Chapter 189 This Was a Red Flag
Xena didn't waste any time and dialed a number. "Paige, I'm getting the top brass from Universe Group here right now. I'm gonna expose you for the fraud you are."
As soon as she hung up, her call to Lincoln went through.
Lately, Xena had been trying to get in good with Universe Group, making things a bit murky with Lincoln. But for now, it was just that—murky. Xena wasn't one to get involved unless there was something in it for her. Still, when she asked Lincoln to come to the hotel ASAP, he didn't think twice.
Paige sat there, cool as a cucumber. She came here as Xanthe to face Margaret and Xena, and she wasn't about to back down.
The security guards were at a loss, seeing the whole scene unfold. Even as outsiders, they had a rough idea that Paige, the one the Sackler family wanted out of the private room, was probably their boss.
The guards who had tried to force Paige and her crew out earlier were now dead silent.
Xena and Margaret seemed to forget the guards were even there. After Xena made the call, they just waited.
Paige wasn't in a rush. The only thing bugging her was that it was mealtime, and she was getting hungry. But the food still hadn't shown up.
Pearl, who'd been with Paige for a while, noticed and figured she might be hungry.
Paige usually ate on time, but today, she missed her meal.
Pearl walked over to Paige. "Xanthe, why don't you eat first? We can deal with them when they get here."
Paige stood up. "Alright."
As Paige was about to leave, Margaret shot Xena a look, clearly not wanting them to go.
Xena blocked Paige. "No one's leaving until we sort this out."
Paige smirked. "With those intentions, do you have any other options now?"
As CEO of Universe Group, Paige was way out of the Sackler family's league.
Xena couldn't believe it; if Paige was the CEO, she was done for. Even after Paige spoke, Xena had no plans to let her leave the room.
Margaret stepped up too. "It's better to clear things up today. Paige, do you know the consequences of impersonation and forging documents?"
Margaret's mind was racing. She thought Paige probably wasn't Xanthe at all. If that was the case, they could catch Paige in a lie.
When the results came out, Xena could refuse to donate a kidney to Luna, and Paige wouldn't dare refuse. So, Margaret wasn't letting Paige leave.
Seeing this, Paige got even more annoyed, especially since she was already a bit hungry. She couldn't believe they were stopping her, let alone delaying her meal.
Paige pulled out her phone and sat back down. "I almost forgot. I bought some shares of the Sackler Group's home furnishing brand to get my mom out. These shares have been sitting idle for so long, but now they might come in handy."
Paige opened an app on her phone. The recent returns looked pretty good, but that wasn't her main concern.
After a few taps, she saw it was still early and the market hadn't opened yet. But that didn't stop her.
With a few more taps, Paige leaked some info, hinting she'd sell the Sackler Group's shares as soon as the market opened.
Margaret was floored. " You bought shares of the Sackler Group?"
The Sackler family had its roots in the furniture business, which was their initial goldmine before they branched out into other ventures. But they always kept a stronghold in the furniture industry, which had been their safety net through every crisis.
So when Paige mentioned the furniture company, Margaret and Xena got instantly nervous.
Xena glared at Paige. "Why did you buy the Sackler Group's shares? What are you up to? Paige, I'm warning you: stay away from us. Don't even think about touching our shares."
Paige suddenly laughed. "Stay away? Sure! I'll sell them as soon as the market opens."
When Paige said she'd sell the Sackler family's shares at the market opening, Margaret and Xena both sighed in relief, not realizing it was a red flag.Paige wouldn't make them feel at ease. This move was a warning to the Sackler family if she couldn't take Luna. Unexpectedly, she took Luna without using it. Now, the shares were coming in handy.
About half an hour later, Lincoln showed up.
As soon as he walked into the private room, Lincoln first saw Xena and Margaret. While greeting them, he didn't notice Pearl standing behind Paige.
Lincoln, tall and elegant in a suit that made him look refined, was someone Paige had seen in photos before, so his appearance wasn't unfamiliar to her.
Recently, Lincoln had been in an ambiguous relationship with Xena, and he immediately went to her side. "What's going on? Haven't had dinner yet? Why are the security guards here?"
Xena, clearly annoyed, said, "I called you to help expose a fraud."
Lincoln repeated. "A fraud?"
As Lincoln spoke, his eyes scanned the room. When he finished, his gaze shifted from the security guards to Pearl behind Paige. Stunned, he quickly walked towards Pearl, showing his respect while barely acknowledging Paige.
Lincoln asked, "Mrs. Southern, what are you doing here?"
Pearl stepped out from behind Paige and answered, "Of course, Miss Sackler begged us to come."
Lincoln, being a high-ranking executive of the Universe Group, immediately caught the key point and realized Pearl wasn't here alone.
At this moment, Lincoln's gaze fell on Paige. Given Pearl's status in the Universe Group, she was only standing beside Xena. Lincoln glanced at Xena, confused, wondering if this was the fraud Xena was referring to.
