Chapter 501


    It happened to be 9.00AM when Leanna arrived at the first floor of the Crossley Group.


    There was still one hour left before the meeting started. She came earlier so that she could understand


    thepany''s internal situation better.


    However, before she even opened the car door, she noticed a group of employees asking to be paid


    their sries squatting at the entrance of thepany. They held banners and signs as they


    denounced the Crossley Group.


    Aidan had already predicted this.


    Turning her head, Leanna asked, "What should we do now?"


    "Let''s get out of the car," Aidan suggested.


    As soon as Leanna appeared at thepany''s entrance, someone yelled, "It''s her! She''s Lloyd


    Crossley''s daughter! We need to get our money from her!"


    The group was already rushing over to surround Leanna the moment they heard those words.


    Upon seeing this, Aidan''s bodyguards immediately stepped forward and stopped them from


    approaching.


    The ce became extremely rowdy following themotion.


    Aidan swiftly pulled Leanna into his arms. Despite having to face the angry crowd, he neither told them


    to stop nor restrained them. He only put up with them quietly.


    It was currently rush hour. Passersby huddled over to see what was happening when they heard the


    bigmotion.


    Jimmy, who was in the building of the Crossley Group, immediately frowned when he saw this. "What is


    he doing here?" he asked.


    "President Pearson has always thought highly of himself. It''s not surprising that he woulde,"


    Raymond answered as he stood beside Jimmy.


    Jimmy scoffed in response. "This is Crossley Group''s business and yet, someone from the Pearson


    Group is intervening. I doubt Leanna can gain a foothold within thepany."


    Jimmy was the one who arranged for the people currently outside thepany to be there. His initial


    n was to trap Leanna there so that she knew she couldn''t just waltz her way into the Crossley


    Group. It was also a warning for her to drop her attitude.


    He would then wait for the right time to appear and dissolve the crowd while he promised them on


    behalf of the Crossley Group to be responsible for everyone. It would be a nice boost to his reputation if


    he sessfully cracked the whip.


    However, judging from the current situation, he could neither stay in the building nor go out.


    At the same time, Aidan calmly asked when themotion had died down, "Are you done?"


    The people in the crowd looked at each other. They seemed to be pondering whether to continue with


    their protest.


    Aidan added, "Is the loudest person going to get the highest sry?"


    "Ha! How can you say that? We are here because we want justice. Are we not supposed to make a


    sound even though Lloyd Crossley ripped us off?"


    "But Lloyd Crossley died twenty years ago. Surely he didn''t appear in everyone''s dreams or


    something?"


    "But Lloyd Crossley died twenty years ago. Surely he didn''t appear in everyone''s dreams or


    something?"


    The person who refuted Aidan immediately flushed red.


    Someone quickly roared again, "Who cares if it''s Lloyd Crossley or Leroy Crossley? It doesn''t change


    the fact that the Crossley Group owes us money. We want to—"


    "What? Drag the Crossley Group down with you?"


    "That''s an overstatement. We only want our money!"


    Aidan''s face remained emotionless when he questioned, "Is this how you should act when asking for


    due sry?"


    The crowd fell silent when they heard that.


    They were only here under Jimmy''s instructions to kick up a fuss at the entrance. They didn''t think they


    would need to answer questions like this.


    Furthermore, Aidan was so intimidating they could hardly breathe even though he was only standing


    there.


    They knew they were no match for him in terms of arguing.


    Just as they struggled to answer him, Leanna lightly informed them, "I''m aware that there have been


    many incidents regarding the Crossley Grouptely and that everyone has been affected or


    inconvenienced one way or another. I am here to solve these problems."


    She paused briefly before continuing, "I promise that the Crossley Group will adequately handle


    everything, but I hope that everyone who is involved can give me time to get things moving. I will need


    to approach the problems step by step. You will only make things worse by gathering and causing a


    disturbance here. It''s unfair for the victims who are quietly waiting for a solution."


    She could hear many sounds of approval from outside the crowd as soon as she said that.


    At some point, reporters appeared at the scene.


    Seeing this, the crowd who was protesting started to worry about getting themselves in trouble, and


    they hurried off without saying another word.


    Thepany''s entrance was empty in no time.


    It was only then that Aidan let Leanna go. "I''ve miscalcted," he murmured with a chuckle.


    Confused, she turned to look at him. "What?"


    "You would have handled that perfectly even if I wasn''t here."


    She raised her eyebrows. "You''replimenting me?"


    "Is it not obvious?"


    Leanna smiled in return. She would have to disagree with what Aidan said. In fact, she didn''t expect all


    this to happen. She would have been eaten alive by the unexpected crowd.


    If it weren''t for Aidan being beside her, she wouldn''t have beenposed enough to say what she


    said.


    He then looked at the entrance of the Crossley Group and said, "I won''t be able to go in with you."


    "I can handle this." She nodded.


    As soon as she said that, a voice rang out from beside them. "Am I… invisible to you?"


    "But Lloyd Crosy diad twanty yaars ago. Suraly ha didn''t appaar in avaryona''s draams or


    somathing?"


    Tha parson who rafutad Aidan immadiataly flushad rad.


    Somaona quickly roarad again, "Who caras if it''s Lloyd Crosy or Laroy Crosy? It doasn''t changa


    tha fact that tha Crosy Group owas us monay. Wa want to—"


    "What? Drag tha Crosy Group down with you?"


    "That''s an ovarstatamant. Wa only want our monay!"


    Aidan''s faca ramainad amotioss whan ha quastionad, "Is this how you should act whan asking for


    dua sry?"


    Tha crowd fall snt whan thay haard that.


    Thay wara only hara undar Jimmy''s instructions to kick up a fuss at tha antranca. Thay didn''t think thay


    would naad to answar quastions lika this.


    Furtharmora, Aidan was so intimidating thay could hardly braatha avan though ha was only standing


    thara.


    Thay knaw thay wara no match for him in tarms of arguing.


    Just as thay strugd to answar him, Laanna lightly informad tham, "I''m awara that thara hava baan


    many incidants ragarding tha Crosy Grouptaly and that avaryona has baan affactad or


    inconvaniancad ona way or anothar. I am hara to solva thasa proms."


    Sha pausad briafly bafora continuing, "I promisa that tha Crosy Group will adaquataly han


    avarything, but I hopa that avaryona who is involvad can giva ma tima to gat things moving. I will naad


    to approach tha proms stap by stap. You will only maka things worsa by gatharing and causing a


    disturbanca hara. It''s unfair for tha victims who ara quiatly waiting for a solution."


    Sha could haar many sounds of approval from outsida tha crowd as soon as sha said that.


    At soma point, raportars appaarad at tha scana.


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    Saaing this, tha crowd who was protasting startad to worry about gatting thamsalvas in trou, and


    thay hurriad off without saying anothar word.


    Thapany''s antranca was ampty in no tima.


    It was only than that Aidant Laanna go. "I''va miscalctad," ha murmurad with a chuc.


    Confusad, sha turnad to look at him. "What?"


    "You would hava hand that parfactly avan if I wasn''t hara."


    Sha raisad har ayabrows. "You''raplimanting ma?"


    "Is it not obvious?"


    Laanna smd in raturn. Sha would hava to disagraa with what Aidan said. In fact, sha didn''t axpact all


    this to happan. Sha would hava baan aatan aliva by tha unaxpactad crowd.


    If it waran''t for Aidan baing basida har, sha wouldn''t hava baanposad anough to say what sha


    said.


    Ha than lookad at tha antranca of tha Crosy Group and said, "I won''t ba a to go in with you."


    "I can han this." Sha noddad.


    As soon as sha said that, a voica rang out from basida tham. "Am I… invisi to you?"


    Leanna was at a loss for words and when she looked in the direction the voice came from, she saw


    Freddie had appeared at some point.


    Before she could ask anything, Aidan told her, "Many of the contracts with the Crossley Group will


    involve legal issues. People can easily fool you if there''s something you''re unclear about. He can help


    you with that."


    Freddie sighed at that. "I''m an unremarkable tool for people to use, and you''re exactly the type of


    person whoes to me only when you need me."


    Aidan quietly nced over, immediately shutting Freddie up. Thetter then took a look at the time


    before he urged, "Alright, alright. We''ve wasted enough time here. Let''s go. We have to look at the


    problematic contracts first."


    Leanna turned to Aidan. "I''m off," she said.


    "Alright."


    She took a deep breath and looked away before she strode in the direction of the main entrance.


    She had just stepped into the building when Jimmy hurried over from the elevator with an apologetic


    smile on his face. "You''re here, Miss McKinney! I had something to attend to earlier, which was why I


    couldn''t personally wee you. I''m truly—"


    However, Leanna cut in, "Mr. Onder, enough with the pleasantries. Take me to my office, please."


    The smile on Jimmy''s face quickly stiffened. He nced at Freddie for a second and the look on his


    face soon fell. "Right this way, Miss McKinney."


    After they got into the elevator, Jimmy began to cotton up to Freddie. "We''ve met, Mr. Sutton. Do you


    remember me? It was at your father''s birthday celebration."


    Freddie let out a gentle smile then. "Is that so?"


    "Yes, yes."


    "But it''s not a good thing to be remembered by me. If I remember you, it''s either because you''re a


    business elite I brought to prison because of corruption and bribery, or you''re apany leader who


    embezzled public funds and spent hundreds of millions you shouldn''t. Right, Mr. Onder?"


    Jimmy immediately went silent upon hearing that.


    As Leanna stared at the elevator disy which indicated that they were ascending, she stated, "Mr.


    Onder, I told you yesterday that I want all the senior executives of thepany gathered for a


    meeting at 10.00AM today. Have you notified them?"


    "I did, but…"


    "But what?"


    "Two of them can''t attend due to personal reasons. One of them is sick and the other one—"


    "What a coincidence. Everything''s happening all at once."


    Jimmy sighed. "Right…"


    "Fine, then. They should rest since their ''personal reasons'' are keeping them busy. I''m free anyway. I''ll


    personally visit themter in the day to finalize the issue with the employees'' sries."


    Leanna was at a loss for words and when she looked in the direction the voice came from, she saw


    Freddie had appeared at some point.