Chapter 443 What Has He Become Now?
All the top executives were in the conference room, barely daring to breathe.
Katniss, dressed in a sharp black business suit, strode into the room with confidence. She looked at the tense faces of the executives and spoke first.
"First off, I owe you all an apology. I've been dealing with some personal stuff and haven't been able to manage the company properly, which has caused some trouble. I'll handle the shareholders' concerns, so don't worry. Right now, we need to focus on damage control and prepare for the worst-case scenario."
Katniss took full responsibility, and the relieved executives quickly began brainstorming solutions.
After a grueling three-hour meeting, they came up with a preliminary protection plan.
As soon as the meeting ended, Katniss headed straight to the shareholders' meeting, where she was harshly criticized. They claimed a woman like her couldn't handle big responsibilities and that her issues had led to significant company problems.
"Have we identified the insider yet?"
"The entire project team should be punished!"
"I propose that once this issue is resolved, we should overhaul everyone involved in this project," someone else added, implying that all the technical and planning staff should be fired.
Katniss immediately countered, "We can't replace them. This project is their hard work. The traitor is the real culprit. If we replace innocent people, it would be like killing the donkey after it has done its work, demoralizing everyone."
Her words sparked another round of heated criticism, with some even threatening her position.
"If I step down, who among you will take my place?" Katniss challenged, patting the chair beside her. "Who dares to take over from Tristan?"
"Don't bring him into this. Look at the state he's in now," a shareholder retorted disdainfully.
Katniss's expression turned icy. "No matter his condition, he's still beyond your reach! If you want to oust me, consider the foundation he built for me. If you want a share of Zenith Group's profits, stay. If not, leave now. I'm not forcing anyone to stay."
She slammed the table, her cold gaze sweeping over the shareholders, who didn't dare to meet her eyes.
Katniss's presence reminded them of Tristan's formidable aura.
"If this project fails, we'll all share the losses. We make money together, we lose money together. If anyone is unwilling, they can withdraw their investment now. Contact Ryan if you want out."
With that, Katniss turned and strode out of the conference room.
Outside, Ryan, who had been in a small village for a while, quickly followed her. He had rushed back overnight upon hearing about the sudden incident at Zenith Group, intending to assess the situation before reporting to Katniss.
But he hadn't expected things to be this serious.
The two entered the office, and Ryan stood in front of the desk, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, Ms. Grey, it's my fault..."
"It's not your fault," Katniss interrupted. "It's my oversight. How's the project in the village going?"
"The project is progressing smoothly. Your decision was spot on. The resort is visibly profitable," Ryan reported concisely.
He hesitated before asking, "Won't your approach upset the shareholders?"
Without looking up, Katniss replied, "Some of them are already wavering. If I show any weakness, they'll quickly take over Zenith Group, making it even harder to manage."
The person behind the scenes was still looking for an opportunity, whether to swallow Zenith Group whole or bring it down.
"Thanks for all your hard work," Katniss said, noticing Ryan's tanned and roughened skin from his time in the village. "Your year-end bonus will be doubled. You don't need to go back there. Focus on the project here."
Ryan nodded, hesitated, and then said, "Mr. Forbes..."
Ryan occasionally contacted Tristan for updates, but recently, he hadn't been able to reach him. He didn't dare ask Katniss what had happened.
Seeing Katniss now, with such a major issue at Zenith Group and Tristan still absent, Ryan couldn't help but ask.
"Tristan has taken the antidote and is still recovering. It's uncertain how long it will take," Katniss said, unable to admit she wasn't sure if Tristan would wake up.
Ryan retrieved a shopping bag from his suitcase and placed it on the desk in front of Katniss. "Maddy gave this to me. She found it in Mr. Forbes's room after he left the village."
Katniss opened the bag to find several small wooden carvings, their edges smooth. Some were cartoon characters, others were small animals. One, darker than the rest, depicted a large and small figure together.
Tristan had once taken a photo of Katniss and Evie, similar to this carving. Katniss gently traced the carving, feeling how Tristan must have clung to it during his time in the village.
She sniffed, tears falling unexpectedly, blurring her vision.
"Ms. Grey, someone is manipulating things behind the scenes. I've ordered an investigation and will report back as soon as we find anything. You should get some rest," Ryan suggested, seeing Katniss's poor state.
Katniss took a deep breath, dabbed her eyes with tissues, and said, "I think the other side will make a move soon. Have the PR department initiate emergency measures and reassure everyone involved in the project. Find the culprit."
She packed the carvings back into the bag. "I'm going to the hospital."
Despite her resolve to visit the hospital less frequently, Katniss found she couldn't stay away for long. She wanted Emory and Nicholas to return to their normal lives, but she discovered they had just visited.
The nurse said Emory and Nicholas had stayed in the room for over an hour, doing nothing, then left.
Katniss sat down and took out the carvings, arranging them on the table. Finally, she placed the one of her and Evie in Tristan's hand.
"Wood doesn't feel like much. When you wake up, holding me and Evie will feel more real."
She pressed Tristan's hand around the carving and tucked it closer to the bed so it wouldn't fall if his grip loosened.
Then she went to the bathroom to get a basin of water to clean him up.
As soon as she left, Tristan's hand twitched, and the carving rolled off the bed, hitting the floor.
Katniss froze, then spun around.
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