Chapter 640 Without Taylor, Samuel Is Nothing
Samuel had been in the boardroom until long past midnight.
By the time he stepped out of the building, his legs felt weak — part exhaustion, part fear.
He had no idea how many more shares of SamZen Tech the shadowy player would dump tomorrow, or how deep the damage would go.
But one thing was certain: he could not sit back and wait to be bled out. Whoever was selling, however much they sold, he would buy. He would not let SamZen Tech hit another limit down. If that happened, it would not just be his pride that shattered — the investors would lose faith in him entirely.
He slid into his car, chain-smoked half a pack before even starting the engine, then drove home and collapsed straight into bed. He did not even glance at the caring messages Zenobia had sent.
At dawn, guilt gnawed at him. He picked up the phone and called her.
Rubbing his temples, his voice low and rough, he said, "Sorry. Things have been insane lately. I might not have much time for you and Thalassa. I will wire you some money — buy yourself something nice, and get Thalassa some new clothes. I noticed her thermal pants were too short last time. Kids grow fast at this age."
Samuel had grown up with very little. That old hunger had turned into a quiet vow: Thalassa would never feel the same lack.
Zenobia agreed sweetly, even told him not to overwork.
The warmth in her tone softened him. He wired her one million dollars without a second thought. SamZen Tech might be in trouble, but for Samuel, that amount was pocket change.
A notification lit up Zenobia's phone. One million dollars received.
She stared at the number, the corner of her mouth curling into a faint, contemptuous smile.
One million. From a man worth over a hundred billion. Barely enough for a couple of decent pieces of jewelry.
And Zenobia's appetites were not limited to money. Hours after pocketing Samuel's transfer, she was already making plans to meet the same middle-aged man from the night before.
He had not been particularly interested in a repeat — she was attractive, but no longer young, and she had a child. But the moment he remembered she was Samuel's companion, the game became far more entertaining. He agreed without hesitation.
Samuel hung up the call.
It was already eight in the morning. He should have been heading to the office to face the crisis, but instead he sank back into bed.
Within reach hung a wedding photo of him and Taylor. She had never taken it down when she left, and he had never bothered to remove it. In the picture, Taylor leaned into his arm, smiling with a light in her eyes that made it obvious she had loved him then.
When had that light gone out? He did not know.
Maybe it was when his business kept expanding while Taylor's work as a doctor consumed her time. They missed anniversaries, skipped celebrations, and when Thalassa fell ill, Zenobia had moved in. Taylor had never understood. She looked at him and Zenobia with something colder than suspicion, and eventually, they divorced.
Staring at the frozen smile in the frame, Samuel's chest tightened.
He reached out, almost without thinking, and whispered, "Taylor."
The woman in the photo, of course, said nothing. She only smiled, forever leaning into him, untouched by the years that had followed.
Morning light spilled across the room, warm to the eye, but it felt like a blade to him. He covered his face with both hands.
When the market opened, the hit came again. The mystery seller dumped another massive block of SamZen Tech shares. The price kept sliding.
In the CEO's office, Quentin walked in just in time to hear Samuel say, "Call my private finance team. However much they sell, I am buying."
Quentin froze. "Mr. Collins, eighty billion dollars is not pocket change."
"Maybe we should wait and see," Quentin added carefully. "It is possible they are not targeting SamZen Tech. Maybe they just need liquidity."
Samuel dragged a hand down his face. "Drop that fantasy. Anyone who can throw eighty billion around is not short on cash. This is a hit job. Find out how much cash I can free up. If it is not enough, sell off real estate, antiques — whatever it takes. I am not taking this lying down."
Quentin hesitated, then gave him the numbers. "Your accounts hold about seventeen billion. Liquidating assets could bring it to thirty-two. The company's reserves add another twenty. That is fifty total — still far short. If they keep pressing, we may not be able to hold."
Samuel went still.
In all his years of business, he had never been cornered like this. It was like someone had wrapped a hand around his throat — whether he fought or not, the outcome could be the same.
After a long moment, his jaw tightened. "We get through today first. I will find the rest. With my name, there will be people willing to back me."
He straightened, forcing steel into his voice. "Set up dinner with the CEOs of Quantum Innovations and CyberGenix Technologies. Tonight, eight o'clock. Riverside Elegance."
Quentin nodded and left.
Five minutes later, he called back in. Quantum Innovations' CEO, Geraldo, had a prior engagement and could not attend.
Samuel was not surprised. Geraldo was a notorious womanizer. Samuel had no idea that the "new beauty" keeping Geraldo busy was Zenobia.
While Samuel fought to keep his company afloat, Zenobia was tangled in hotel sheets with Geraldo.
That night at Riverside Elegance, Samuel met with Hunter, the CEO of CyberGenix Technologies.
In the past, when Samuel was still the Montague family's son-in-law, no one in business dared turn him down. If Samuel wanted in on a deal, people lined up to invest.
But tonight, Hunter dodged every hint Samuel dropped. At one point, he chuckled and brought up Geraldo's latest conquest. "She must be something. Spent the night with him, then called first thing this morning to meet again. Geraldo even popped a Viagra for her."
Samuel hated this kind of talk, but he forced a polite smile. "If I ever get the chance, I would like to see what sort of woman can keep Geraldo from showing up to a meeting."
Hunter's grin turned sly as he tossed out a few crude jokes between sips of wine.
Samuel laughed along, though his mind was somewhere else entirely.
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