Chapter 122
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When Lavern returned to Ross Group, Marina had just finished Interviewing a few employees in the HR department. These were all people Garret had arranged for her to meet.
Marina was just putting on a show, pretending to interview then
As she was leading the group back to her office floor, she ran into Lavern in the elevator.
Lavern had just been put in his place by Daron, and his expression was anything but pleasant. When he saw Marina leading a group of unfamiliar faces, his eyes grew even colder.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Marina noticed the sour look on his face. Obviously, he hadn’t gotten anything out of Daron, and said with a mocking tone.
“Obviously, I’m hiring a few reliable people for myself,” she replied.
Lavern frowned.
“Ross Group is facing financial issues right now. We should be cutting staff, not hiring new people. Why are you still bringing in new hires?” he said.
Marina raised an eyebrow.
“If anyone needs to be laid off, it should be those useless people you’ve been keeping around. The people I’m hiring are top- notch–nothing like your cronies,” she said.
Lavern froze for a moment. He glanced at the number of people in the elevator, and his face darkened.
“Are you trying to build your own executive team?” he demanded.
Marina shot him a sideways glance. “What’s wrong with the vice president having a few more assistants?”
Lavern’s gaze grew
colder.
The elevator stopped at his floor.
Marina said softly, “Make way for Mr. Ross.”
The people in front of the elevator instantly stepped aside for Lavern.
Lavern’s fists clenched at his sides. He gave Marina a guarded look before stepping out of the elevator.
With a grim face, Lavern brushed off his suit jacket where one of the employees had accidentally bumped into him, then turned to glance at Marina, who was still standing in the elevator
Marina flashed him a smile, her eyes gleaming with the confidence of someone who knew she’d already won.
Lavern knew all too well what that look on her face meant.
He was sure she was already plotting how to kick him out of his pot at Rose Group.
Back in his office, Lavern called in favors from his long–standing connections, hoping they could help Ross Group weather
the crisis.
He didn’t care who bought the shares, as long as it wasn’t Carter.
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Chapter 122
But his usual drinking buddies all turned him down today, saying they were already booked for another dinner.
Lavern played it smart and asked around who was hosting the diner tonight. They all told him the same thing
Daron.
Lavern suddenly recalled Daron’s parting words as he left the office.
His face fell, and he slumped angrily into his chair, clutching his phone so hard his knuckles went white.
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Daron was hell–bent on snatching up Ross Group’s shares for penies, and no one had the guts to go up against him.
For a company as big as Ross Group, all Daron had to do was say the word, and it would spiral straight into ruin.
Lavern had gone to Daron looking for a partnership, but in the end, he’d just dug his own grave.
Now he was caught between a wolf and a tiger–either choice would have serious consequences for him.
Lavern gritted his teeth, forced himself to calm down, and had no choice but to go upstairs to find Marina.
Marina handed the new hires over to Robert to get them settled in. She had just settled into her office when Lavern came upstairs to see her.
Lavern walked into her office,.and Xavier followed right behind, standing protectively in front of Marina’s desk.
“Get out!” Lavern snapped.
Lavern was already in a foul mood, and seeing Xavier just made his anger boil over.
Xavier didn’t show a hint of fear. He just stood there, unfazed in front of Marina’s desk, completely ignoring Lavern as if he was invisible.
Lavern couldn’t hold back his fury anymore. He suddenly grabbed Xavier by the collar, eyes blazing with anger.
“I need to talk company secrets with your boss. Who do you think you are, thinking you have the right to be here?” he snapped.
Marina frowned, shooting Lavern a frosty look as she spoke in a calm, steady tone.
“With Ross Group in shambles, there’s really nothing left to keep secret,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
“If you want to have a meltdown, take it outside. Don’t come in here just to throw a useless fit in my office,” she added.
As she spoke, Marina leaned back in her chair, resting her chin on one hand, looking totally unbothered.
Lavern took a deep breath, let go of Xavier’s collar, pulled out the chair across from Marina, and sat down. He said coldly,
“Ross Group’s really in a mess now.”
Marina raised an eyebrow.
Seeing her so unconcerned, Lavern couldn’t hold back anymore and snapped.
“I pissed off Daron!”
Marina’s composure finally cracked a little, her gaze growing serious as she looked at him.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
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Chapter 122
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Lavern ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Daron was all over Ross Group before, so I went to see him at lunch to talk business. But the meeting was a disaster. He’s already put the word out. If anyone tries to buy Ross Group’s shares, they’re picking a fight with him.”
Marina frowned, her eyes cold and cutting as she stared at him,ure contempt in her gaze.
“Let’s be real, you weren’t there to talk investment. You wanted to buy Ross Group’s shares because you’re terrified my dad will swoop in, and then the two of us will team up and push you out of the picture. So you’re desperate to find anyone else to take them off your hands,” she said.
She called out every single one of Lavern’s moves, leaving him s rattled he couldn’t even look her in the eye.
Marina just looked at him with even more disdain.
Lavern closed his eyes, realizing that at this point, he had to set aside his pride.
“Marina, we really can’t sell Ross Group’s shares to Carter. Even he gets them, if Zamora Group puts the squeeze on us, we won’t stand a chance,” he said.
Marina let out a cold laugh. “So you’re just going to let Dáron take over Ross Group’s shares?”
Lavern looked frustrated, but he was out of options.
He couldn’t afford to mess with Daron, and there’s no way he could go up against the Finleys either.
“Carter won’t touch Ross Group’s shares now, that’s for sure,” he muttered.
Marina’s brows knit tightly, her expression grave as she went quiet.
Seeing her like that, Lavern could tell she was still anxious about Ross Group’s future, so he said gently.
“Marina, I was actually on board with your plan before. I’d put in 10%, the other shareholders would throw in 5%, and you’d put up 5%,” he said.
“But now that Daron is the one buying Ross Group’s shares, if I put in 10%, I’ll only have 2% more than Zamora Group. If Daron manages to grab another 3% from the other shareholders I won’t have any real power left,” he added.
“Then Ross Group will be nothing but easy prey for Zamora Group. They’ll swallow us whole. You don’t want to see everything we’ve built together just get wiped out by Zamora Group and vanish from the market, do you?” he said.
When his own position was on the line, Lavern snapped to attention.
Too bad he had no clue that Marina’s real reason for coming back to Ross Group was to help Zamora Group devour it from the inside out.
“So I can’t put up 5% anymore. If Zamora Group ends up grabbing all your shares, Ross Group is really doomed. I’m only willing to put up 1% at most,” he said.
Lavern’s expression froze, and he was caught off guard for a moment.
He’d been hoping to convince Marina to shell out 10% while he ly had to put in 5%, but she just threw him a curveball. She was only willing to put up 1%.
Lavern’s head throbbed, his voice low and tight with anger.
“Marina, now’s really not the time for drama,” he said.
Marina met his gaze, her expression unwavering. “I’m being completely serious. You think I’d waste energy on petty grudges when Ross Group’s future is at stake? Honestly, Mr. Ross, you’re just not that big of a deal.”
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Chapter 122
Lavern felt even more suffocated than he had in Daron’s office.
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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.
