Chapter 5 Crisis Befalls The Company!

• Rachel returned to her company with a worsening mood. The company was in complete disarray.
• Phone calls were flooding in from clients and debtors, some demanding payment while others wanted to cancel their bookings. Rumors were spreading like wildfire throughout the company...
• As Rachel entered her office, the higher-ups quickly gathered around her.
• They were all filled with anxiety, waiting for Rachel to speak about the collaboration with Phoenixhive Group.
• "Ms. Holden, how did it go? Did Phoenixhive agree to collaborate with us again?" one of them asked.
• Rachel shook her head, not even wanting to mention that she was forcibly removed from their headquarters.
• She couldn't understand Eileen's sudden change in attitude. She remembered Eileen as a calm and cooperative representative, but now she didn't even give Rachel a chance to speak.
• "Eileen didn't even want to discuss it with me! I was told to leave!"
• Everyone sank into their chairs upon hearing this. Some were left speechless. It felt as if Phoenixhive had handed down a death sentence.
• They erupted into a frenzy, "We can't just sit here and wait for everything to fall apart, can we? Let's try reaching out to others..."
• "Yeah, if things continue to worsen, we might not even get paid next month..."
• The higher-ups shook their heads, feeling helpless.
• One of them adjusted his black glasses and said after some thought, "Ms. Holden, what made Phoenixhive agree to collaborate with us in the first place? They usually don't entertain small companies like ours, and we had no prior history with them."
• "That's true, Ms. Holden. Think about it, who connected them to us?"
• Everyone held onto this slim chance of turning things around. "If we can find this person, maybe we can salvage our situation!"
• These words triggered something in Rachel's mind.
• She was able to meet Eileen because of an anonymous email.
• She had never known Eileen before that, yet when they first met, it felt as if Eileen had known her for a long time. Everything seemed pre-planned.
• Rachel had always felt that something was suspicious about this. There was no way such an important industry leader would find her, just a director of a small company. There must be something she was missing.
• It seemed that the sender of that anonymous email held the key to unraveling this mystery.
• Rachel immediately turned on her laptop and checked her mailbox. The email was still there. She sent a message to the sender, but there was no reply, at least not yet. There must be a reason why the sender chose to remain anonymous. It was unlikely that they would reveal themselves just because Rachel sent a message.
• The glimmer of hope that had just formed in her heart was once again extinguished.
• Her employees were still arguing with each other, so Rachel decided to leave the office and get some fresh air. She wandered aimlessly through the streets, eventually leading her home. She turned a corner into an alley.
• At the junction stood a towering tree, and beside it was a motorcycle locked to a post.
• Rachel stared at the motorcycle, lost in her thoughts. Victor used to give her a ride on his motorcycle to work every day. Now, Victor was no longer around, but the motorcycle remained, lonely in the shadows of the tree.
• Sadness overwhelmed her once again.
• Rachel entered a building and saw Hunter fooling around with his friends in the distance.
• "Hunter, I heard you're buying a BMW 7 Series. That's awesome! When are you getting the car? You have to give us a ride!" one of the guys exclaimed.
• Hunter couldn't hide his anger. "Don't even mention it. I was so close to buying that car, but some damn woman ruined my plans!"
• He flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his foot.
• "What happened? I can't believe someone would provoke the great Hunter, and it was a girl! You should teach her a lesson!"
• The guy was provoking him further. Hunter grew angrier by the minute.
• He had tried to find information about that woman after returning from the Blue Whale Automobile Dealer, but he came up empty-handed. One of the notorious thugs in his circle hung up immediately when he heard that Hunter was looking for Ms. Frost.
• Suddenly, something clicked in Rachel's mind. She quickly approached Hunter and pulled him aside. "Hunter, I have bad news. Phoenixhive Group has withdrawn their investment in us, and we're facing a cash flow crisis. We're on the verge of bankruptcy..."
• Hunter stared at Rachel, his train of thought interrupted. Initially, he had wanted Rachel's help in finding the woman who had destroyed the BMW at the dealer.
• "Bankrupt? Are you kidding me? Phoenixhive Group has always had a good relationship with us. My mom said she would buy me a Ferrari soon. Don't lie to me just because I don't understand business!"
• "Hunter, if I remember correctly, you were the one who told me about the email. It was because of that email that I met a representative from Phoenixhive..."
• Hunter blinked, trying hard to remember the email.
• "Tell me quickly, how did you know about that email? Who told you?"
• "The email..."
• "Don't hide anything from me. This is important. You have to tell me everything!"
• This time, Hunter didn't beat around the bush when he saw the seriousness on Rachel's face. It seemed like the company was truly in a dire situation.
• In fact, everything came rushing back to him the moment Rachel mentioned the email.
• Victor had been the one to tell Hunter to remind Rachel to check her email. Hunter hadn't taken it seriously at first, but then he saw how anxious Rachel and Mabel were about finding new clients. That's when he remembered Victor's words.
• What if Victor knew some potential clients? Hunter decided to take a chance and told Rachel about the email...
• "Wait, are you serious? Does that useless idiot really have connections with powerful people?" Hunter whispered.
• "Tell me, who told you that?"
• "It... It was Victor. He told me to check your inbox..."
• Victor?
• Rachel was shocked and took a step back. Victor... How was he related to the general manager of the Phoenixhive Group?
• It was then that she realized Victor and Eileen shared the same last name. Could they be relatives?
• That seemed impossible!
• Eileen was a high-ranking executive at the Phoenixhive Group. Ordinary people wouldn't have direct access to her, so it was strange that she suddenly offered important projects to Silverdream Corporation.
• Meanwhile, Victor was just a poor guy struggling to pay his school tuition. He had to take out a loan and work overtime to repay his debts.
• The fact that they shared the same last name must be a coincidence. Rachel thought she was overthinking things. There was no way they were related.
• Rachel also remembered that Margot announced she was Victor's girlfriend right after they signed the divorce papers.
• Rachel knew Margot had a good reputation, both in university and in the business world. Many tycoons knew of her because of her exceptional beauty.
• Margot had no shortage of suitors, yet she chose Victor. Victor was just a janitor who couldn't even afford a cigarette. How did they end up together?
• A strange feeling welled up inside Rachel. Suddenly, she didn't recognize Victor anymore.
• "Rachel, what's going on? I've been telling my brothers that I'm getting a new, fancy car, but now it seems like I have to wait. Also, Mom already told you about that awful woman, right? Give me five hundred thousand dollars, I need to hire someone from the underworld to dig up information on her. It's urgent!"
• "Hunter, do you have any idea what's been happening lately? I can't even take out a penny from the company right now, let alone five hundred thousand. We're on the brink of bankruptcy. The court might come to seize our house!"
• Hunter nearly stumbled to the ground upon hearing this shocking news. "Rachel, you know I'm always weak! Don't try to scare me like this. If you do it again, I'll tell Mom about you!"
• Rachel was torn. Hunter's complaints only worsened her mood.
• In fact, Hunter was waiting for Rachel to appear on this street under Mabel's instructions.
• After Victor's death, Mabel was eager to find another husband for Rachel.
• Hunter wanted a wealthy brother-in-law, so he shared the same desire.
• "Mom wants me to tell you that Aunt Alice's nephew is treating us to dinner tonight. Go with her!"
• "I don't want to..."
• "Aunt Alice's nephew graduated from a prestigious university and owns a company. Making another valuable connection can only bring us more benefits. Mom is always thinking about our family!" Hunter continued to persuade her.
• "Yeah, you're right..."