“Don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t they say she ran away? And that divorce agreement was prepared long ago. It shows she’d already made up her mind to leave.”

“That just proves she wanted to divorce. But how could she run if Mr. Lewis had already put her in a coma?”

“Mr. Lewis really brought this on himself. He practically killed her.”

“Enough! Keep your voices down!”

William spun his pen between his fingers and pursed his lips tightly. His expression was gloomy.

The entire office was thick with a suffocating tension. No one outside dared even breathe too loud.

Arsen stood at the doorway and glared at the hesitant employees. “Well? Go in!”

They exchanged nervous glances but still didn’t dare move.

Arsen didn’t sugarcoat it. “If your cowardice delays any more of Mr. Lewis’s affairs, can you afford the consequences?”

That was enough. The staff mustered their courage and entered quickly to report.

“Mr. Lewis, Horus Enterprise has just moved to revoke our company’s bidding qualifications. If we don’t come up with a response soon, LS Enterprise might swoop in and steal the deal.”

“Mr. Lewis, Newton Enterprise says this recent scandal has severely impacted their image. If they don’t cancel our partnership, their hotel chains will be dragged down with us.”

“Mr. Lewis, Lux Enterprise is demanding compensation. They say this has hurt their brand, and many of their customers are demanding refunds!”

William gave the others a sideways glare so cold it could freeze blood. His voice turned cold. “And you? What’s your deal?”

The rest of the staff looked down like children who were being reprimanded.

“W–We’re facing similar issues, sir. More partner brands are lodging complaints. Some want to cancel their deals. Others are demanding compensation.”

William clenched his fists and frowned. Through clenched teeth, he asked, “Where’s finance? I want the numbers. How much are we talking about?”

The finance representative squeezed through the crowd and cautiously stepped forward. “Mr. Lewis, we’ve done a preliminary estimate. If we’re expected to settle everything, we’re looking at losses in the billions. Our liquidity is already strained, and most of our capital is tied up in overseas expansion projects. We simply don’t have enough cash to cover the compensation. Sir, maybe it’s best to consider alternative solutions that could salvage the situation.”

William slammed his fist onto the desk. “You’re telling me the company can’t even cover this much?”

“N–not exactly. Earlier this year, Ms. Judd allocated a large portion of funds into a beauty salon investment. It’s been operating at a loss, and she funded several boutique homestays. Those haven’t generated any income either.”

William’s expression darkened even further. “When did this happen?”

“Earlier this year.”

“Where’s the report? Give it to me.”

The finance representative, clearly anticipating the request, quickly handed it over.

William flipped through the report, and in the next moment, tossed it onto the floor. The veins in his neck were visible.

Chapter 351

“Who gave you authorization to release that much funding to her? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

The finance representative trembled under his fury. “B–But sir, these were your instructions. You said if Ms. Judd found a promising project, and it passed all basic reviews, finance was to approve the funds without hesitation.”

Chapter 352