Loving DAD 1129

Thomas’s smile held an unreadable edge. “What a coincidence, isn’t it?” 

Sharon fell quiet, watching him with narrowed eyes as thought folded over thought. 

Then Thomas spoke again, “If Julliard really is Mr. F, and he’s in trouble now, we have every reason to help.” 

Sharon turned to him. “You think Julliard is Mr. F?” 

Thomas shrugged. 

“I don’t know. But you asked him directly and he didn’t deny it. If it weren’t true, why wouldn’t he explain? Besides, his two secretaries have already hinted enough–if Julliard weren’t involved, would they have the standing to come and accuse you? You didn’t spend his money, after all.” 

Despite his logic, a knot of doubt still tightened in Sharon’s chest. Fifty billion wasn’t a casual mistake. 

Sensing her hesitation, Thomas added, “Whether Mr. F is Julliard or not, Julliard has already helped you a great deal. To avoid future accusations from his staff or moral grandstanding, it’s smarter to settle that debt sooner rather than later. You’ll have plenty to worry about once you join the Kalen Group–if Macaron Group collapses and drags you down, you won’t have the bandwidth to handle it.” 

He had a point. Regardless of the truth behind Mr. F, Julliard was now being targeted because of her; she couldn’t simply stand aside. 

“I planned to sell one percent of my original shares to raise funds,” Sharon said. “But the Kalen family interfered. They may delay me for a few days, but they can’t stop it forever. I’ll sell the shares first and plug the hole in Julliard’s cash flow.” 

Original Kalen Group shares weren’t something the family could forbid with a wave of the hand and expect compliance. People listen when the price and the pitch move them. 

The Kalen Group shares were coveted–too juicy an asset for outsiders to ignore. That was why Sharon had initially given the Kalen Group’s shareholders priority: she planned to buy back later. 

Kalen family interference might block some buyers, but not everyone. If she chose to sell, the shares would 

move. 

Thomas, however, said, “Right now, the Macaron Group is a bottomless pit. Even if we poured the whole fifty billion into it, things might not change. Better to find a way to help him through this crisis without bleeding into the company. 

“And if fighting fair won’t work against Jamie, we can fight dirty. Flint said Silas was involved in the setup. Let’s 

start there.” 

“You just closed on Silverstone Group,” he continued. “You’ve won praise and people’s goodwill. When you enter the Kalen Group with those original shares behind you, you’ll have enough supporters to rival the Kalen family. The greater your power, the worse it looks for them. They’ll try to sabotage your decisions to break your reputation and strip away your support. 

“Right now, neither Jamie nor Silas sees you as a real threat. That arrogance is our advantage. If we strike them 

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where they’re blind and arrogant, they’ll be easier to topple. And who knows…” 

Thomas smiled. “We might even scoop up the scraps while everyone else panics.”