A Replacement Bride

Chapter 405

Chapter 404 Toppling

An uproar arose on Twitter the next morning.

'Shocking! Gray Corporation's multiple projects are in lockdown. Partners demand contract cancellation and a huge amount of reimbursement. Bankruptcy is imminent.'

This piece of news took over the headlines and trending, and there were already a lot of comments.

'No way! That's like practically all of their projects. How dirty must they be?'

'Oh, sh*t. They're the developers of where I'm staying. I'm panicking.' Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

'I can't believe they actually toed the line of crime. Are they mad?'

'Man, this is an unlucky streak. How many scandals does this make? They're over. Fines, reimbursement, and the court of public opinion's judgment at the same time. It's a huge blow.'

'Serves them right. Who knows how many dirty deals they've done? I say keep exposing them.'

There were a lot of comments, but all were against Gray Corporation. Even the cops said they would punish the company's administrator, which lent credence to the stories posted online. Gray Corporation was, once again, at the forefront of the court of public opinion, and they didn't even manage to recover from their last fiasco.

When Philip woke up and found out what had happened, he coughed up blood and fainted. The Grays were in chaos, and Emmanuel finally panicked. He didn't think things would turn to hell in just a single day. His assistant called him incessantly, but he remained seated on his bed, dazed and silent.

Sharon had been crying her eyes out for Corey, and now she couldn't hold it in anymore. "You call this a sure win? Look at the mess you made! You sacrificed our son and the company! Give my son back! Give him back to me!" She was unkempt, her clothes were messy, and she screamed and shouted as she abused Emmanuel.

The man didn't move. He stared ahead vacantly, thinking, We're done for.

The cops quickly came to him. "Mr. Emmanuel Gray, multiple projects under your supervision are found to be involved in criminal activities. We need you to come with us. We have questions for you."

Emmanuel finally reacted and quickly backed off. "It's just a little problem. There's no need to be taken for interrogation, is there? And do you know who I am? I'm Emmanuel Gray. I'm this family's leader. I know your chief. How dare you arrest me!"

The cops shrugged his arrogance off, and the leader sneered. He rebutted, "I don't care who you are or whom you know; you're coming with us. If you refuse, then you'll be charged with obstruction of official duty. We can arrest you right now. You can come with us, or we can make you."

Being the leader of the business industry meant nobody had ever talked to Emmanuel like this before, and he was furious. "Why you…" He wanted to shout, but before he could say anything, the cop in the lead lost his patience and shot his colleagues a look.

Two of the cops went ahead and held Emmanuel's arms before turning his arms around. In pain, Emmanuel shouted, "How dare you! I want to see your chief!"

The cop in the lead sneered, unfazed by the threat. Without fear, he responded, "You can't see the chief just because you want to. If you have anything you want to say, save it for the interrogation. Even if you want to see him, he might not even take this case." He shook his head at the cops restraining Emmanuel. "Take him away."

Sharon was in shock. Then, she tried to stop the cops after snapping out of her reverie, but she alone couldn't stop them. All she could do was watch helplessly as her husband was taken away. She had no idea if her son was still alive, and the family was in a mess. And now, her husband had been taken away. Overwhelmed by despair, she blacked out.

…

David told Joaquin about the news right away. "Damn, you're awesome. The whole family is in a mess."

Joaquin didn't really care. He knew this would happen. "It's all their fault that this happened."

David sighed. "The Grays are in a mess, but Emmanuel's b*stard kids won't even stand up for them. What a bunch of cowards. The shareholders are going crazy at the company since they can't find them. Even their employees are going on strike. The company can't even run well now."

Joaquin narrowed his eyes. "Good. Emmanuel won't stay captured long. He can bust himself out, but I'm sure he'd rather go back in than face what's waiting for him outside. Debt collectors, those people that he has offended, the government… He's going to deal with the matter for a while. Whether he will survive through it, it all depends on him now."

David was amused. "Depends on him? More like it depends on you. You can destroy him if you want."

Joaquin didn't answer that. "I have no grudge against them. I only did this for Kathy. What happens to them depends on her. If she wants them to fall, then they shall fall. If she wants them to live, then I will spare them. It makes no difference to me. All I have to do is buy enough time for her."

Just then, someone called him. When he saw who the caller was, he broke into a smile, his eyes twinkling with delight. "It's Kathy." He wagged his phone in David's face and went to the balcony to take the call. "What is it, Kathy?" he asked right away.

Katherine said, "The antidote is done. I'm going back now. How's Corey doing?" She sounded hoarse and tired but confident.

"He can still hold on. I'll pick you up." He hung up and returned to the lounge to get his car key. Then, he left.