Chapter 1025: Bankruptcy
Naturally, neither of them had taken anything. After all, they had no
connection to it whatsoever.
Mr. Wesley and Mrs. Wesley were well aware of this fact, but even in
this situation, they wanted to make one last effort. Mr. Wesley asked,
"Mr. Simpson, as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. My wife and I are
not from Hance, and we had no idea the Armstrong family would have
the audacity to do this. Now, the Armstrong family isn't just bullying us
but also you."
"This is between me and the Armstrong family. I'll naturally seek justice
for myself, so you don't need to provoke me. There are only two
options for you now. Either leave, and this incident will be your price for
ignorance. If you can't stomach this, there's another way."
Ayan spoke calmly, and his cold demeanor remained evident. He spoke
with an underlying temptation that left the Wesley family eager to ask,
"What's the other way?"
"Of course, it's finding the one who took the money and deceived you,"
Ayan suggested plainly.
This statement couldn't have been clearer. He was almost telling the
Wesley family to settle this with the Armstrong family, to find Brody and
Page.
After all, every wrong has a source and every debt has a debtor, right?
Ayan's insinuations were not lost on the Wesley family. However, they
had their reservations and didn't want to confront the Armstrong family
directly, even though they understood that Ayan might not be someone
to trifle with. This was Hance City, and while Ayan was a force to be
reckoned with, the Armstrong family also had its influence. Armstrong
Corp had been a long-standing business in Hance, and it had
substantial background and financial resources.
Nevertheless, these were the Wesley family's thoughts and concerns.
Even if Ayan told them that Armstrong Corp was no longer a force to be
reckoned with, they still couldn't bring themselves to believe it
completely.
Both parties fell silent, and the atmosphere grew increasingly quiet. The
stillness was almost palpable, as if one could hear the very heartbeat of
Hance City.
Ayan wasn't in a hurry. He beckoned to Kian and calmly said, "Since
Mr. Wesley and Mrs. Wesley need some time to think, let's offer them
some tea to ponder over it."
Kian nodded and promptly had tea brought in for both of them. In a
voice that was neither too light nor too heavy, he whispered to Ayan,
"Mr. Simpson, after you instructed me to terminate all cooperation with
Armstrong Corp, many of their partnerships have started to unravel.
Armstrong Corp is currently in deep water, and they won't be able to
hold out for much longer.â
Ayan nodded lightly, his gaze resting on Mr. Wesley and Mrs. Wesley,
who were now fully focused on Kian as he reported to Ayan.
With a faint smile, Ayan remarked, "If you two have any doubts about
the situation, feel free to call the Armstrong family right now and tell
them that Camille has been taken away by me. Listen to how the
Armstrong family responds to you."
Mr. Wesley was torn, while Mrs. Wesley whispered a reminder, "Should
we make the call? After all, we're practically left with nothing now!"
Mr. Wesley narrowed his eyes, his thoughts unclear. He remained
silent, his expression darkening as if it had frozen in place, and his
brows furrowed deeply.
Ayan didn't mind their reactions or expressions. He simply said, "I'm
afraid the Armstrong family has already planned for this. They're
keeping you silent by making you think you can't approach them, and
even if things go awry, you won't dare to ask the Armstrong family for
that money. In the end, you're the ones taking the loss in this matter,
while the Armstrong family is the one reaping the benefits. Regardless
of the outcome, they stand to gain.â
Mr. Wesley fell completely silent because every word Ayan had spoken
had struck a chord. What Ayan had said was exactly what they were
thinking at this moment.
Mr. Wesley remained silent for a long time before looking at Ayan and
saying, "Mr. Simpson, are you suggesting that I go after the Armstrong
family? What do you hope to gain from this?"
Ayan wore a faint smile, completely unbothered by Mr. Wesley seeing
through his intentions. In fact, he was quite direct in his response.
"What I gain from this is simply keeping the Armstrong family on their
toes. I have no intention of actually doing anything to them, but you, on
the other hand, can hold them accountable. Your pursuit can make life
difficult for the Armstrong family. That's what I want to achieve."
Mr. Wesley still seemed uncertain. Ayan noticed this and didn't push
further. He stood up, towering over Mr. Wesley, and said, âI've said
what needs to be said. Whether you choose to act on it is entirely up to
you. The decision is in your hands."
"Will you detain us in Hance City if we don't do as you suggest?" Mr.
Wesley asked.
Ayan remained silent. He had no intention of letting this conversation
be used against him. Even in his own domain, he was cautious. He
didn't reveal his true feelings.
This only deepened Mr. Wesley's uncertainty. His face showed his
unease, and he watched as Ayan was about to leave the private room.
Mrs. Wesley was also concerned and said, "Are we going to be kept
here? What about our son?"
Perhaps driven by their love for their son, Mr. Wesley spoke just before
Ayan stepped out of the room. "Mr. Simpson, I'm willing to cooperate.â
With those few words, Mr. Wesley showed his willingness to
compromise. Ayan's expression remained calm, and a faint smile
curved his lips. He turned to Mr. Wesley and said, "Then let's take
action. Time is of the essence. The Armstrong family hasn't rested yet,
and this is the perfect moment."
"Mr. Simpson, since you've proposed cooperation, my people won't be
effective here," Mr. Wesley said.
Ayan signaled to Kian with a glance, and Kian quickly added, "Mr.
Wesley, we've already made arrangements for you. Your driver is
waiting in the garage.â
Mr. Wesley nodded and left the private room with Mrs. Wesley. Ayan
arranged for his driver and bodyguards to escort them to the Armstrong
family. Until the matter was resolved, they wouldn't be allowed to leave.
Although it was already close to 11 PM, the night was exceptionally
long and eventful.
Since Ayan's visit, the Armstrong family had been in turmoil, and there
was no peace in sight. Armstrong Corp's calls were ringing incessantly,
driving Brody to the brink of a breakdown.
In the end, he shouted, "I'm not in charge of Armstrong Corp anymore.
If you have a problem, go find Horace. He's the one managing
Armstrong Corp now. He's the largest shareholder. Talk to him."
This information was promptly relayed to Horace, who called Brody to
inquire, "Are you saying that you won't handle any matters related to
Armstrong Corp?â
"Mr. Burris, it's what you said. You wanted full control of Armstrong
Corp, and I'm just a shareholder. What do you expect me to do? Do I
have the authority to manage it?" Brody's tone was far from friendly,
and he felt agitated, especially because of the Wesley familyâs situation
and Ayan's pressure. He was becoming increasingly emotional.
This emotional outburst had an effect on Horace, who maintained basic
decorum out of respect for Grace.
Horace spoke calmly, "Indeed, I said that. However, Mr. Armstrong, the
current situation has arisen because of the Armstrong family's actions.
The Armstrong family has caused significant trouble for Armstrong
Corp. You should be aware of Armstrong Corp's current state. If we
continue like this, you know what the consequences will be. You
probably understand it better than I do.â
Horace referred to the divorce statement issued from Brody's personal
account and the statements made by Simpson Group. These two
factors had caused significant losses for Armstrong Corp. Several
major projects were now on the brink of termination, and Armstrong
Corp was on the verge of bankruptcy.
"This is your matter; you shouldn't have come to me. You believe it's
because of the Armstrong family's actions, but do you have any
evidence to attribute it to us?"
Brody's counterquestion left Horace somewhat troubled. It sounded as
if Brody was trying to dodge responsibility, which made the situation
even more complicated for Horace.
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