The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 691

Having gotten their soundbites and the hot story they were after, the reporters quickly packed up and left.

After the interview, Josiah returned to the office. Hackett was rewatching the live broadcast, nodding in satisfaction. “You handled that interview very well.”

Josiah, however, showed no sign of pleasure at his father’s rare praise, which seemed to fluctuate with the wind. “Dad, don’t celebrate just yet. Even if the reporters know the truth now, there’s no telling what kind of sensationalized articles they might write just to chase clicks and headlines. We should probably pay a few reputable papers to publish some clarifications for us.”

It was an opportunity to clear the company’s name.

...

Meanwhile, something Hackett didn’t know was that the entire recent fiasco involving the Sloan family had been orchestrated by the man he trusted most: Fitch Sherwood.

The computer screen on Fitch’s desk was lit up, displaying the latest stock trends for the Sloan Group.

The story had made the morning financial news, and even with the subsequent clarification, its impact was undeniable. For several days following the incident, the Sloan Group's stock had been in a continuous decline, with its market value plummeting by nearly two hundred million. This was a devastating blow to the Sloan family, whose business had already been struggling in recent years.

Everything was proceeding according to plan. While the Sloans scrambled to mitigate the negative fallout, Fitch was biding his time, quietly instructing his subordinates to use overseas shell companies to buy up Sloan stock at rock-bottom prices. In this game of chess, Fitch clearly had the upper hand.

A soft knock sounded at the office door. Fitch’s assistant entered respectfully, holding a file.

“Mr. Sherwood, here is the latest report on the acquisition of Sloan Group shares,” he said, handing it over. “Please take a look.”

Fitch nodded, satisfied. Hackett and Josiah’s suspicions had been correct. Cedric Watson had indeed taken his money to do the deed.

And as Hackett’s subordinate of over a decade, Cedric knew plenty of inside secrets. After being bought by Fitch, he had spilled a great deal of dirt on Hackett. Releasing these secrets would be the final straw that broke the Sloan family’s back.

“What about Milford’s progress?”

“He has begun contacting some of the Sloan Group’s minor shareholders as planned. I’m not fully aware of the details of his progress.”

Fitch’s eyes narrowed. “Tell him to move faster.”