Chapter 1

"You should sign the contract, Mr. Townsend. This is the only way to save the Townsend family. I've reviewed the terms. There's nothing wrong with them," Gina Whitman urged, her voice gentle and clear.

She was wearing a perfectly tailored bespoke business suit, her gold-rimmed glasses spotless. She'd even thoughtfully poured a glass of warm water and set it in front of my father, Ezekiel Townsend.

We were in the top-floor conference room, and the atmosphere was eerily still. A suffocating sense of despair hung in the air.

I sat on the couch in the corner, robotically toying with the Rubik's Cube in my hands. It clacked away, but no one paid me any attention.

In their eyes, I, Logan Townsend, was nothing but a prop—a dimwit who couldn't understand a word that was being said.

Seated in front of me was Lucille Farley, who sipped from her coffee mug. She was the mastermind behind the hostile takeover today. Her notoriety for being a wolf in sheep's clothing preceded her.

"Time waits for no one, Mr. Townsend. When the stock market opens tomorrow morning, Townsend Corporation's stock price will tank," Lucille drawled nonchalantly, as if she were discussing the weather.

She added, "When the time comes, you won't even be able to get the few billion dollars you're being offered now—money that can at least ensure your family doesn't end up homeless."

Dad's face was ashen, the veins in his forehead throbbing. He stared at the hefty acquisition contract on the table. It looked like a venomous snake flicking its tongue at him.

Evelyn Townsend, my oldest sister, stood beside Dad, her eyes bloodshot from having stayed up all night.

At just 18, she had made a name for herself as a force to be reckoned with in the financial world. But right now, she was clutching her fountain pen so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and she couldn't say a word.

She had gone through every word of the contract and couldn't find a single problem with it.

"Go over the information again, Evelyn. Is there really no other way?" Julian Townsend, my older brother, spoke up, his voice a little shaky.

He'd always been a reserved man with an aloof personality, but even his eyes had reddened today.

Evelyn's hand went limp. The fountain pen rolled across the polished tabletop.

"They have three times the capital as we do, and they've done an excellent job concealing their short-selling attack. We've already missed the best window of opportunity to counter them. Our cash flow has been cut off, and the banks are calling in our loans. Nothing short of a miracle can save us now."

Evelyn closed her eyes, her voice painfully hoarse.

Gina let out a soft sigh. She walked over to Evelyn and patted her on the shoulder.

"I know this is hard for you, Evelyn. Townsend Corporation is like family to me, too. I've worked here for ten years. No one hates this situation more than I do."