Chapter 464 The Game (9) Under-the-Table Operations
Penelope's face went ghost-white at Cecilia's jab.
She was always the queen bee, bossing folks around, even those higher up or older. Now, Cecilia was giving her a taste of her own medicine.
Grinding her teeth, she snapped, "It's just money, right? Kingsley Group's got it covered. And your so-called schedule? Don't need to see it. We got this. Don't try to dump all the problems on us. If this marketing plan tanks, you're the one who'll be answering for it."
Cecilia, cool as a cucumber, sorted her papers. "Relax, as long as your company plays ball, if the marketing flops, I'll own it. Now, make sure the first payment hits the account by next Monday."
With that, Cecilia strutted off like she owned the place.
Penelope watched her go, green with envy.
She grabbed her phone and called Dominic, "Dominic, Cecilia just swung by and wants us to prep the funds. I'll shoot you her funding plan, check it out."
"Got it, I'll look into it."
"Cool." Penelope nodded.
In her head, Dominic was the guy who could fix anything.
After the call, Dominic stepped out of his office to the smoking area. Lighting up a cigarette, he made sure no one was around before dialing. "Sebastian."
"What's up?"
"Got that billion bucks I mentioned?"
"Everhart Bank's got liquidity. Follow the loan procedures, and it should be fine."
"Procedures? If I was going by the book, would I be calling you?" Dominic snapped.
All he had left were his shares.
But he couldn't afford to lose these. If someone shady got their hands on them, it'd be a disaster.
"Bank loans are tight now, lots of hoops to jump through, especially for that kind of cash," Sebastian explained.
"Figure it out!" Dominic barked. "I need that billion, no excuses!"
Sebastian hesitated.
"Remember, we're in this together. I've got dirt on that car accident with Seraphina. If I go down, you go down too," Dominic threatened.
Sebastian clenched his jaw.
Dominic was nothing like his public persona.
He was a snake, through and through.
If he had a choice back then, he’d never have teamed up with this guy.
"Get back to me by 5 PM!" Dominic ordered and hung up.
He knew Sebastian could pull it off.
Sebastian had been at Everhart Bank for ages; he could pull some strings. He just didn’t want to risk it for Dominic!
But now, there was no way out.
Sebastian already had a plan.
And had greased all the right palms.
But he was super cautious, wouldn't agree until the last second.
At 5 PM, Dominic called Sebastian, "Made up your mind? I told you to get back to me, and you didn't!"
His voice was dripping with impatience.
Sebastian sighed, "If you don't want to use your shares, use your real estate, like properties, as collateral."
"If I had any, would I be asking you?" Dominic's face was ice-cold.
All his properties were already mortgaged to the hilt.
"The best I can do is inflate the value of your property. Like, if a house is worth 100 million, I can appraise it at 500 million or more, then help you get the loan. But that's risky. If no one checks, we're good. But if they do, we're toast. So, try to pay it back within six months. Usually, once it's paid off, it flies under the radar," Sebastian explained.
"I don't have a house!" Dominic growled.
The Kingsley Group's funds were tapped out, practically a hollow shell.
"Fake it?" Sebastian suggested.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"Forge two fake property deeds. I can skip the review and push the loan through," Sebastian said bluntly.
Dominic thought for a moment.
He had no choice but to take the gamble. "Alright, I'll get it done."
"Better have it by tomorrow morning. Tomorrow's Saturday, most of the loan department will be off, easier to handle," Sebastian advised.
"Okay," Dominic agreed.
"I'll be waiting."
"Got it."
Dominic hung up.
He never thought he'd be cornered like this.
He quickly used some shady connections to whip up two fake property deeds, both in the priciest parts of the city, valued at over 300 million each. The two properties were appraised at a billion, and on paper, everything looked legit.
Early Saturday morning, Dominic, Nathaniel, and Penelope met with Sebastian.
Sebastian swiftly processed the paperwork and called Atticus, "Mr. Everhart."
"What's up?" Atticus asked.
"The Kingsley Group needs a billion-dollar loan for an international e-commerce project. They're using properties on Crystal Lagoon Isle as collateral, valued at about a billion. The loan term is six months. I'm processing the paperwork now and need your approval for the disbursement today," Sebastian said.
"When did Nathaniel buy properties on Crystal Lagoon Isle?" Atticus muttered, surprised.
As Sebastian scrambled for a response, Atticus agreed without hesitation, "Just send the paperwork up, and I'll sign off."
He figured it was just a six-month term.
And since they had a strategic partnership with the Kingsley Group, he didn't think twice.
"Alright." Sebastian hung up and exhaled deeply.
This was nerve-wracking, even for him.
He told the Kingsley crew, "Once Atticus signs off, the loan's good to go. Remember, you gotta pay it back in six months, or if it gets audited, we're both screwed!"
"Relax. It's just a short-term fix. We should break even in three months tops with our international e-commerce investment," Dominic said.
"Just make sure you do," Sebastian insisted.
"Yeah, yeah." Dominic was impatient. "Let me know when the loan's in. I'm out."
With that, he walked off without a backward glance.
Sebastian watched him go, coldly.
If the Kingsley Family could really pull this off, great.
If not, they were headed for a world of trouble.
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