?Chapter 1205:
The terms were steep, but not unreasonable. Marc wasn’t being greedy—once Howe controlled the entire Briggs empire, those concessions would amount to pocket change.
Howe lowered his gaze, running calctions in his head. Five percent of overseas operations wasn’t chump change by any stretch. But weighed againstplete control of Briggs Group, it was a bargain.
Having an outsider like Marc in his corner would give him leverage in ways family members couldn’t provide. The board would find it harder to question decisions backed by someone with no obvious stake in internal politics.
Howe gave a sharp nod. “Deal. So what’s your y?”
A cold smile twisted Marc’s mouth. “Simple. I’ll start spreading rumors that William is overseas getting medical treatment. Then I’ll let it slip that his condition has taken a sudden turn for the worse—that there’s basically no hope he’ll recover.”
He paused, gauging Howe’s expression before continuing. “The beauty is, it’s believable enough to exin his absence while crushing any hope the holdouts are clinging to. When you step up iming you’re just trying to keep thepany stable, who’s going to argue?”
Without William, nobody else in that family had the skills or reputation to actually run Briggs Group.
The shareholders weren’t idiots. Faced with William’s absence, they’d rally behind new leadership rather than sit back and watch thepany implode. And Luca? At the end of the day, he was just an assistant—easily dismissed.
Howe’s eyes gleamed with calcted sharpness as he studied Marc, his expression giving nothing away. “No wonder you’ve made such an impact in the business world, Mr. Walsh. If your information proves credible enough to convince the board, then the partnership is yours.”
Marc’s lips curved into a faint, confident smile. “Mr. Briggs, you have my word—I always deliver.”
They exchanged knowing nces, raised their sses, and emptied them in a single, decisive motion.
Within days, whispers began to ripple through Briggs Group and its affiliatedworks—rumors that William was gravely ill overseas, hovering near death. The spection spread like smoke: subtle, persistent, and impossible to pin down, weaving its way through thepany’s upper ranks.
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Board members who had once stayed neutral now hesitated. They admired William’s brilliance, but with his disappearance dragging on, thepany couldn’t drift forever without a captain.
If he was truly dying abroad, then clinging to loyalty felt futile.
Noticing their wavering, Howe seized the moment. Through discreet bribes and whispered persuasion, he nted unrest within thepany’s ranks. Gradually, under his maniption, the once-stable empire of Briggs Group began to tilt in his favor.
Meanwhile, in distant Montavia, William stilly motionless—unaware of the storm building around his name.
Believing he finally had everything under control, Howe arranged another board meeting, intent on solidifying his grasp. Luca voiced his disapproval, but without the authority to stop the decision, he could only watch as Howe—brimming with smug assurance—strode toward the conference room.
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