hapter 208
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Instead of answering Lavern’s question right away, Basil put up the rest of the contracts on the screen.
As the other companies besides the Slav family were exposed, Lavern was no longer as composed as before.
His face turned pale, but with everyone watching, he had to keep up appearances and forced himself to sit still.
Seeing that none of the contracts Basil showed had anything to do with him, Abel quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He sat up straighter, trying to look more professional.
He couldn’t resist tossing out a snarky comment, “No wonder Ross Group’s been in trouble lately. Looks like Mr. Ross made a bunch of lousy investments and tanked the company.”
Lavern’s face instantly turned stormy at Abel’s words, and he shot him a menacing glare.
Abel awkwardly shifted his gaze away, acting every bit the shameless opportunist.
Lavern was furious inside, but he had no choice but to keep his cool.
He forced himself to look calm as he stared at the contracts Basil had just put on display.
He said, “Yeah, I signed off on all these projects. I personally approved about 80% of Ross Group’s deals. Some made money, some lost money. It’s just business, isn’t it? What’s that supposed to prove?
“I’m not some kind of genius who can magically dodge every investment risk.”
As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair, a hint of sarcasm curling at his lips.
As soon as he finished, the senior executives in the room started nodding along, backing him up.
These were all people Lavern had personally promoted. If he went down, they’d be in deep trouble, too. So, all things considered, they really didn’t want to see Lavern lose his position.
Basil sat in his chair, his gaze level and unwavering as he looked straight at Lavern.
“Investing always comes with risks and rewards,” Basil said, his voice steady. “But when those risks are deliberately created by someone, that’s a whole different story.”
Lavern gritted his teeth, his jaw set hard.
“Be careful with your words, Basil. You’d better have evidence to back them up,” he warned, his tone icy.
Basil pressed the button on his controller, and the Slav family’s financial records and detailed accounts flashed up for all to see.
“Mr. Ross, can you explain how a factory that’s been running well and making steady profits ended up making Ross Group lose 1.5 million dollars?” he asked, his tone sharp.
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Chapter 208
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“And why did you personally sign off on the withdrawal contract, letting Ross Group lose that 1.5 million dollars? Whose pocket did that money end up in?” he pressed, his gaze unwavering.
Lavern’s expression turned even more grim as Basil kept pressing him with those pointed questions.
Just then, Lavern’s phone rang, slicing through the tense atmosphere in the room.
Lavern pulled out his phone and saw it was Yara calling. He gave Basil a cold glance, then rose to his feet, heading for the door.
Basil’s people reached out and stopped him in his tracks.
“Where are you going, Mr. Ross?” one of them demanded.
Lavern scowled and snapped at Basil, “Basil, I’m just answering a call. That’s not illegal, is it?”
Basil wore a slight smile and let him go.
Only then did Lavern step out of the conference room to take the call.
Meanwhile, Robert walked over to Marina and leaned down.
He whispered, “Jasper turned himself in. He’s shouldering all the blame, saying he was the one who embezzled 1.5 million dollars from Ross Group.”
Marina’s brows furrowed just a little as she looked up at Basil.
Basil had just gotten the same news and met her gaze.
She’d already figured Jasper would cover for Lavern, so this outcome was exactly what she expected.
She just didn’t know if Basil had a counter ready.
But seeing Basil so calm, like he’d had it all mapped out, she finally relaxed.
Since Daron had personally sent Basil over, there was no doubt about his abilities.
Lavern’s call was probably from the Slav family.
When he came back, all the tension had vanished from his face, replaced by a relaxed, almost carefree look.
He pulled out his chair and sat back down. He propped his feet up on the conference table, looking totally at
ease.
He said, “Basil, you’d better have proof for what you say. These contracts you put up just show I made a few bad calls, nothing more. They don’t prove anything else.
“I’ve been with Ross Group for years, and I’ve brought a lot to the table for this company…”
Before Lavern could finish, the screen switched again, catching everyone off guard.
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Chapter 208
The image locked in and zoomed closer, making every detail impossible to miss.
Lavern jerked his feet down and glared at Marina, his eyes wide with shock.
A faint smile played at Marina’s lips as she caught Lavern’s reaction.
Lavern probably never expected she’d manage to uncover that contract.
After all, the villa’s stuff had already been dealt with.
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He’d even heard from Robert that Marina had tossed out all his personal belongings from the villa.
Lavern looked downright murderous, like he could strangle Marina on the spot.
Marina sat calmly in her chair, a faint smile playing on her lips as she spoke, “Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. Ross?”
The execs who’d been trying to help Lavern clear his name earlier all clammed up as soon as they saw his signature on that contract. Nobody dared to say a word.
At this point, everyone could see it as clear as day. Marina was dead set on getting Lavern booted from the Ross Group.
Basil drummed his fingers on the table, fixing his eyes on Lavern.
“Got anything left to say, Mr. Ross?” Basil asked, his voice cool and unyielding.
“If you still think this isn’t enough proof, we can always bring in the heads of the partner companies to confirm everything,” he added, making it clear he wasn’t backing down.
Lavern let out a heavy sigh, his eyes still locked on Marina, a hint of defeat flickering in his gaze.
“Marina, just because I took a little kickback, you can’t erase everything I’ve done for this company. Everyone makes mistakes. You can’t just wipe out all my hard work because of one slip–up, can you?” he pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.
Marina kept her face cold, completely unmoved by Lavern’s attempt to play the victim. She had zero intention of letting him off easy.
She replied, her voice calm but resolute, “Credit is credit, fault is fault. You don’t get to mix them up.
“Everything you’ve done for Ross Group is already reflected in your dividends. Ross Group never owed you anything.”
Lavern blurted out, sounding panicked, “I’ll give it all back! Every kickback I took these past three years. I’ll return all to the company account, I swear.”
Marina watched his desperate face, a cold, mocking smile curling at her lips.
“Mr. Ross, what you need to pay back is a lot more than just that,” she said coldly.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
