Chapter 310

The office of Dawson Enterprises felt eerily silent, like a tomb waiting to be sealed. Employees sat frozen at their workstations, exchanging nervous whispers and stealing furtive glances toward the conference room. The air was heavy with the unspoken truth - the company was on the brink of collapse.

The conference room doors stood slightly open, revealing a gathering of anxious shareholders. They slumped in leather chairs, chain-smoking with restless energy, their faces drawn with defeat. When Richard and Daphne entered, the shareholders sprang to life. They rushed forward like drowning men spotting a life raft. "Richard! Thank God you're here!"

"What's the plan? The defective products have triggered massive lawsuits! Clients are demanding compensation! Are we supposed to just take this loss? What did the suppliers say?"

"I thought you were handling negotiations with them?" Richard avoided their accusing stares, rubbing his nose nervously. He couldn't confront the suppliers - not when he'd accepted their bribes.

Daphne smoothly stepped forward, flashing her practiced socialite smile. "Everyone, please remain calm. Richard shares your concerns completely. As majority shareholder, he has the most to lose. That's why he's brought Vivian here to help resolve this crisis."

Her words seemed to bolster Richard's confidence. He straightened his tie with false bravado. "Exactly. My daughter is here now. And need I remind you all - her husband is Adrian Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood Group. A situation like this is child's play for him."

All eyes turned to Vivian. Their initial anger momentarily gave way to surprise. Vivian stood apart from the others, radiating quiet authority that commanded attention. They'd only known Natasha before - a pretty socialite dripping in designer labels but lacking substance. Now they understood why Vivian, not Natasha, had married into the powerful Blackwood family.

But admiration quickly gave way to desperation. With bankruptcy looming, there was no time for niceties. The shareholders exchanged meaningful looks before their appointed spokesman stepped forward. "Ms. Hartley," he began cautiously, "the company faces catastrophic liabilities. To restart operations, we'll need significant capital injection."

"How much is Blackwood Group willing to invest?"

Vivian didn't answer immediately. She walked calmly to an empty chair and sat with deliberate grace, crossing her legs with effortless elegance. "Business is business," she said coolly. "Investing now would be charity. Blackwood Group doesn't do handouts. Why should they clean up someone else's mess?"

The shareholders froze, their hopeful expressions crumbling. Muttered protests began rippling through the room. "Are you serious?" one finally exploded. "You think you can bully us just because you married into the Blackwoods? We won't take this lying down! If you're not here to help, why bother coming at all?"

Richard's face flushed crimson with humiliation. He shot Vivian a venomous glare. "I thought you came to fix this! Why are you making things worse?"

Vivian remained unshaken, her composure unbreakable as she met his gaze. "I never said I came to fix your problems." She leaned back slightly, her voice calm and measured. "I'm here to make an offer."

"What kind of offer?" another shareholder asked, his anger giving way to cautious interest. The others exchanged wary glances, their frustration tempered by growing curiosity.

Though the youngest in the room, Vivian carried herself with the same commanding presence as the seasoned executives surrounding her. She'd learned well from Adrian's composed leadership style. Unlike Richard's blustering, her quiet confidence spoke volumes about who truly held power here.

With perfect poise, Vivian delivered her ultimatum: "When this company declares bankruptcy, those shares you're clinging to will become worthless. Wouldn't it be smarter to sell them to me now - while they still have some value?"