Free Web NovelChapter 244: Chapter 247: Felix Preston: The Revenge Has Begun. Are You Ready?
"Felix Preston, you’d better know what’s good for you!" Ethan Lockwood still hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation. Seeing Felix Preston’s hostile attitude and hearing his vicious words, he threatened through clenched teeth, "If you don’t want Volition Tech to suffer the same fate as the Preston Group, then keep talking to me with that tone."
"Heh..." Felix Preston sneered. "Ethan Lockwood, go to hell."
With that, he decisively hung up the phone.
Indignant, Ethan Lockwood immediately called back. Felix Preston was still debating whether to answer when the call suddenly disconnected.
The next moment, a news alert popped up on his phone screen.
—According to an inside source, Ethan Lockwood, CEO of the Lockwood Group, conspired with Liam Joyce, founder of Azure Studio, to maliciously slander the Preston Group.
"An inside source..." Felix Preston’s lips curled into a smile. "And I do believe that source... is me."
"Mr. Preston."
It was already late. The driver trotted over, rubbing his hands, which were red with cold. He asked tentatively, "Are you finished with your call, sir? Should we head home now?"
Felix Preston put away his phone and replied in a cheerful tone, "All done. Let’s go home."
...
SLAM!
Ethan Lockwood raised both hands and slammed them violently onto the desk.
"What the hell is going on? How did that information get leaked?"
His handsome, aloof face was now livid with overwhelming rage, and he was practically screaming into the phone at Liam Joyce.
Liam Joyce’s voice was fraught with anxiety, and he sounded no better than Ethan Lockwood.
"I don’t know either! Only the few of us knew about this. There can’t be a mole inside, can there?"
At the word "mole," Simon Abbott, who was standing by the door, saw his expression freeze for an instant before returning to normal.
"A mole?" Ethan Lockwood repeated, grinding the word out between his teeth. "Liam Joyce, what about Yvette Fuller?"
Liam Joyce was stunned for a moment, and his tone immediately changed. "Yvette Fuller? Are you saying you suspect her?"
Ethan Lockwood narrowed his eyes, a dangerous frost settling over his sharp gaze. "A few months ago, Yvette Fuller came to me with this information asking for money."
"Did you pay her?" Liam Joyce asked.
"I gave her four hundred thousand," Ethan replied. "She destroyed all of it right in front of me."
"...Son of a bitch." Liam Joyce swore resentfully. "She definitely played you! If she was willing to secretly hold onto that evidence, she could have easily made several copies before ’destroying’ it."
"The news report says the evidence was leaked by an ’inside source.’ The way I see it, that source has to be one of Felix Preston’s people."
"One of Felix Preston’s people..." Ethan Lockwood’s brows knitted together. A phrase Felix Preston had just said on the phone suddenly flashed through his mind.
—"Ethan Lockwood, stop worrying about Charlotte. Your own backyard is about to catch fire."
At the time, Ethan Lockwood had been confused by the statement, but thinking back on it now, he suddenly realized it had been a warning from Felix Preston.
"It wasn’t one of Felix Preston’s people." He clenched his hands into fists so tight that his knuckles, pressed against the hard desk, turned white.
"What?" Liam Joyce was confused.
Ethan Lockwood’s tone was firm. "This helpful ’inside source’ isn’t one of Felix Preston’s people. It’s Felix Preston himself."
"...What?!" Liam Joyce exclaimed in shock. "Felix Preston himself? You’re saying he’s the one who leaked all this evidence?"
"Yes," Ethan confirmed.
"How could Felix Preston possibly have this information?" Liam asked. "How did he even find Yvette Fuller?"
Ethan Lockwood closed his eyes, his head throbbing. "I’m afraid that’s a question only Yvette Fuller herself can answer."
"Simon Abbott."
"Right here," Simon Abbott immediately replied.
Ethan Lockwood ordered coldly, "Find Yvette Fuller. Bring her to the usual place."
"Yes, sir."
Not daring to linger, he immediately turned and strode out of the office.
Collins rushed in on his heels.
"Mr. Lockwood, the Lockwood Group’s official accounts on every platform are being swarmed."
"Then let them swarm," Ethan Lockwood said, pinching the aching bridge of his nose. "It’s not the first time we’ve been dogpiled online. Everything will slowly go back to normal once this blows over."
"This time... it’s different this time." Collins’s expression was grim.
"How is it different?" Ethan Lockwood snapped, looking at him impatiently.
Collins sighed several times, his voice trembling. "The public outrage is on a whole new level. Our accounts on TikTok and Spudster have already been mass-reported and banned."
"Some people have even filed complaints against the company with the police and the prosecutor’s office. The front desk just called—there are several police cars parked out front right now."
"Who’s in the cars?" Ethan Lockwood’s expression was terrifyingly dark.
Collins replied, "They’re all strangers."
SLAM!
Unable to contain his rage, Ethan Lockwood slammed his fist on the desk again, making the papers on it jump.
"How can they all be strangers? I’ve spent years and a fortune greasing palms at the police department! How could they send people I don’t know?!"
"Get them on the phone, now! Tell them to send their guys over immediately!"
Fiddling with his fingers, Collins said with a dejected look, "I already called them. They said because of Sonia Quincy’s disappearance, the higher-ups sent in a special task force. On top of that, with the year-end reviews, an inspection team is camped out in Aethelburg. They said they don’t dare make a move."
"...Damn it." Ethan Lockwood grabbed at his hair in frustration, finally letting out a curse. "A bunch of useless bastards who only know how to take my money! When it actually counts, not a single one of them is worth a damn!"
Collins added, "Mr. Lockwood, the year-end performance reviews are a critical time. Getting set up like this... I’m worried they’ll use us as an easy way to boost their case numbers."
"I know!" Ethan Lockwood pressed a hand to his forehead, every breath he exhaled feeling scalding hot. "Go contact Chief Dawson right now! Tell him to get his ass over here and figure out a solution for me!"
"Yes, sir."
"Liam Joyce." Ethan Lockwood picked up his phone again, taking several deep breaths to force himself to calm down. "Contact every connection you have, right now. Do whatever it takes to contain this."
"Felix Preston has Shaw Technologies backing him now; he’s not going to be easy to deal with. I’m also worried he’ll report this to the police."
"I get it," Liam Joyce said. "I’ll start making calls now. Mr. Lockwood, try not to worry too much. It’s not like we don’t have a scapegoat ready. Even if Felix Preston goes to the cops, we have a way out."
"Right," Ethan Lockwood said in a low voice. "Get to it. Don’t let this blow up any further."
He was about to hang up. But in the next second, a cold male voice came through the earpiece.
"Is this Liam Joyce? We’re from the Aethelburg Municipal Taxation Bureau. We’ve received a formal complaint under a real name, alleging that a company registered to you is engaged in tax evasion. You need to come with us to assist in an investigation."
