REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight

Chapter 183: Crisis.

She tried to hold it back. She really tried, but when it finally became impossible to fight anymore, she dropped to the floor. Her face disappeared into her palms as the first sob broke free from her throat.

"Adrian, I hate you." She muttered amidst sobs. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you."

The words kept coming over and over again. For a long time, she remained there on the floor, crying until her chest hurt and her breathing became uneven.

Eventually, she reached up weakly and grabbed the edge of the shelf for support.

Then she slowly pulled herself to her feet.

She opened the drawer again and rummaged through it. After a few seconds, she found what she was looking for.

A small bottle.

She opened it and poured several pills into her palm. Then she tipped her head back and emptied them into her mouth. Reaching for the bottle of water sitting on top of the shelf, she unscrewed the cap with trembling fingers and drank from it quickly, swallowing everything in one gulp.

* * * *

The office was completely dark except for the city lights pouring in through the windows. The phone on the desk kept ringing, but no one picked it up.

Adrian sat behind the desk, his face expressionless as he stared into the darkness in front of him. The ringing continued for several more seconds before stopping. Not long after, it started again.

The door suddenly opened before the call could end. Harris stepped inside quietly. He stopped near the entrance, his gaze moving toward the ringing phone before returning to Adrian. For the first few seconds, he didn’t say anything.

"Everyone is already waiting, we should go now." he finally said.

No reply.

"Sir?"

Adrian didn’t react. He only lowered his gaze to the phone. Reaching out, he switched it off. Then his eyes moved to the newspaper on the desk.

"Get rid of it," he said calmly not looking away from it.

Harris followed his gaze and his lips pressed together tightly. "Okay, Boss." He walked over to the desk and picked up the newspaper. "Sir, the board members are becoming impatient."

Adrian gave a small snort. "Coming," he muttered.

Harris stood still for a long second before bowing slightly and walking out of the office.

Adrian looked away from the table, his gaze landing on the cuff of his suit as he straightened it. He picked up his phone calmly and slipped it into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Then he stood up.

Without hesitation, he walked toward the door, opened it, and stepped outside. After moving through the hallway and taking the elevator down several floors, he eventually stopped in front of a large conference room. He pushed the door open and entered.

The murmurs inside died down instantly. Several board members sat around the long conference table, their expressions serious.

Adrian walked to the head of the table. He pulled out the chair and sat down calmly. Harris was already seated beside him.

One of the men exchanged glances with another member. After receiving a small nod, he stood up and walked to the presentation screen. Clearing his throat, he gave a small bow.

He looked nervous at first but after noticing several encouraging nods, he straightened. Turning toward the screen behind him, he began.

"Considering everything happening right now..." His voice hesitated. He moved his gaze toward Adrian who sat quietly, staring at the phone in his hand with an expression that gave nothing away. "Due to the rumors circulating regarding Mr..." The man paused awkwardly.

"Mr Vale." He continued anyway. "Our stock value has already dropped significantly over the past few days. Several investors are questioning stability and leadership. Three major contracts are currently under review."

He swallowed. "At this rate, the damage may continue for months."

A snort suddenly sounded and the man immediately stopped speaking.

"Are you displeased Mr Harris?" a board member asked. "That’s surprising."

Harris, who had just made the sound, turned toward him. His expression was grim, but he didn’t answer.

"You heard that our investors are already questioning leadership. Every headline attached to this company is toxic. The group’s market value has already lost hundred billions of aurels." The man said calmly.

At first everyone remained silent, but as he continued, they seemed to gain confidence. Several members started nodding and some even started voicing their thoughts.

"Several partners are demanding distance from Mr Vale."

"This company cannot continue carrying this burden."

One man stood up to attract more attention. "Perhaps Mr Vale stepping down temporarily would calm the..."

A loud bang echoed through the room and the voices stopped instantly. Adrian remained seated calmly, his face unreadable as he casually turned the phone in his hand on the table.

Meanwhile, Harris was the complete opposite. He was now half standing, one palm planted firmly against the table. His expression was anything but friendly.

"Interesting," he muttered coldly while staring at the men. "For years, you followed him around collecting profits. You celebrated every record breaking quarter."

Everyone went silent, though several were openly glaring daggers at him.

"You bought yachts, private islands, underwater villas." His expression darkened. "Some of you married third wives and found seventh mistresses."

His eyes moved toward a robust man sitting near the corner. "And one of you even bought a helicopter for a dog."

The man’s face changed immediately but he didn’t say a word.

"Yes. I’m talking about you." Harris nodded daringly at him before letting out a mocking scoff.

"Some of you can’t even remember all your children’s birthdays without assistants reminding you. A few weeks ago, your biggest concern was deciding which wine to drink on a private beach. Now the company suffers one bad news and suddenly you’ve all discovered principles." His voice became colder with every word.

The members went completely quiet. Then a tall man who had been simmering with anger for a long time leaned forward impatiently. "This isn’t about our personal lives. We’re discussing the future of the Vale Gr..."

"Please continue, Mr Hilgro." Harris nodded seriously. "I’d love to hear wisdom from a man who spent twelve million aurels building a temperature controlled garage for thirty cars and still doesn’t know how to drive half of them."

The man’s lips pressed together instantly, his expression turning awkward.

"Go ahead and explain discipline to us. I’m listening. This should be educational."

The man sat down immediately. His face flushed beet red.

The board member who had interrupted Harris earlier slammed his hand onto the table. "This is exactly the problem. You’re treating this like a joke."

Harris’s smile disappeared.

"No," he muttered immediately, then he looked around the room. "The joke is that before Boss took over this group, none of you had this level of influence or power. You built your reputations on his success and now you’re acting as though you built the foundation yourselves."

The phone inside Harris’s breast pocket suddenly vibrated. His lips pressed together. He clearly wanted to continue but when it vibrated again, he sighed.

Giving a small bow, he stepped away from the table. "I’m sorry everyone. Excuse me." Then he walked out of the room.

Adrian remained silent still turning the phone on the table.

The members exchanged glances. Eventually, a middleaged lady looked toward him carefully. "Mr Vale... are you even listening?"

Her question was met with silence. For several seconds, it didn’t even seem as if the person she was speaking to had heard her at all.

Then finally, Adrian parted his lips briefly. "Continue."

The room went quiet again.

His tone had been calm and there had been no threat in it. Yet somehow, that single word made nobody want to speak.

The door suddenly opened again and Harris stepped back into the room, his expression terrified.

He walked hurriedly toward Adrian. When he reached him, he bent down and whispered something into his ear.

For the first time that entire evening, Adrian’s expression changed instantly.