CHAPTER 331
Arianna was still deep in sleep when the sharp sound of her phone ringing abruptly woke her up.
She hadn’t been sleeping soundly and jolted awake after a few rings, her eyes snapping open. She stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, her mind sluggishly catching up with her surroundings.
It took her a moment to remember she was in a hotel, a place where Xander had brought her the night before.
She reached for her phone and was surprised to see that the call was from someone she hadn’t expected—Ronald.
For a second, she wondered if she had mistakenly grabbed Xander’s phone, but a quick check reassured her that it was her own.
Confused, she glanced beside her, noticing an indentation in the bed where someone had been lying, but Xander was nowhere to be found.
Ronald never called her without a reason, and that made her uneasy. Something must have happened.
Arianna frowned slightly as she swiped her finger on the screen to pick up the call.
“Hello?”
But there was no immediate response. She repeated her greeting several times, but all she could hear were muffled, animated voices speaking in a foreign accent.
What was going on?
Arianna wondered if Ronald had dialled the wrong number by accident.
The accent was familiar to her, a result of her time spent abroad, and it sounded as though a meeting was taking place. Not wanting to eavesdrop on something that might be confidential, she hesitated to stay on the line.
However, just as she was about to hang up, a voice with a strong accent spoke,
"Mr. King, it's half past nine in your country, and the stock market is now open. As you can see, the shares of the King Corporation plummeted after you defended your wife. We might even hit the price limit today! This will inevitably affect my company as well."
The voice paused before continuing in a more commanding tone,
"I’m giving you two choices. You either step forward and distance yourself from your wife to protect the interests and image of the King Corporation, or I’ll terminate our partnership and demand compensation according to our contract terms!"
After another brief pause, the voice grew firmer.
"When I say ‘distance yourself,’ I mean it literally. You must announce a divorce and sever all ties with her. That’s the only way to truly free yourself from her influence!"
‘Divorce…’
The word rang out sharply in Arianna’s ears, making her grip the phone tightly.
She now understood why Xander had left early that morning—he’d had to attend an urgent meeting at the King Corporation. The voice, no doubt, belonged to Michael Holt, the CEO of SVR Group. Given that both the King Group and SVR Group were key business allies, it was clear that Xander and the Black Corporation had to consider SVR Group's interests seriously.
Inside the conference room at the King Corporation, the directors' conversation turned to harsh criticisms of Arianna.
"I can't understand why Mr. King would choose to be with a woman who's brought nothing but scandal. It's one thing after another with her!"
"That's right. Now that she's married to him, her priority should be managing the household instead of creating chaos. She’s already stirred up so much trouble, and now she's dragging others into it too. A wife like that is bound to bring disaster to everyone around her."
One of the directors looked directly at Xander and said,
“Mr King, a woman like her will only bring ruin to you and everyone in your orbit. You need to cut ties with her before it’s too late, or else—”
Xander’s icy gaze met the man’s, and in an instant, the room seemed to freeze. The director felt an invisible weight around his throat, his breath becoming shallow as the words stuck in his mouth.
Rising to his feet, Xander placed his hands on the table, his eyes cold and unwavering. With a voice sharp as a blade, he declared,
“I will not divorce her, nor will I distance myself from her. That is not up for debate.”
An uproar broke out immediately.
The expressions on those from Michael’s side grew darker with each passing moment.
No one expected Xander to respond so arrogantly in that situation.
Claude Kim, one of the directors, slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"Mr. King, are you willing to risk the company’s interests and everyone’s futures over this? Do you want to let everything fall apart because of your wife?"
Claude had always resented Xander's authority, feeling his ambitions thwarted by Xander's constant dominance.
He had been forced to tolerate Xander in the past, recognizing his brilliance and the undeniable success he brought to the company.
But now, the stakes were higher—the survival of the King Corporation was on the line. If he could seize this opportunity to turn the tide and undermine Xander, he could potentially position himself as the one in control of the company.
With that thought in mind, Claude raised his voice again.
“Am I not speaking the truth, directors? If Mr. King wants to follow his destructive path with his wife. Let him. But why should the rest of us suffer because of his choices?”
Ronald's fists tightened, rage boiling inside him as he absorbed Claude's inflammatory remarks.
It was clear that Claude was exploiting Xander's situation, shamelessly trying to stir the pot and rally the crowd against him.
The others quickly chimed in, nodding along like mindless sheep.
In a cutthroat world obsessed with profit, it’s no surprise that people prioritize their gain over anything else.
Yet, Xander remained unfazed, a chilling smirk playing on his lips. He spoke with a calmness that cut through the tension, “I’ll buy all your shares at double the current price. If you’re so desperate to cut ties with me, take the cash, shut your mouths, and get lost.”
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