Chapter 1461
Chapter 1461 Aimed to Embarrass
Settle the score? Who should they settle the score with?
The Chamber of Commerce members, now devastated, were most eager to settle scores with the person in front of them. If it weren't for Kenton, they wouldn't have become so fixated on stocks!
The member who had just broken down had abandoned his company's business and spent all his time online. It was all because he had believed Kenton's claim that these three stocks would soar!
However, none of them dared to directly confront Kenton. They could only clench their fists and look down with expressions of rage.
Despite the severe losses, not everything was lost. According to the stock prices, each of the three stocks was still worth six to seven dollars. If they could withdraw now, they might salvage a third of their assets.
But the problem was they couldn't withdraw! They had to wait until Friday to do so!
One of them was still clinging
hope. He looked up and murmured, "The drop today was severe... but maybe
it will bounce back a bit tomorrow."This is property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
However, no one responded to this optimistic thought. They all knew that once such a steep drop occurred, it would likely continue for three or four days. Moreover, each stock transaction came with high fees.
Some were already despondent. Unlike Kenton, who still had his company, their funds were tied to their companies' survival. A financial issue could lead directly to bankruptcy.
But Kenton had his own secrets. His face was pale as he glanced at the stock market charts again. Certain matters were best kept from this many people.
Moreover, he anticipated that these people would likely become his problems shortly. With their severe losses, they were no longer in a position to stand by him
Kenton looked at the Chamber members with a facade of concern. 'It's not as dire as it seems. Money can still be earned. You all should go back and wait for news. I'll handle the stock market."
Not everyone believed Kenton's reassurances. However, they had no choice but to leave.
At the very least, the company's operations needed to appear normal. They couldn't let anyone know about their massive losses. Otherwise, their company would see their downfall even quicker.
Yet, as they were leaving, one person said, 'Mr. Wray, we've been through thick and thin together over the years. You won't leave us in the lurch, right?"
"Of course not. What kind of nonsense is that?" Kenton frowned, seemingly angry at the question.
That person took his word for it. "Then I'll wait for your good news, Mr. Wray!"
Kenton waved his hand.
It wasn't until everyone had left that he showed his true feelings. "What the heck was he talking about? Following me through thick and thin over the years?
"They wouldn't even be doing so well in the first place without me! Are they really expecting me to cover for them now that they are back to square one? What a joke."
Adrien walked in just in time to hear this. "Mr. Wray."
"Have Cassian come see me. Tell him I need to discuss something with him," Kenton instructed Adrien. "Also, immediately cut ties with some of our business partners. Those who just walked out, you know who they are.
"If their companies come looking for project payments, delay them as much as possible. We can't support these companies financially anymore."
"Understood." Adrien, although didn't invest, was still involved in the whole stock market scheme. He knew that those from the Chamber of Commerce and Kenton would not be able to pay off their debt.
So, they needed Cassian to come back resolve this issue. Otherwise, Kenton might face serious problems.
Cassian, who was cooking at that moment, received the message from Adrien and saw the news about Kenton's massive losses in the stock market. He didn't bother to respond.
As a finance professional, Cassian knew exactly why Kenton wanted to see him. He had already submitted his resignation, and the company had approved it.
He wasn't foolish enough to return to the company now and take the fall for Kenton. Instead, he needed to prepare for the worst!
As he thought about this, he dropped his cooking and immediately called his wife, Isolde Faye
"Zara? She's still at school. What's wrong with you today? You sound so anxious," Isolde asked through the phone.
Cassian didn't go into details at Isolde's questions. Instead, he instructed her to take leave and come home." Pack your things. We're going to Kingbourne. Our house there is safer.'
Isolde could sense the urgency in his voice. She knew that Cassian had been under a lot of stress recently due to work
Thinking about the Wray family's power and Kenton's ruthless methods, she immediately understood that they needed to leave quickly. Otherwise, their whole family would face danger!
Half an hour later, inside the commercial building, Kenton sat in his chair, no longer the calm and collected figure he usually was
The massive losses from the stock market and the land deal had seriously depleted his resources. Maintaining normal operations would be extremely difficult without additional financial backing.
He repeatedly dialed his overseas investors' numbers, but no one answered. When he finally got through, it was just an assistant.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Wray, but please refrain from calling if you don't have an appointment. The boss is very busy." Kenton's anger reached its peak at the assistant's words. He was here trying to be polite, yet those foreigners were cold as ice!
"Busy? Isn't this the same person who came to Hawford and claimed it to be his second hometown? Didn't he say we were brothers?
"I think you've forgotten how your product got into Cascadia in the first place!' Kenton's voice was thunderous, his rage apparent even to those outside the office.
Adrien was worried about potential gossip and quickly shut the door to prevent the others from hearing the conversation.
Though the assistant on the other end of the line spoke in broken Cascadian, was obvious he was mocking Kenton.
"Mr. Wray, forget our products. Let me remind you-who was it that promised our products would dominate the Cascadian market? Yet, your domestic brands are still here.
"We also have to fix the damage and restore our reputation in Cascadia, which, by the way, we had worked very hard for, thanks to your poor public relations. Do you know how much this has cost us? 20 billion!
"As for the stock market, our boss has a piece of advice for you. Quoting your own words, the stock market is for the smart. If you can't play smart, don't play at all.'
The phone was slammed down with a deafening sound. The assistant had hung up on Kenton.
Kenton, who was always the one scheming against others, was now experiencing the rare and harsh reality of having his own resources pulled away at a critical moment.
Kenton gritted his teeth and was crude with his words. "Fuck those despicable foreign bastards!"
They pulled out as soon as they sensed trouble and left him with no safety net.
At this moment, Adrien leaned in and whispered, 'Mr. Wray, perhaps it's time to play your trump card. If not, we'll be facing a dead end. Not only is all the money gone, but we'll also have to deal with compensation claims from the overseas companies."
Kenton stubbed out his cigar forcefully. 'It's not over yet. Once Cassian gets here, you know what to say. By the time he arrives, his weak spot will be firmly in our grasp."
As Adrien moved to prepare, he suddenly remembered something. "Mr. Wray, there's something else. This recent stock market incident might not be a coincidence.
"Last week, Wynter, along with a man, brought a suitcase full of money to the trading platform and bought a ton of gold shares.
"Then, they gathered a few people at a restaurant for a private meeting. Ever since then, gold has been flying off the shelves at the stores. Could this have something to do with the rise in gold prices?"
Kenton slammed his hand on the desk. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Are we slower than her at spreading information online?"
"We only got the information today, and it came directly from Wynter herself. Mr. Wray, there's something
eerie about this woman.
The information hadn't come through their own research but from an email to the company's address sent by Wynter herself that was deliberately timed to arrive today.
The content was a mockingly sarcastic, "Wishing Mr. Wray great fortune."
Adrien didn't dare mention the email's wording to Kenton, fearing it might drive him to madness. After all, Kenton's expression had been murderous the last time Wynter drove her Lamborghini around his office
building.
Adrien did his best to conceal the more delicate information. He whispered, "Mr. Wray, maybe it's best to keep an eye on her."
"What's so special about that girl that I need to waste my time keeping an eye on her? She's just riding on the Quinnell family's coattails! She's nothing but a trickster using cheap tactics! The real problem is probably her
fiancé, Dalton!"
Kenton took a deep breath. "I'll figure out a way to deal with her. Now, explain to me why our information came in slower than hers!"
"The older folks don't really trust online information. They might still click on the website if you're talking about something free... or maybe something related to health or wellness programs. But what we were putting out was too complicated for them.
"Wynter, on the other hand, made a very eye-catching move. And one of the people she targeted was a leader among the elderly groups! Once she spread the word, it spread like wildfire. That's how we ended up in this
situation.
"The person who leaked the insider information thought it wouldn't be a big deal
But in this world, there are no secrets that don't get out. They believed Wynter over us."
spread the information.
Upon hearing this, Kenton clenched his jaw. 'Wynter, oh, Wynter! You've been ruining my plans, one after
another, since you reached Hawford""
Using his trump card to save the Wray family and deal with Wynter and the Whitman family was more than enough, but this was his only chance.
"Deal with Cassian first. Someone has to take the fall for this. If he doesn't cooperate, show him what I can do
to his wife and daughter! Tell Dorian to make a move now!"
Adrien's body stiffened at Kenton's words, but he still replied, "Yes."
However, he couldn't shake his unease and hesitated before offering a cautious reminder, "Mr. Wray, our company's situation will undoubtedly be difficult with the overseas funds cut off.
"If this rise in gold prices is connected to Wynter, I'm afraid the three stocks you and the other CEOS invested
in were deliberately targeted by Albert.
"The sudden spike lured people to invest more. When that happened, they sold all of their shares, causing today's collapse, while gold surged dramatically. Mr. Wray, I suspect this was all a trap set by Wynter." "Her?" It wasn't as if Kenton had never entertained this idea. However, he quickly dismissed it. "She doesn't have the capital to withstand the stock market's waves.
"You need not just money, but experience to manipulate the stock market. Even I needed the support of foreign capital. Right now, there's other people's money tied up in the market.
"Do you think Wynter alone could take on such capital? That is unless the entire Quinnell family is involved. But from what I know, they haven't made a move.
"As for Wynter, you've seen her track record. Sure, she has her lucky moments, but she's clueless about the stock market. At most, it's her fiancé, Dalton, who was giving her some advice.
"But the Yarwood family wouldn't go against their own principles just for her, let alone manipulate the stock
market on such a scale."
Kenton dismissed the idea that the three stocks he invested in had anything to do with Wynter
The spike in gold prices, in his view, was simply the result of Wynter knowing how to manipulate public opinion. But the stock market? That was a whole different game, one not everyone could master.
It wasn't arrogance. He truly believed Wynter couldn't possibly have enough money to influence the market. Even with the potential of the land she had gotten, those funds hadn't yet hit her accounts!
His reasoning was sound, and it calmed Adrien's unease somewhat. Perhaps he had overthought things.
If Wynter truly had the power to control the stock market, there'd be no need for her to bother with the Chamber of Commerce. She'd be a capital powerhouse in her own right.
Clearly, all these thoughts were just his earlier panic speaking. After all, Wynter did have a way of being unnervingly unpredictable.
Wynter was on a call at that moment with Albert, who usually spoke with a businesslike detachment and a
strong commercial presence. His tone had never sounded this emotional. "Wynter, have you seen the gold
prices?"
"I did." Wynter had been keeping an eye on more than just the gold prices.
Albert took a deep breath. "Wynter, outsiders always call me an elite investor who can turn stones into gold.
But I think that description fits you even better. When did you learn about finance?"
The question came unexpectedly.
Wynter didn't see any reason
hide the truth. "When I was with the Yates family. I had nothing much to do
then.
"I was interested in making money even before I was of legal age. So, I tried my hand at the stock market. The person I sent you is a friend of mine."
"Your friend is the most skilled investor in Hawford. No one else knows about this besides me, right?" Albert
said, feeling a mix of pride.
He considered himself superior to his other siblings when it came to his relationship with Wynter. "But Wynter, what kind of friend calls you 'boss' when they talk to you?"
Initially, Wynter had hidden this well. And Albert had always thought of their relationship as a two-way
partnership. After all, the person he was dealing with was well-known in the investment world and was in his
40s.
However, today, the other party let their guard down when he saw the gold price surge and accidentally called Wynter "boss". Albert had frozen for a moment before he quickly realized what this meant and wanted to talk
to Wynter about it.
This conversation made Wynter seem even more pitiable, though it was unintentional on her part. For someone like Albert, who had always wanted to be a good older sibling, it was heart-wrenching to know that Wynter had been making money on her own before she was even of legal age!
Though he had investigated the Yates family, hearing Wynter's side of the story only fueled his imagination.
The first thing he did was transfer ten thousand dollars to Wynter.
"Let's go get something to eat later, Albert said. Wynter was speechless. But it seemed that Albert had always preferred to solve problems with money.
Albert sighed deeply as he sat in front of his computer. "Wynter must have had a really tough time.'
The investor Wynter had sent to Albert stared at him in disbelief. Who did he say was having a hard time? His boss? Wynter, who had made a million on her first venture? Really?
"I'm going to tell Grandpa about this!" Albert's gaze darkened. "Wynter is truly remarkable!"