Chapter 178

I nodded right away. "Asher, you have no idea. We're seriously short-staffed right now."

I caught Asher up on everything that had gone down recently.

Asher slammed his hand on the table, fuming. "That jerk Brandon, he's unreal."

"Why didn't you tell me about the car accident, Caroline?"

"I didn't want you to worry. I'm fine now."

"As long as you're okay, we can focus on dealing with Brandon."

He nodded. "Don't worry. While I was at home, I kept an eye on the company's stock prices. On the way here, Royce filled me in on what's been happening. I have a pretty good grasp of the situation."

"That's great. We can take action right away."

Asher nodded.

I said, "Let's not talk about that now. Asher, where are you staying?"

He replied, "I'm at a hotel for now. I haven't found a place yet. I definitely can't go back to my old rental. Who knows if Brandon has someone watching it? I need to find a new place."

I quickly said, "No, Asher, stay at my place. I'm divorcing Brandon, so I moved out. My place has five bedrooms. You can stay there, and it'll be easier for us to discuss things."

"Well..."

Asher glanced at Royce.

I stepped in front of him, blocking his view. "Why are you looking at him? Just stay at my place. It's safer."

To my surprise, Royce suddenly said, "No need. I've already found a place for Asher."

I was taken aback. "When did you do that?"

"Trust me, staying somewhere else is inconvenient. I have plenty of empty rooms. What's the big deal?"

I tried to persuade them, but Asher wouldn't budge.

"No, Caroline. I'll stay at Royce's. It's not inconvenient. We can talk over the phone if we need to."

When Royce stepped out to take a call, Asher said to me, "Caroline, why are you so insistent on me staying at your place?"

"Didn't you see the way Royce looked at me? If I stay at your place tonight, our relationship will be over by tomorrow."

"Really?"

Asher chuckled softly. "Watch this. I'll tell him I'm staying at your place and not his. Just watch his reaction."

When Royce returned, Asher cleared his throat. "Royce, I'm not staying at your place tonight. Caroline has a spare room, and we need to talk. We'll figure things out tomorrow."

Royce's eyes narrowed. "That's not a good idea. Her place is full of girls. It wouldn't look right for you to stay there. Stay at my place. We can talk during the day."

Asher glanced at Royce and then winked at me. "See what I mean?"

Royce looked puzzled, glancing between us.

I felt a bit embarrassed and gave Royce a light glare.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Francis, who Simon had placed in the company.

"Ms. Sharp? This is Francis."

"I used to report to Simon, but he said I should speak to you directly about this."

I nodded, sensing the urgency. I put the call on speaker so Asher and Royce could hear. They were both trustworthy.

"Go ahead."

"Irene embezzled two million dollars last time, which Brandon covered. But today, I discovered she secretly took another ten million."

"So far, Brandon doesn't know."

I couldn't help but laugh coldly. "No wonder they say gamblers never change. Irene must be out of her mind."

"If she were always honest, we wouldn't have a chance. Since she's given us this opportunity, we should take it."

"Find a way to pin the ten million on Brandon and inform the shareholders."

"Make it clear that with Brandon in charge, the company is doomed. Let's see if they sell their shares."

Francis agreed. "Got it. I'll need Simon's help."

"Okay, you two handle it. We'll take care of the aftermath."

After hanging up, I looked at Royce and Asher. "This is a great opportunity."

Royce nodded. "Yeah, a lot of shareholders will probably sell their shares. We can buy them up."

"Asher, I remember some of the shareholders are your friends. Maybe you can convince them not to sell."

"That way, when the company is back in your hands, there won't be any misunderstandings. Explain the situation to them."

Asher nodded. "You're right. I'll call them now."

He started contacting his old friends, explaining the situation to each one.

When Asher and I started the company, we relied on the investments from his friends and our hard work to stabilize it. Losing other shareholders didn't matter as long as these key people stayed. They were the company's backbone.

After he finished his calls, I breathed a sigh of relief.

To me, the matter seemed settled.

Just then, I received an unexpected call from my seriously ill mother-in-law, Karen.

Asher, Royce, and I exchanged glances. They knew the situation. Karen was gravely ill. Why would she call me now? Was someone else using her phone?

I answered, full of suspicion. A weak, raspy voice came through. It was Karen.

"Caroline, I'm not going to make it."

I listened as she continued. "Jason is my favorite child. I don't care if you're angry. As a dying woman, I ask you to bury me with Jason after I die."

"So I can look after him. The Jordan family won't care about Jason."

"There's a bank card in my room. The password is in the vanity drawer. It's for our burial expenses."

She spoke haltingly, each sentence taking great effort. When she finished, she took a deep breath.

"Thank you," she said with difficulty before hanging up.

The three of us exchanged glances. "Is this real? Could it be a trick?" Asher asked, puzzled.