Chapter 61


    Chapter 61 Chapter Sixty One


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    His breathing was harsh as he spoke, “Thank Goodness. I thought you wouldn’t be in.” “What is it


    this time?” I asked numbly. I couldn’t even think straight anymore.


    “The Luxe vogue logistics and warehousing partners called,’ he said as he spread out papers on my


    table. “They’ve raised their fees so they’re demanding a year’s fee in advance or we could as well


    look for other partners.”


    Grace and I exchanged nces. Grace abruptly stood up. “I can’t do this right now. I can’t! You’ll


    meet in the conference room, she erupted and stormed out of the door.


    I watched her leave. It was insane, all of these things that were happening. It was all happening in a


    blur that it was hard to keep track.


    “Tell them we would pay,” I told the ountant. They should give us some days.” Then I muttered


    under my breath, “this isn’t the best time to start sourcing for new partners. Luxe vogue is literally in


    ruins.”


    I dragged my feet to the conference room when the time for the meeting came. There were just the


    HR manager, two shareholders, the ountant, Grace and me.


    The shareholder who called for the meeting went straight to the point. His face was squeezed in


    rage as she spoke, “What is this I hear of you losing employees and your partners pulling out?” “It’s


    just a minor issue that we are working on. It will be sorted out soon and they wille to work and


    partner with us again. I tried to assure him.


    But he was adamant. ‘Soon?!” He erupted, “Soon? Is it until you finally go bankrupt? Till the


    company is seized and closed down?”


    “I assure you, we are not going bankrupt, M-” the ountant tried but he was interrupted. “I don’t


    want to hear assurances! I want to see results!”


    “Mr-


    “Don’t call my name!” He yelled. “I give you three days! Three days! If I don’t hear good news. then


    I’m afraid of what I will do.” Then he stormed out.


    The other shareholder who had remained solemn and remained silent all the while slowly rose- from


    his seat. He pinned me with an unfathomable gaze, “I won’t give you an ultimatum but I want to see


    improvement.”


    I forced a smile and nodded. “Thank you.”


    After the door closed behind him, we all exchanged nces. We just broke a record.


    We just held the shortest meeting ever!


    Secondster, everyone solemnly exited the conference room. So it was just Grace and I.


    I turned to Grace, she had remained silent all through the meeting. “Are you okay?”


    The question had sl*pped out of my m*uth before I knew what I was saying. It was the most stupid


    question ever.


    She scoffed, her gaze pinned on the table, “I can’t believe you just asked me that question.” Then


    she raised her head and looked at me, “What do we do, Sydney?”


    My heart broke as I looked at her, her eyes were red and they glinted with unshed tears. Then I


    realized that she must have cried in her office beforeing for the meeting.


    “Grace,” I cooed and quickly pushed my chair back. I rushed to her side and sat in the seat beside


    hers. I faced her and held her hands.


    “We have to remain strong, babe, I squeezed her hands infort, “This is just a phase.” Tears slid


    down her eyes as she just looked at me then in seconds she was sobbing seriously. I hugged her


    head to my ch*st and gently caressed her hair.


    As I listened to her cry and absentmindedly patted her on the back and rubbed her hair, I


    Chapter 61 Chapter Sixty One


    wondered what was happening. The supplier’s words came back to me and I tried to figure out who


    could be behind all of this. What was their aim?


    Grace’s trembling voice brought my attention back to her. Her eyes were already puffy as she


    turned her gaze to me, “I remember apany wanted to acquire us before.” She sniffed and I


    frowned.


    “Why don’t we just sell thepany to them? Let’s just sell it off while we still can. I really don’t


    want to end up with nothing. Her voice started to quiver as she spoke, I’m sorry but I’m really scared


    of being poor again. I don’t even want to imagine going through those hard times again. I can’t,” she


    shook her head deliriously and her grip on the side of my dress tightened, “I can’t go back to those


    days.


    She started to cry again and Iforted her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. We’re in this together. Let’s


    keep holding on. Whoever is behind all this will eventually show themselves. Then we’ll know what


    to do.” I made her face me and I firmly held her gaze, “Don’t worry, this is not the time to panic. This


    is the time to remain strong and keep our hopes alive.”


    Grace sniffed and nodded, huping. “Okay.”


    It’s been days of receiving bad news and the worry and fear was anxiously eating away at me. I


    might have assured Grace that everything would be fine but I wasn’t so sure anymore. I told her not


    to panic but it was the exact thing I was doing. My grips on the handles of the cups were so tight


    that I was surprised that there were no broken cups or mugs yet and my hands wouldn’t stop


    shaking.


    As each night morphed into another day, so did my hope morphed into despair. I couldn’t watch a


    company we’ve worked so hard to build just copse in the blink of an eye yet there was nothing I


    could do.


    No matter how much we promised our partners or suppliers, they were adamant on pulling out. I


    had even desperately promised the shareholders a higher dividend and the investors a higher


    return on investment even though I was well aware that it might cripple thepany in the long run


    but they all refused. They just didn’t want to have anything to do with Luxe Vogue.


    I flinched, almost jumping out of my chair when Grace burst into my room. I held my ch*st as I


    watched her drop herptop before me. “What happened?”


    “I can see you haven’t checked our business mails. We just received a purchase proposal!”


    I turned in my seat and stared, wide eyed, at the amount in the mail.


    “Five million dors?!” Grace and I said simultaneously. Mine came out confused and shocked while


    Grace sounded ecstatic.


    “Sydney,I’m sorry but we will sell Luxe Vogue. We can start over with this payment.” “What about


    our Goodwill? The image we’ve built all these years,” I started to argue but I derailed. “Wait, who


    wants thepany? Who is willing toy this much for apany that’s slowly deteriorating?”


    It hurt to refer to ourpany like that but it was the truth.


    Grace shrugged. “I don’t know. I read it but I don’t remember. My senses must have deleted it when


    I saw the amount they were willing…” she trailed off as we both saw the acquirer.


    My blood ran cold and I gritted. It was Mark’s f**kingpany – GT Group!


    “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Grace asked, her voice trembling in anger – I hope. “They


    offered a hundred million dors before!”


    “It all seems clear now. They manipted everything and now they want to take advantage of the


    situation.”


    “Goddamn!” Grace blurted out and started to pace the room, her hand gripping her hair.


    I sneered, my gaze pinned on thepany’s name of the proposal mail. “Grace, just wait,” I bit out


    bitterly, “I will teach that bastard a lesson and let him know that we are not to be trifled with!”