He rattled off a few names, none of which were familiar to Lysander. Is there a problem with that? he asked.
Leonard nodded. Yes, a significant one. These names seem unrelated, and most of them are independent investors. But when our team dug deeper, we found that the stocks they were acquiring ended up in the same account. The account holder is…
He paused and then slowly revealed, It’s Nicole.
Lysander was taken aback. Nicole? Isn’t she Roland’s chief of staff?
Now things were getting interesting.
His boss had vanished, and instead of maintaining stability, the major shareholder was selling off stocks. Meanwhile, the chief of staff was secretly buying them up. What kind of game was this?
Wait a minute—what game?
Lysander’s eyes gleamed with insight, and he suddenly chuckled.
He nodded at Leonard, signaling, Recall the people we’ve sent out. Leave just a few for appearances.
Leonard was puzzled. You mean…?
Lysander smiled. Roland is planning something big. He’s even kept his own brother in the dark. Once this play is over, The Lockwood Group will be firmly under his control.
Leonard suddenly understood. So you suspect he’s already safe and is using this opportunity to clean house and consolidate scattered shares?
Lysander nodded. That’s highly likely.
The Lockwood Group has been on shaky ground this year. Some of the top executives are still linked to the shady dealings from years ago. If they don’t clean up their act, they’ll be forced out. This is the perfect opportunity to do so, and to centralize power. Would Roland miss such a chance?
He chuckled and shook his head. I’m almost tempted to think that his so-called ‘attack’ was staged.
Leonard thought for a moment, then proposed, Could Nicole be buying the stocks to sell them at a higher price, or perhaps…
No!
Leonard nodded, then added, By the way, the divorce hearing is tomorrow. It starts at ten-thirty in the morning.
Lysander’s expression showed mild surprise. That soon?
After another long silence, he spoke again. I must win this divorce case. It needs to be a decisive victory, with no room for error.
Leonard nodded, his expression calm. Everything is arranged.
Divorce?
Lysander was getting a divorce?
When was that decided? Why hadn’t he mentioned it?
Outside the office door, Giselle was eavesdropping, her face mirroring her internal shock. Realizing the meeting was ending, she quietly slipped away before anyone noticed her presence.