Ivan hung up on Ethan, then went online. The moment he saw the trending topics, he was stunned.
All the headlines focused on how Ivan had fooled around with Julia in his early years, forced his wife into a convent to spend her days in prayer, and mistreated his own daughter.
Besides that, there were also countless stories about the Sinir Group''s losses over the years, embezzlement, failed investments, and other matters he had suppressed before.
The more Ivan read, the more rmed he felt. All the things he had tried to hide or forget were now dug up in precise detail.
The timeline wasid out so clearly that people online were following it as it happened, unearthing everything about his rtionships with both his wife and mistress.
Someone even posted photoparisons, analyzing whether Ruby actually looked like him at all. The conclusion was that not only had he been a cuckold, but he had also spent years raising another man''s child.
Ivan read thements and flew into a rage, flinging his phone to the floor.
Right after smashing the phone, it started ringing again. The screen was still intact, and Ethan''s name appeared.
It kept ringing. Clearly, Ethan wasn''t going to stop until Ivan answered.
Ivan tried to ignore it but eventually sighed and bent down to pick it up. "Hello, Mr. Carter."
"Mr. Sinir, you''ve seen the trending topics, haven''t you? Right now, the shareholders of Sinir Group are waiting for you to hold a meeting. I''m already at yourpany building. If youe now, we can still discuss everything."
Ethan smiled and added, "Mr. Sinir, wise people know how to make the right choice. The longer you dy, the worse it will be for you."
Ivan hung up. A secondter, his secretary tried calling. He rejected the call, and then all the major shareholders started ringing him too.
Ivan gritted his teeth and switched off his phone. He refused to concede until the veryst moment.
This was only one crisis. So what if they couldn''t deliver some goods on time or had to pay penalties? He could go see William.
No matter what, Sophia used to be Sky''s fiancée. Even if the two families had canceled the engagement, Natalie was now involved in Sophia''s affairs. That meant William had to take responsibility.
Ivan picked up his phone again, this time calling his secretary back. "Calm the shareholders. I''ll figure out a way to solve this crisis. Give me two hours, and I''lle to thepany and hold a meeting."
"Alright, Mr. Sinir."
Ivan ended the call. He quickly washed up and changed his clothes. Then, he walked out the door.
At Walker Estate, Natalie had only slept for a few hours before her internal clock roused her. She opened her eyes, checked her phone, and saw it was 7:00 am.
She closed her eyes and stayed still for a bit before finally sitting up.
After washing and changing into casual clothes, she went downstairs and saw William and Charlotte already at the dining table. They were chatting while having breakfast.
When they noticed Nataliee down, Charlotte immediately stood up. "Sweetie, why didn''t you sleep a bit longer? You must be hungry. Come and have breakfast. "Gorge, bring Natalie''s breakfast."
Charlotte smiled warmly at Natalie, her gaze filled with so much affection that it nearly overflowed.
"Yes, Mrs. Walker."
Gorge went to the kitchen. Charlotte had mentioned that some helpers in the house couldn''t be fully trusted, so anything Natalie ate or used had to be handled personally by either Charlotte or Gorge.
"Come, sweetie. Sit here."
"Mr. and Mrs. Walker, Mr. Sinir has been waiting for 20 minutes. Should I show him in?" a helper stepped forward and inquired.
When Natalie heard that, she turned to Charlotte and asked, "Mom, which Mr. Sinir is here?"
"Sophia''s father," Charlotte answered, pulling Natalie into a seat at the table. "Show him in."
"Yes, Mrs. Walker."
The helper left and returned momentster with Ivan.
"William, Charlotte, sorry to bother you so early," he said, striding over without waiting for an invitation.
He plopped himself down in a chair at their table. He had angry red sores around his mouth, and heavy dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping all night. He looked noticeably older.
"Have you eaten?" William dabbed at his lips with a napkin. "Gorge, get our guest some breakfast."
"Yes, Mr. Walker."
Ivan waved his hand. "I don''t need breakfast. William, I''ll juste right out and say it. Sinir Group is in trouble, and I need your help."
"What?" William let out a faintugh. "But everything seemed fine with your group. What crisis could you be having? Ivan, you''re not joking with me, are you?"
"Didn''t you see today''s news?" Ivan turned pale. He knew William always read the morning news.
Sure enough, there was a tablet at William''s side, and on its screen was the top- trending Sinir scandal.
William calmly switched off the tablet and smiled. "I haven''t had time to look yet. So what kind of crisis is Sinir Group facing?"
"We have an overseas project that hit a snag. We can''t deliver the goods on time, and we might have to pay damages. We need to either pay the penalty or find another source to supply those goods by the deadline."
Ivan''s expression darkened. Since William was clearly pretending not to know
anything, he had no choice but to get straight to the point.
"Ronald was in charge, but he ran away. No one else can handle the crisis right now. The overseas side has given me limited time, and have to fix this quickly. So, William, lend me some money to sort this
out."
William looked as though he understood perfectly. He asked indifferently, "Oh? How much do you want to borrow?"
Ivan held up five fingers. "Five hundred million."
"Ivan, aren''t you being too greedy?" William asked with a scornfulugh. "All my assets were already handed over to my daughter. I don''t have any money now. My children cover my expenses.
"You know how my daughter was identally switched at birth. She''s had a hard life outside. Now that she''s finally home, I have to think about her future. So I gave her everything I have."
He nced affectionately at Natalie. "Ivan, I don''t have any money, so you''vee to the wrong person."
"Then... have your daughter lend me the money, van said through clenched teeth. "You''re her father, she''ll listen to you. Besides, Natalie and my daughter Sophia are good friends. I''m sure she won''t just stand by and watch her friend''s father struggle. Right?"
Natalie thought, "What? Do I look like some saint?"