Chapter 35
"Don't sweat over my love life, kid. You'd better focus on your own. Or how about making a marriage celebration alongside the corporation's 80th celebration?"
Louis, who was already reluctant to entertain the idea of marrying Xena, found his uncle Raymond always brought up the very topic he wanted to avoid.
"Raymond, no need to trouble yourself about my marriage plans." With no good way out, Louis could only respond, "Grandpa and Mom will handle everything just fine."
Without commenting, Raymond merely gave Charles a look, prompting him to push his wheelchair out of the room.
As he rolled away, Raymond left behind a curious remark, "Starting today, I will be temporarily using the Chairman’s office next door for my project."
At the doorway, Raymond paused, leaving Louis in shock. Was Raymond planning on occupying the Chairman’s office? That had always been Bradley's office, the formal Chairman. Though he hadn't been actively managing the company's affairs for years and the office had remained vacant, Raymond’s move felt like an encroachment on Louis's territory as the legitimate CEO of Hawke Corporation. It was just an office, but it sent a potent message to everyone in the company.
Feeling his authority undermined, Louis’s temper flared and he stormed after Raymond, out past the wide-eyed secretarial staff.
"You plan to use the Chairman's office just like that? What would Grandpa say..." Louis started, but Raymond turned, fixing him with a weary glance.
"Why don't you call and ask for his opinion?" Raymond suggested dryly.
Louis stopped in his tracks, suddenly remembering his uncle was Bradley’s beloved grandson, the apple of his eye after the untimely death of his father; Raymond was Bradley's last standing jewel.
What was one Chairman's office in comparison? If Raymond wished, even his position as CEO might not be secure.
Everyone in the secretarial pool stood up, their silence overwhelming, with even their breathing seeming cautious and restrained. They all knew the reputation of the uncle and nephew pair, notorious for their ruthlessness.
When Louis spoke, the implication was clear: Raymond was back at the corporate office. And not just back, he had moved straight into the Chairman's office.
Louis had stormed into the CEO's office, spent a tense session chain-smoking half a pack of cigarettes, then grabbed his car keys and headed out without a word.
Xena had been pleased to receive Louis's call. He had rarely reached out to her lately. Louis had only told her over the phone to meet him at the Sackler Group’s office, inquiring whether she would be at the company. Although Xena hesitated about meeting in the office, the prospect of seeing Louis prompted her immediate agreement.
When Louis arrived at Xena's office in the Sackler Group building, she greeted him with a coquettish smile. That smile quickly faded as Louis slammed a file on the desk before her.
Not hiding his anger, Louis confronted her, "Are you back to your old tricks again?"
Xena's smile turned into a look of wounded innocence, "Louis, what do you mean by this? I... I don't understand."
Her act of playing both innocent and pitiful did nothing but enflame Louis further as the evidence lay before her.
"Look at these accounts!" he demanded, "as the heir to the Sackler family, are you telling me you're short on cash? his voice rising with every word.
Xena felt a chill of fear, but she tried to maintain a facade of ignorance. "Louis, what are you implying? That I've been messing with the books? This is my business. Why would I do such a thing?"
Feigning sincerity, Xena picked up the folder and flipped through it briefly, then firmly denied any wrongdoing.
"Louis, just give me some time, and I promise I'll get to the bottom of this," she assured him.
Louis, infuriated, snatched back the file and said sternly, "You better have a good explanation." With that, he turned and walked out, leaving no room for argument.
After he left, Xena felt both humiliated and angry, with no desire to chase after him; instead, she released her rage by shattering objects around her office.
After blowing off steam, Xena immersed herself in her office chair, steaming in anger. "Is it really worth getting this worked up over such a measly amount? Has he lost his mind? He was all sweet and accommodating before Paige got out. Now that she's released, he started to treat me like this? It's all Paige's fault; that damn woman!"
After ranting alone for a while, an excellent idea popped into Xena's head. Grabbing her phone, she quickly shot Paige a message.
Paige had been upset that morning after missing her chance to access the special room at Mid-hill Villa. Now at midday, Xena's text felt like salt in the wound. The message left Paige’s fist clenched in a fit of anger.
Ever since Paige had agreed to be the covert operative, the silent blade for the Sackler family, all for the sake of protecting her mother, the dirty and exhausting tasks had been relentlessly pushed onto her. Paige had accepted them time after time for her mother's sake and managed each task flawlessly. Lately, she could visit her mom at the care facility anytime, but Xena's increasingly domineering attitude was grating on her. Yet she couldn't refuse.
Paige simply replied with 'Received' and pocketed her phone.
After lunch, she arrived at the designated location where Xena tossed a document envelope at her. Paige didn't bother to open it; nothing good could come from the Sacklers for her. "Cut to the chase, what do you need?" she asked directly.
Leisurely sipping her coffee, Xena casually said, "No big deal, just a minor issue. We need a scapegoat, and who better than you, Paige? Just sign your name on a few documents inside the envelope."
Such blatant exploitation! It was a shameless attempt to pass the buck to Paige.
Internally sneering, yet curious, Paige opened the envelope and instantly understood. It was a case of Xena lining her pockets, now looking to Paige to take the fall for the shortfall. Paige didn't care. The name 'Paige' wouldn't matter to her much longer anyway. Any legal consequences wouldn't be traced back to Xanthe Ellison.
Paige decisively picked up the pen and signed.
Returning the pen to Xena Sackler, the question was asked in a low voice, "An heiress to the Sackler business really hurting for a mere few million dollars? Xena, your grandmother adores you, and she must have given you quite a sum. Let's just speculate where all your cash has been going, shall we?"
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