Chapter 141 Substantiated News
“That’s fine! Let’s plan something once you’re back,” I said. 1
As I was about to end the call, she asked, “Ms. Chloe, haven’t you heard? ATL Empire is about to change ownership.”
“What?” I asked, my heart racing. “Change ownership?”
Stella chuckled and said, “Let’s discuss it later when I’m back. It won’t be long now! Goodbye!”
She hung up, leaving me puzzled.
What did she mean by that? Change of ownership? 2
It was a serious matter. A conglomerate the size of ATL Empire, and they were changing ownership so quickly?
My knowledge of ATL Empire was clearly limited. It suddenly made sense why Atlas had rushed off and told me to wait for his return before handling things. 1
Then, I realized the meaning behind Stella’s question. She must have thought the call was an attempt to pry information from
her.
Just as I was about to call Ivanna, Lauren Burton called. It was a name I had nearly forgotten.
I answered the call. “Hello, Ms. Burton!”
“Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about something,” she said.
“Alright! Where should we meet?”
1
“It’s lunchtime now. Let’s grab a meal!” She thought for a moment. “Come to Stallion Road. There’s a place known for its beef stews! I’ll be waiting for you!”
I headed straight to Stallion Road, where she had mentioned a restaurant with a unique name.
Sure enough, it was a small store with no parking spaces. I had to park across the street and make my way through the traffic to
enter.
Though the restaurant was small, it was remarkably tidy. Lauren called out from a narrow staircase, “Chloe!”
I saw her waving at me, so I quickly followed her upstairs.
The second floor had a few private rooms, and Lauren had chosen one with a window. She had seen me coming in.
She gestured for me to sit down and said, “This place makes the best stews. I come here whenever I have the chance!”
I couldn’t help but admire that she frequented such down–to–earth eateries.
She laughed when she saw my confused face. “Once you try it, you won’t look at me like that anymore.”
After we sat down, she began, “I heard about the situation at your company. What happened? Is there any hope left?”
I looked at her. “You certainly have your sources.”
“Ha! As I told you, your company’s name still reminds me of that scumbag.” She made a face that showed her disgust, which was endearing.
“Either rebrand or dismantle the company. Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on that scumbag!”
“Don’t worry, it affected me, too!” I teased her. “But now isn’t the time for a rebrand.”
She smiled. “Although our relationship is unconventional, I always stand by my friends. Of course, you don’t have to be friends
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with me if you don’t want to.”
“You’re overthinking it! I’m not that petty,” I assured her.
I quite liked her straightforward nature.
“I wanted to tell you that Matthew secured a foothold with Echelon Group. He even took out a seven–million–dollar loan. They are working with the Echelon Group to buy a plot of land in Operose. He’s now a shareholder,” she revealed.
She confirmed what Johnson had told me earlier,
“Echelon Group is in a hurry to expand their capital. They want to secure that land because their only competitor, ATL Empire, is in turmoil. It has considerable growth potential. If Echelon Group succeeds, Matthew will be thrilled.”
“Seven million? His audacity knows no bounds. What if he fails? Isn’t he afraid of going back to square one?” I scoffed. “I know Matthew’s background the best. He suffered significant losses under my management. Where did he get all this confidence for such a risk?”
“He probably fell into Echelon Group’s trap. They have deep pockets and have worked with him before. Matthew couldn’t resist the temptation,” Lauren reasoned. “We can’t let this punk off easy! Will you be fine with him succeeding?”
I had to admit that Lauren was right. I would never be at peace if Matthew gained too much power.
I asked, “So, what do you suggest?”
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