Chapter 483
Alex quickly explained, "Leanne Corporation signed a contract with us for a batch of medical equipment two months ago. They even lowered their requirements to secure a long-term deal. I didn't see this coming."
Nolan frowned, "Did you get in touch with them right away?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, we reached out. They agreed to take back the equipment for repairs or replacements, but they're blaming us. They want to cancel the contract and are demanding triple the penalty fee, or they'll sue us."
Nolan zeroed in on the key point. "How much is the penalty fee?"
"Twenty million dollars. If they sue, triple that would be sixty million dollars."
Alex's face paled a bit. "Mr. Brown, we recently invested most of our cash flow into the Auroria mining project. If we have to pay Leanne Corporation sixty million dollars now, our financial chain will snap."
A big corporation facing financial trouble would attract a lot of unwanted attention.
Alex knew this was serious. Settling with Leanne Corporation privately would be better than losing their reputation.
But Nolan stayed calm. He knew this was a trap set by the Adri Family. Leanne Corporation might even be controlled by them. Their goal was to take over the Brown Group and enter the domestic market.
The timing was too perfect. Just as he was having issues with Auroria, the Brown Group faced a credibility crisis, clearly targeting him.
The Adri Family had discovered his ambitions and were now turning against him. They had agreed that he would help them approach the Brown Group, and they would help him take it over, splitting the benefits equally. But now, he didn't want to hand over the company he had worked so hard to acquire.
In just two days, the Adri Family had given him such a big "gift."
Nolan couldn't help but be angry. He motioned for Alex to leave and dialed a number from his wheelchair.
The person on the other end answered quickly, with a cold laugh, as if expecting Nolan's call. "Couldn't wait, could you?"
Nolan gripped the wheelchair armrest tightly. "Did you set up the Leanne Corporation issue?"
Even though he knew the truth, Nolan underestimated this person's strength.
"You broke your promise, so don't expect any mercy from me now. Remember, I'm the one who set the rules of this game. Nolan, you're just a pawn in my hands. Now that your task is complete, I'm taking back my victory."
Pawn? Nolan's eyes flashed with anger. "So, the fifty-fifty profit share you promised was all bullshit. You just used my Brown Family connections to achieve your goal!"
The person scoffed. "Like you weren't playing your own angle from the start? Come on, Nolan, I know exactly what you're after. You want to swallow up the entire Brown Group for yourself. That greed of yours? That's your weakness. Let's see who comes out on top when this is all over."
The call ended with the person's triumphant laugh.
Nolan angrily slammed his phone on the table. The Adri Family were nothing but thieves. He wouldn't give up everything he had worked so hard to gain.
Nolan watched the escalating news on his phone and called Alex back in.
"Get everyone together. We're having an emergency meeting tomorrow morning. All executives need to be at the office an hour early with at least two proposals on how to make Leanne Corporation back down."
Alex didn't waste a second and quickly left to carry out the orders.
Late at night, Nolan sat in his office, determined to fight the Adri Family. The Brown Group was his, and no one would take it from him.
The next day.
At the Brown Villa.
Aiden sat in his room, gazing at a gemstone pendant nestled in a velvet box. Sunlight streamed through the window, making the stone sparkle brilliantly.
As he looked at the gem, his eyes reddened. The pendant reminded him of Isabella's determined expression when she gave it to him. She was such a good granddaughter-in-law, and now she was gone.
His heart ached at the thought.
The gem had been his wife's treasure, a family heirloom she'd brought into their marriage. He carefully took it out and sighed. "My dear, it's my fault. We were so close to having a great-grandchild, but fate had other plans. And Isabella-such a lovely girl who treated me like her own grandfather-my grandson threw it all away. Michael drove her off with his behavior. I regret it so much. If I had known Michael was so irresponsible, I wouldn't have let Isabella marry him. He doesn't deserve her!"
Tears streamed down Aiden's face. He truly regretted it.
His friends had all passed away, and his two grandsons were at odds over the inheritance, tearing the family apart.
He even questioned his past decisions. If he hadn't agreed to that person's promise, would the Brown Family be different now?
But there were no "ifs" in life, and no room for regret. He had to bear it all.
When Stella came to call him for breakfast, she saw him holding the pendant and wiping his tears. She shook her head.
Crossing the room, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Dad, why torture yourself like this? You're at an age where you shouldn't be getting tangled up in the younger generation's drama. Even if you tried to step in, they wouldn't listen anyway."
Stella had just learned that her son and Isabella had finalized their divorce. A mixture of regret and guilt washed over her whenever she thought about Isabella.
She had failed as a mother-in-law. How could she have been so blind to Isabella's true worth, instead falling for Bianca's manipulative charm?