludwik paused for a moment, dabbing his lips with a napkin before replying coolly, “She brought it on herself. In her attempt to block your acquisition of Skye Gem Ltd., she’s stirred up a hornet’s nest. Did she really think she could get away without consequences?”
Elaine, feigning kindness, added, “Still, no matter what she’s done to me, I wouldn’t wish harm upon her.”
Ludwik, his expression softening, gave her a tender look. “Don’t be too naive. Let this be a lesson to her. She needs to learn that she can’t just take Skye Gem Ltd. for herself.”
Elaine felt a pang of jealousy as she glanced at the reddish mark peeking out from Ludwik’s shirt collar, but she quickly masked it with a smile. “I’ve used the shareholders to deal with her. She should be getting a taste of her own medicine right now. She thinks she can outsmart me?”
Meanwhile, in the isolated warehouse, the shareholders had tossed Whitney and Sammy into a dark corner. Mr. Percy’s voice oozed with venom as he glared at them. “For all the shady things you’ve done, we could kill you, and it still wouldn’t be enough to repay the debt you owe. But out of respect for your grandfather, I’ll spare your life—if you go beg Mr. Lippert for mercy. Convince him not to blacklist us, and we’ll let you go. Otherwise…” He gave a chilling smile, his eyes shifting to Sammy, “I can’t guarantee your son’s safety.”
Whitney’s expression remained calm as she placed a protective hand over Sammy. She turned her gaze back to Mr. Percy, unfazed. “I will never beg Ludwik for anything. You can forget about that idea.”
Mr. Percy’s face contorted in rage. Before he could respond, his phone rang. Stepping away to answer, his expression quickly shifted to one of surprise and delight. “Which company did you say you’re with? Yes, I do hold ten percent of Skye Gem Ltd.’s shares…”
Whitney narrowed her eyes, suspicion creeping into her mind.
Meanwhile, Sammy, who had been quietly observing the conversation, noticed his chance. The old man wanted Whitney to plead with Ludwik, but she refused… What would happen next? Sammy had to find a way to get help. And that’s when he saw the smartwatch on his wrist. Maybe he could reach out to Danny—perhaps he could convince his dad and let him know that they were in danger.
