Chapter 692 Increasingly Difficult
Alex was devastated. "Keith, do you get that this is a commercial crime? You could end up in jail for this."
Keith was shaking, looking even more miserable.
Then he said, "I had no other option, Mr. Lancaster. I don't expect forgiveness, but please, save my wife and kids."
Keith dropped to his knees, the sound of them hitting the floor made Alex's own knees hurt.
Gabriel sat in his leather chair, staring at Keith with a cold, unreadable expression.
Alex sighed and went to help Keith up.
After that, he said, "Kneeling won't help. You know how serious a data leak is for the Lancaster Group. Your job was sensitive. You should've sent your son abroad quietly, but you ended up bragging about it."
Keith felt even worse hearing this.
Now that the data was leaked, maybe his wife and kids would be spared, right?
But... Keith glanced at Gabriel, feeling hopeless.
Gabriel was always fair and strict. Keith knew he deserved to be punished.
Gabriel said, "I'll have someone bring your wife and son back."
Keith's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Lancaster."
"You had plenty of chances to tell me, but you didn't. So, you have to face the consequences of leaking the data," Gabriel said coldly, then walked out.
Keith's brief hope was crushed.
Alex shook his head and followed. "Mr. Lancaster, what's next?" he asked.
"Get Harrison to come to Country M himself."
"Got it."
Gabriel had a gut feeling this wasn't just about business competition; it was personal, maybe against him or the whole Lancaster family.
Could this be linked to the attack he faced in Country M last time? And the lab fire?
The other side was ruthless, not caring about innocent lives, just like before.
A figure flashed in his mind.
Gabriel followed the lead from Keith, but since the other party was in Country M, it was tough to investigate.
And he had another big issue to handle.
The X Project had failed, and the money was gone. He needed to fix this financial hole fast, or the company's cash flow and stock market would be in trouble.
But the more Gabriel worried, the worse it got.
The situation of the Lancaster Group's funding crisis was made public, with insiders claiming their secret project had failed, taking half the company's funds with it.
The stock price plummeted.
Suppliers, customers, and partners all called, wanting answers, which made Alex run around like crazy.
Gabriel stared at the stock market, noticing that the institution that had been buying shares from retail investors was still at it.
With today's drop, some retail investors were panicking and selling off their shares, and that institution was scooping them all up.
Gabriel had already asked Alex to look into this institution. On the surface, it seemed like a legit stock firm with no red flags, but their buying behavior was definitely odd.
Things were getting worse, with shareholders demanding the Lancaster Group clarify if the rumors were true.
Finally, a senior exec from the Lancaster Group stepped up, saying the company would explain everything soon, which calmed the shareholders down for now.
But they still didn't have a solid explanation.
Alex walked into Gabriel's office, looking stressed.
"Mr. Lancaster, here's the financial report," Alex said.
Gabriel read it silently, his fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the desk.
Sophia had just heard about the Lancaster Group's financial crisis on the news.
She wanted to reach Gabriel but didn't know what to say. Plus, he must be super busy, so she decided not to bother him.
Around noon, Jake showed up. Sophia was about to have lunch when she got his call.
"I'm downstairs at Fusion Dynamics Corporation," Jake said, sounding urgent.
Sophia frowned, sensing the urgency in his voice.
"Aunt, I need to step out for a bit," she told Jennifer.
"What about lunch?" Jennifer asked.
"Later." Sophia grabbed her phone and rushed out.
"What's wrong? Is something up?" Sophia asked, slightly out of breath.
Seeing her rush out just because of his call made Jake happy, and all his earlier frustration melted away.
Then Jake said, "Yeah, I need your help with something."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Let's talk over lunch."
"I've got two meetings this afternoon. Why don't you tell me now? If I can help, I will."
Jake felt a bit let down.
'She doesn't even want to have lunch with me?'
Jake's hand clenched and then relaxed. "I need you to make me a suit."
Sophia looked confused.
Jake explained, "I've got an important event coming up."
Sophia said, "What kind of high-end suits don't you have? Anything I design would probably lower your standards."
Jake replied, "I like your designs. Everyone loved the suit you made for me last time."
Previously, to repay Jake for his help and saving her life, Sophia had made him a suit.
"I rarely ask for your help. Can't you do this small favor?" Jake said, looking down like a sad puppy.
Sophia sighed, "Alright."
Jake's face lit up, "Great, I can't wait."
"If that's all, I'll head back." Sophia smiled.
Jake nodded. Just as Sophia was about to turn around, Jake suddenly called out, "Wait."
"What else..." Before she could finish, Jake stepped closer and reached for her head.
"There's a loose thread on your head," Jake said, showing her the thread he had pulled off.
Sophia took a step back, "Thanks."
Jake replied, "You should get back to work."
"Okay."
After Sophia turned and went back inside, Jake's expression turned cold.
He clenched the thread tightly in his hand.
His phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw someone had sent him a photo on Facebook.
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