Chapter 4

Heston didn't hand over the pen immediately. "Dad, let's wait a little longer."

"What else is there to wait for?" My dad's voice was hoarse. "In another twenty minutes, all of the Knight Group's accounts will be frozen.

"The factories will shut down, employees will lose their jobs, and the projects will be forcibly auctioned off. Better to hand the company over intact than let the banks tear the Knight family apart."

Heston looked at my dad, his eyes red-rimmed. "But this is a lifetime of work from you and Grandpa."

My dad gave a bitter smile. "We can build another company if we lose this one. We can't let people be crushed to death by debt."

As he spoke, he glanced at me again. "Especially Henley. He can't do anything for himself. If the Knight family really goes bankrupt, who's going to clean up his messes?"

I sat quietly in the corner, watching him.

At a time like this, he was still worrying about my "worthless buildings."

A pang of sadness stirred in my chest, yet I also felt a strange urge to laugh.

'Dad, maybe worry about all the people lining up to go bankrupt first.'

Everett motioned for his lawyer to turn to the signature page. "Mr. Knight, this is the sensible choice. Once you sign, the Dawson Group will release the first payment immediately. I'll assume all of the Knight family's debts tonight."

The creditors, including David, visibly relaxed at those words. They didn't care whether Knight Group belonged to the Knights or the Dawsons. As long as the money arrived, they would've been happy to call it the Thank-God Group.

Heston handed the fountain pen to our father, but he didn't let go of it. "Dad."

My dad wrenched it from his hand. "Heston, you have to know how to lose before you can start over."

He took off his watch and placed it on the table. It was something Grandpa had left him. Over the past few days, he'd even been preparing to put that watch up for auction.

Heston finally turned his face away.

Aunt Michele lowered her head and wiped away her tears.

Meanwhile, the creditors in the room all looked toward the clock on the wall.

9:54 p.m.

In another six minutes, the Knight family would officially change hands.

I stood up.

Aunt Michele immediately grabbed me. "Henley, where are you going?"

"To get my phone."

"At a time like this, you're still thinking about your phone?"

Heston pulled it out of his pocket but didn't return it to me. "The transfer password."

I didn't answer. I simply held out my hand. "Give it to me."

Heston frowned. "Henley, stop messing around."

"I'm not messing around." Maybe it was the calmness in my voice that made him pause.

Everett looked at me. "Henley, can't bear to part with those $28 million? Don't worry. Once Knight Group belongs to the Dawsons, I can arrange an easy job for you.

"The monthly salary will be enough for you to keep buying little toys. You might not be able to afford unfinished buildings anymore. But you should still be able to afford miniature building models."

A few people in the conference room laughed.

I laughed, too. "How generous of you, Mr. Dawson. You haven't even paid back the money you owe me, and you're already making plans for my salary?"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Everett narrowed his eyes. "I owe you money?"

I tilted my head slightly as I looked at him. "Maybe it's such a large amount that you've lost track of it. That would be understandable."

"Henley!" Heston barked at me. "Now is not the time to talk nonsense."

Everett waved a hand to stop him. "Let him speak. I'd love to hear when Henley Knight became my creditor."

I glanced at the clock.

9:57 p.m.

Three minutes left.

I held my hand out to Heston again. "My phone. One last time."

Heston stared at me for a long moment. In the end, he placed the phone in my palm.

I unlocked the screen.

The debt list he'd dismissed as some business simulation game was still open on the home screen.

Five bankrupt companies.

Seventeen overdue claims.

Twelve companies represented in the room.

$14.6 billion in principal.

A total of $18 billion, including interest and penalties.

9:59 p.m.

My dad took the acquisition agreement.

Everett uncapped a fountain pen and personally handed it to him. "Sign."

The pen was just about to touch the paper.

I tapped the debt collection button. The next second, every phone in the room rang at once.

One by one, the people who'd been demanding that the Knight family repay its debts turned pale.

I walked to the conference table and pulled the agreement out of my father's hands. Then I drew out the chair at the head of the table and sat down.

"Weren't you all here to collect your debts? Get in line. No cutting."

I projected the debt list onto the big screen. "The claims I hold just happen to qualify for a bulk discount. Who knows whether the Knight family will go bankrupt?

"But some of your companies? You could all go bust together as a group deal."