Chapter 525 Better If You Were Here
The once bustling top floor of Vertex Innovations Group was now eerily quiet, with only a few secretaries scattered at their desks.
Leo's face was grim as he directly approached one of the secretaries.
"Where is everyone?"
The secretary was startled by Leo's sudden voice. She looked up and, recognizing him, quickly stood up. "Good afternoon, Mr. Wendy."
"I asked you, where is everyone? Why are there only a few of you here?"
The secretary's expression changed slightly, and she cautiously replied, "The others... have resigned."
She didn't dare to mention that they, too, had resigned and would leave once they finished handing over their tasks in a few days.
Leo's face turned even darker with anger. "Notify the shareholders. Tell them to be in the conference room in half an hour!"
"Yes, sir."
The secretary hurried away.
Leo returned to his office, his mood worsening at the sight of the piled-up documents on his desk.
A bunch of useless people!
He had only been away for a few days, and these documents had just been left on his desk, with no one thinking to have other shareholders handle them.
Half an hour later, the conference room, which used to be packed during meetings, was now half empty.
Leo sat at the head of the table, glaring at the shareholders who avoided his gaze.
"Where is everyone else? Are they dead?"
One shareholder mustered the courage to speak. "Mr. Wendy, some shareholders haven't come to the office, and some have sold their shares... They're no longer shareholders of Vertex Innovations Group. Everyone who is still a shareholder is here."
Leo let out a cold laugh and slammed the documents on the table.
"I was only gone for a few days, and they couldn't wait to run? Afraid they'd get dragged down if they stayed?"
The speaking shareholder quickly lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
"Alright, since no one else is coming, let's start the meeting. Report on the situation of Vertex Innovations Group over the past few days."
The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to speak up.
In the past few days, Vertex Innovations Group had plummeted.
The stock price kept falling, and if it continued, the company would soon face bankruptcy.
The remaining shareholders hadn't stayed by choice; they simply hadn't managed to sell their shares in time. Now, no one wanted to buy Vertex Innovations Group shares, and even if they did, the price was ridiculously low.
Leo impatiently tapped the table. "I'm asking you a question! Why are you all silent? You usually have plenty to say."
Finally, one shareholder gathered the courage to speak. "Mr. Wendy, the company's situation is dire, similar to what happened with Silvercrest Group. Many partners are terminating their contracts."
Leo sneered. "If they want to terminate, make them pay the penalty fees."
"But they refuse to pay... They said if we want compensation, we should sue them. They can afford to drag it out, but Vertex Innovations Group can't."
This clearly meant they intended to drag Vertex Innovations Group into bankruptcy, making the penalty fees irrelevant.
"If they won't pay, then follow the contract and deliver the products. If they return them, deliver them again later. We'll see who outlasts whom!"
The shareholders felt bitter. If Vertex Innovations Group wasn't mired in the scandal of stealing Silvercrest Group's core secrets, they might have time to drag it out. But now... Vertex Innovations Group couldn't afford it.
"Mr. Wendy, the stock price has plummeted these past few days. If it keeps falling, the company will soon go bankrupt. Even if we want to drag it out with the partners, we need to resolve the scandal of you colluding with former Silvercrest Group shareholders to steal their core secrets first."
Leo's face was dark, and he didn't respond.
The conference room fell silent, with only the sound of their slightly heavy breathing.
"Alright, I understand. For now, handle the documents piled up in my office. I'll figure out the PR issues. I won't let Vertex Innovations Group fall!"
His words did little to reassure the shareholders, who still lacked confidence.
From Leo's expression, it seemed the scandal of stealing Silvercrest Group's core secrets was true.
No wonder... they had produced the Galaxy Chip so quickly.
If Silvercrest Group had evidence, just the theft of their chip data would bankrupt Vertex Innovations Group.
"Okay."
Seeing the shareholders' grim faces, Leo waved them off. "Alright, you can go."
Their expressions soured Leo's mood even more.
The shareholders left one by one, and soon Leo was alone in the conference room.
He sat there for a long time before returning to his office.
With limited time on bail, he had to make every second count.
Back in his office, he immediately called in his secretary.
"Check how much liquid capital Vertex Innovations Group has right now."
In less than ten minutes, the secretary returned with an answer.
"Mr. Wendy, Vertex Innovations Group currently has $578 million in liquid capital."
Leo took a deep breath and coldly said, "Transfer all that money to this account."
He handed the secretary a piece of paper with a string of numbers that looked like a bank account.
The secretary's fingers turned slightly white as she took the paper. "Mr. Wendy, if we transfer all the liquid capital, the company will be unable to operate within a week. Are you sure?"
"Do as I say. I'll handle the company."
The secretary hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Mr. Wendy. I'll take care of it."
After the secretary left, Leo immediately contacted a friend abroad to arrange a helicopter.
Given Vertex Innovations Group's situation, Silvercrest Group wouldn't let him off easily.
He knew the evidence Seb had submitted was enough to keep him in prison for life.
Clyde could only delay for a day or two at most. He had to leave before the police came for him again.
But there was one more thing he needed to do before leaving.
Leo's face darkened as he thought, and his eyes grew cold.
In the Silvercrest Group president's office.
Paul knocked and entered with a file. "Mr. Smith, I just got word that Leo was bailed out by his lawyer this morning."
Seb paused his signing and looked up. "Where did he go after that?"
"Straight from the police station to Vertex Innovations Group."
Seb nodded. "Got it. He'll be back in soon."
"Understood, Mr. Smith. Should we have someone keep an eye on him?"
"Yes."
After Paul left, Seb finished signing the documents and picked up another file to review.
Around 3 PM, Seb called Sharon to let her know he would be working late.
"Sharon, you and Demetrius don't need to wait for me for dinner tonight. I'll be home late."
Sharon's gentle voice came through the phone, "Then I'll have Dana pack up some food, and Demetrius and I will come to the office to have dinner with you."
"No need, it's too much trouble for you to come all the way here. I'll be home by 8 PM at the latest, and I'm really busy right now. Even if you come, I won't have time to spend with you."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Sharon's slightly disappointed voice replied, "Alright, but make sure you eat dinner. I'll call Paul later to check if you've eaten. Don't skip meals and hurt your stomach again."
"Okay, I'll send you a picture when I eat."
"How about a video call? That way, I know you're not lying to me."
Seb smiled, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Alright, I'll call you on video when I have dinner."
"Okay, I won't disturb you anymore. See you later."
After hanging up, Sharon went to the kitchen to tell Dana to prepare fewer dishes since Seb wouldn't be home for dinner.
Dana nodded, "Got it, Ms. Roach."
Sharon returned to the living room where Demetrius was tidying up his toys, putting them into a storage box.
She knelt down to help him, "Demetrius, why did you stop playing?"
"Mom, I'm sleepy. I want to take a nap."
Seeing his drowsy eyes, Sharon said, "Alright, let's finish tidying up your toys, then you can wash your hands, and I'll take you upstairs for a nap. How does that sound?"
"Okay."
After tidying up the toys, Sharon took Demetrius to wash his hands and then put him to bed.
Just as she returned downstairs, a maid brought over a glass of orange juice.
"Ms. Roach, Dana asked me to bring you some orange juice."
Sharon frowned slightly, noticing the maid's unfamiliar face. "I haven't seen you before. Weren't you working in the kitchen?"
The maid nodded, "Yes, I was taking care of the garden before. Dana said her back was hurting today, so she asked me to help her for the day."
"Alright, just leave it on the table. I'll drink it later."
"Yes, Ms. Roach."
The maid placed the juice on the table and then headed back to the kitchen.
Sharon watched her leave, hesitating for a moment before deciding to follow her to the kitchen. Just then, her phone rang.
Seeing it was Seb, she answered. "What's up?"
"Sharon, I left an important document in the study. Can you bring it to me? I need it for a meeting in forty minutes, and Paul won't have time to get it."
Sharon turned and headed to the study, "What document? Where is it in the study?"
"It should be in the second drawer on the left side of the desk. It's a bidding document."
Sharon entered the study, opened the drawer, and found the document. "Is it the Westside Angel City bidding document?"
"Yes, that's the one."
"Alright, I'll bring it over right away."
After hanging up, Sharon took the document and asked the driver to take her to Silvercrest Group.
Half an hour later, Sharon arrived at Silvercrest Group.
As she waited for the elevator, her phone rang again.
Seeing the caller ID, she smiled and answered, "I'm already downstairs. I'll be up in ten minutes..."
Seb's urgent voice interrupted her, "Sharon, Demetrius has been taken by Leo!"
"What?"
The document slipped from Sharon's hand, her mind going blank for a moment.
Regaining her composure, she clutched her phone tightly, "What are you talking about? Demetrius is at home taking a nap... How could Leo have taken him?"
"I'm coming down right now. Wait for me downstairs." Seb hung up abruptly.
Sharon stood there, disbelief and confusion in her eyes.
How could Demetrius have been taken by Leo?
She quickly dialed the house phone, her grip on the phone tightening.
The call went unanswered, and Sharon's heart sank.
She then tried calling Dana, but there was no answer either.
Suddenly, she remembered the unfamiliar maid who had brought her the orange juice.
She had been suspicious of the maid, but Seb's call had distracted her.
Sharon's face turned pale.
If she had been more cautious, maybe Demetrius wouldn't be in danger now.
"Sharon! Sharon!"
Seb's voice snapped her back to reality. She looked up to see Seb's anxious face, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Seb... Did Leo really take Demetrius? Are you joking? You're lying to me, right?"
Seb's expression was just as grim, "No... The house reported that shortly after you left, Demetrius was taken."
"It's all my fault... If I had been more careful and noticed something was off with that maid, this wouldn't have happened."
The thought of Demetrius being taken while she was on her way to Silvercrest Group tore at Sharon's heart.
Seb quickly hugged her, "Sharon, this isn't your fault! I got word that Leo planned to kidnap both you and Demetrius. If I hadn't asked you to bring the document, you both would have been taken."
"I'd rather we both were taken. Demetrius is only five... He must be so scared right now."
Sharon cried, tears streaming down her face, her emotions overwhelming her.
She pushed Seb away and started to leave, "I need to find Demetrius... I have to do something, or I'll go crazy!"
Seb stepped in front of her, "Sharon, calm down. We need to wait for information. As soon as we get a lead, we'll go get Demetrius, okay?"
Sharon's face was pale, "How can Leo possibly give Demetrius back to us?"
"Wait... I have his number. I'll call him right now." She picked up her phone and dialed Leo's number.
After a few rings, Leo answered.
"Sharon, I've been waiting for your call."
"Leo, where did you take Demetrius? Give him back to me!"
Leo chuckled softly, "Sharon, don't worry. Demetrius is fine. He'd be even better if you were here with him."
He had planned to take both Sharon and Demetrius, but Sharon's unexpected departure had only allowed him to take Demetrius.
But it didn't matter. As long as he had Demetrius, Sharon would come to him.
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