Loving DAD 1054

Still, it was understandable–some matters inevitably touched on trade secrets. 

Setting the company history aside, Sharon began reviewing Kalen Group’s current operations and investments. 

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door. 

When she opened it, she found Richard standing outside. 

Though Sharon had her share of clashes and disagreements with her three older brothers, they had never truly fallen out–and Richard was the reason why. 1 

Even when he doubted her, he never voiced his suspicions too harshly, nor pushed things to an irreparable point. He always left a way back, a fragile bridge of civility still standing between them. 

Sharon invited him in and poured a glass of water. “Dad, is something the matter?” 

Richard smiled. “Theo mentioned you’ve been studying business lately, so I thought I’d come take a look. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can always ask me.” 

As the head of the Kalen Group, no one understood the company better than Richard himself. 

Sharon didn’t hesitate. “Dad, after your disappearance back then, the Kalen Group fell into chaos and nearly went bankrupt. I want to know–how did it come back from the brink?” 

At the question, a flicker of nostalgia crossed Richard’s eyes. 

“That was because of a project your mother invested in,” he said. “It turned out to be a massive success–far beyond anyone’s expectations. That one investment temporarily stabilized the Kalen Group. Later, she made several more each yielding remarkable returns. Eventually, the company was fully back on its feet. 

“Sharon, you probably don’t know this, but your mother was a genius in venture capital. The tech companies that Kalen Group now controls–many of them were investments she made back then. At the time, no one believed in them.” 

Even Richard himself, after regaining control of the company, hadn’t been optimistic. 

The only reason he hadn’t canceled those investments was sentiment–he’d wanted to preserve something of Shayla after her departure. And besides, Kalen Group was stable enough at the time to absorb the loss. 

But twenty years later, those very projects Shayla had invested in had exploded into prominence. Within just a few years, they’d grown at a staggering pace, becoming leaders in their fields–companies others now envied bitterly. 

Because Shayla had held firm control at the start, those ventures remained tied closely to the Kalen Group. Yet when she signed the contracts, she had granted the founders wide freedom to operate, intervening only in life- or–death decisions and never meddling in their day–to–day management. 

Richard continued, “Back then, Shayla invested in several large–scale, high–cost projects. Normally, for that kind of capital injection, Kalen Group would send personnel into the partner company to supervise operations. But Shayla insisted on full autonomy for them. 

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“The entire board opposed her decision. Some even tried to remove her from her position. Tha moment Kalen Group began to falter, one of her investments produced a return of over two hundr initial capital. 

“The entire business world was shaken. Our stock price soared on the back of that success. The rivals w tried to short Kalen Group suffered massive losses and were forced to withdraw in disgrace. Ironically, downfall became the foundation of our recovery.” 

A faint smile touched Richard’s lips as he spoke. 

In corporate management, Shayla had her shortcomings. But when it came to investment foresight–her instinct for opportunity–she was one in a million. 

If only she had known how to bend a little, to yield at the right time… perhaps they wouldn’t have been separated so soon by life and death. 

Victoria’s mother had left him. 

And years later, Shayla too, was gone, leaving him to face the world alone. 

At the thought, a trace of bitterness surfaced in Richard’s heart–resentment entwined with grief.