Chapter 1011 Someone in the Shadows (V)

• And Madison Sawyer’s suicide wasn’t just gossip for people to chat about over dinner. The financial fallout blindsided everyone. Not only the tabloids—major outlets jumped in too, pushing all kinds of projections about the impact. Regal Peaks in Millsborough is a heavyweight, with wide business lines—especially real estate and hotels. Any hint of trouble sparks industry speculation and shifts where money flows. This time the proof looked ironclad: a huge internal crisis had erupted. Madison Sawyer’s life or death was still unknown, and a suicide attempt on top of that—could she really shoulder the job of leading Regal Peaks? When Mr. Sawyer—Madison’s father—one day passes, who will inherit Regal Peaks? His health has been shaky in recent years, and he’s been slowly stepping back from day-to-day operations. At this rate, Madison’s suicide is bound to trigger serious doubts among shareholders about her succession.
• Some reports even started guessing at Madison’s “real” reason for the suicide. Regal Peaks hasn’t been doing great these past two years—there’s even been a slide. Madison’s seat inside the company isn’t solid either. After she took office, she overhauled personnel and reassigned several founding old-timers, stirring up a lot of anger and backlash. So it’s very possible the root cause of her suicide was Regal Peaks’ economic troubles combined with messy internal management—pressure she just couldn’t carry. On the flip side, her suicide set off a wave of outside debate about Regal Peaks’ true condition. That vicious cycle kept feeding itself. The doubts grew louder by the day. Rumors spread that Regal Peaks had a giant hole in its finances and was already teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
• You can imagine how that kind of coverage rocked Regal Peaks Group from the inside. Before news of Madison’s suicide broke, Mr. Sawyer had already become reclusive, steadily handing power to Madison. And in the days before her attempt, Madison was barely seen. Her parents were scared for her, so they forced her to rest at home—staying with her, basically keeping watch. They figured the company was steady, nothing big going on, so Mr. Sawyer had delegated most matters to the vice presidents. Then the reports hit, and everyone panicked. Nobody knew what was really happening. Phones blew up—people calling Madison’s father to ask what the hell was going on.