Winning Her Heart Back

 Falling into Irreparable Ruin

Charles slumped back into his office chair, his hands propping up his head. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows.

There was a knock on his office door, and his secretary entered the room. He saw Charles in his disheveled state and knew that things weren't going well on his end either.

The secretary hesitated before speaking. "Mr. Davis, Cedonia Construction Bank has also said that our fiscal deficit is too large and doesn't meet their lending standards. They can't extend any more credit to us.

When Charles looked up, his eyes were bloodshot.

Since this financial crisis had hit the Davis Group, he had barely slept over ten hours in the past week.

He said in a deadpan tone, "That 15 million from Emelie is gone too."

The secretary exchanged glances with the managers. "So, does that mean we only have Mr. Collins's 20 million and Mr. Swanson's 20 million?"

One manager nodded. "Yes. Originally, Mr. Middleton was supposed to lend us some, but he's stuck in Borealis City due to the snowstorm. We haven't been able to reach him.

"Without him, the Cloudex Corporation doesn't have anyone who can authorize large fund transfers. We can't even get 100 thousand."

Charles closed his eyes.

While he had a good network of relationships, there weren't many true friends in business. Most were just surface-level acquaintances.

In recent years, the Xanther Group's rapid growth sparked jealousy and envy. With the Davis Group in trouble, it was only to be expected that they wouldn't come to his aid.

Even those who were willing to help were too busy with their own end-of-year accounting and couldn't spare much liquid funds to help him.

Bryan and Beathan, who each offered 20 million, were already at their limit.

The secretary stated, "The real problem is that our deficit is enormous-200 million..."

That was even more than William's estimate of over 100 million.

The office fell into silence.

The problem with the Davis Group's cash flow didn't happen overnight. It had been building up over the past six months, and they hadn't been able to patch the holes, causing it to snowball. Finally, the issue imploded.

The secretary had been hesitating over a thought, but with things reaching this point, he had to speak up. He signaled for the managers to leave, and when they were alone, he said, "Mr. Davis."

Charles opened his eyes. "What now?"

The secretary deliberated his words before saying, "We're not entirely without options. You still have that 150 million, right?"

Charles looked at him sharply.

The secretary braced himself. "With that 150 million, plus the 40 million, it would be 190 million. That would cover most of the deficit and ease our situation."

As soon as he said that, Charles grabbed his secretary by his collar. "That money is for charity!"

The secretary believed, given the dire situation, it was justifiable to make exceptions. "But it's not needed right now! We're just borrowing it temporarily. We can return it once we're back on track, or when they need it. It's the same thing!"

It was definitely not the same thing.

Charles sneered coldly. "If it's discovered that I've misappropriated public funds, then the Davis Group and the Davis family are finished! Are you trying to get me killed?"

The secretary said urgently, "Mr. Davis! I'm considering the bigger picture here! If we can't fill this deficit, the Davis Group will truly be finished!This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

"The encryption key is with you. If neither of us mentions it, who would know the money was transferred? The money doesn't have a name on it. We can use it first and replenish it later. No one will know it was taken out!"

Charles's grip tightened around his secretary's collar. His fingers turned white, indicating his emotional struggle and wavering thoughts.

The secretary continued, "Mr. Davis, have you forgotten how much you've sacrificed to keep the Davis Group afloat? Borrowing some funds in this situation is a minor act compared to everything you've done. What are you hesitating about?"

Yes, that was true. For the Davis Group and the Davis family, he even dared to kill. What was a little embezzlement compared to that? Charles had never claimed to be a paragon of virtue.

He released his secretary, feeling as though he was staring into an abyss. One more step, and he'd fall into the depths of irreparable ruin.

He forced a cruel smile. "Let's do it."