Chapter 10

"You're here? Have a seat," Bruce said, his voice rough.

Emily settled herself in the corner and sat down.

Bruce said, "I called everyone here today because there's something important. The Oliver Group's biggest investor, Celeste, sent a notice through their legal team today.

"They're planning to reassess the investment deal at the shareholders' meeting. If their conditions aren't met, they might pull out all their money."

The hall went silent for a couple of seconds.

Then the first uncle, Wesley Oliver, broke the silence. "Pull out their investment? How much money are we talking about?"

"One billion dollars," Noah said, his voice as cold as winter steel. "That one billion from Celeste was the lifeblood of our expansion. If they pull it back, the company's financial lifeline gets cut."

Jeremy's shot up. "One billion dollars? Are you kidding? That'll wipe us out!"

Verena asked, "Who is Celeste? How come I've never heard you mention them before?"

Noah said, "No clue. Celeste never shows up in person. We only ever deal with their lawyers and trust funds. Even five years ago, when they first invested, everything went through intermediaries."

"Didn't you ever try to dig into who they are?" Wesley asked, getting a little worked up.

"I did, but hit a wall," Noah replied, leaning back in his chair, fingers tapping the armrest in frustration. "They keep everything locked down tight. All we know is the money's legit. Grandpa personally checked it when it came in."

Everyone turned to look at Bruce.

Bruce sat in the armchair, looking calm. "I was the one who agreed to take that investment back then. I checked out their background myself.

"Everything checked out. But their identity is a total mystery. I honestly have no idea who they really are."

"So what do we do now?" Dorothy finally spoke up. "If they want to pull their money, how are we supposed to stop them?"

Noah said, "We'll talk at the shareholders' meeting. Their lawyer said they're sending someone over. We'll sort it out face-to-face when the time comes."

Emily sat in the corner, silent, her gaze locked on the floor, her face betraying nothing.

Nobody spared her a glance.

Bruce suddenly said, "Noah, make sure the company's books are in order over the next five days. Whatever they throw at us, we need to have a plan ready."

"I know," Noah replied.

The family meeting wrapped up quickly. People drifted out in twos and threes, talking in hushed voices. Emily was the last one to get up.

Noah's voice came from behind just as Emily was about to step out the door. "Emily."

She paused, then turned to face him.

"You're coming to the shareholders' meeting," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Why?" Emily asked.

"You're Mrs. Oliver. Right now, we can't let anyone see the family falling apart," Noah replied.

Emily looked at him. He looked stressed out, anxious. She'd never seen him like this in all their seven years together.

"Okay," Emily replied.

As she turned and stepped out the front door, the night wind swept over her. She pulled her zipper up to her chin.

Her face was completely expressionless, lips flat and unmoving. Her steps were steady, unhurried. When she reached her car, she opened the door, got in, and started the engine.

In the rearview mirror, the lights of the Olivers' old house faded away, shrinking into the night.

*****

The night before the shareholders' meeting. Emily sat alone in her small apartment. A document lay out across the table in front of her. She turned the pages one by one, a cup of cold coffee sitting nearby.

Her black phone rang. She picked it up.

The man on the other end said, "Everything's set for tomorrow. The lawyer's already here, and all the paperwork's ready. You sure you don't want to be there in person?"

"Not showing up," Emily replied.

"What if they refuse?"

"He'll agree. He can't say no. He doesn't have a way out."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Emily, there's one thing I need to confirm."

"Go ahead," Emily said.

"Withdraw everything? Leave nothing behind?"

"Not a single cent. Leave them with nothing."

"Alright. We'll know the outcome tomorrow."

The call ended. Emily set her phone down on the table.

She gazed out at the night outside the window. The lights in the building across went out one by one, leaving only a few units still illuminated. Someone was smoking on the balcony, the red glow flickering on and off.

After tomorrow, nothing would ever be the same again.

Emily stood up, gathered the documents from the table, and slipped them into her bag. Then she turned off the lights and lingered in the darkness for a moment.

For some reason, Jayden suddenly popped into her mind. Emily remembered when he was three, burning up with a fever, crying for her in the middle of the night. She'd carried him around the living room all night, never letting go.

She remembered his first day of kindergarten at four, how he wouldn't let go of her leg at the school gate, refusing to let her leave.

And she remembered the hurt on his little face just last month, when he said, "I don't want you, Mom."