All Chapters of All This for a Watch: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Where are we going?" I asked.I flipped through the plane ticket. It was for some island nation I had never even heard of.Nicole said the climate there was pleasant and that the country had no judicial assistance treaty with the Grantham Group.I did not understand the second half of that sentence. "Is there a mall there?"The lawyer in the study gave me an odd look.Nicole answered patiently anyway, "There is.""Can I get limited editions there?"She nodded. "I'll have someone ship them over regularly.""And my monthly allowance?"Connor walked in just in time to hear that last part. He snatched the ticket from my hand and slammed it onto the floor. "Lionel, is money the only thing you understand?"My father was forced to resign. My two sisters are still locked up. My sister is about to sign over her last private account just to protect you. And you're still thinking about your allowance?"I leaned against the doorframe and said nothing.Nicole turned to him, her voice c

Simone didn't struggle. "Think this through before you do anything. If something happens to me, the Grantham family won't have a single person left who can sign that agreement."Nicole stared at her. At last, little by little, she loosened her grip.The smile vanished completely from Simone's face, and her expression turned cold. "Miss Grantham, my patience has limits. You will sign this agreement tonight, whether you want to or not."She placed a pen in front of Nicole. "As for him, I don't mind if you let me have my fun with him."Nicole pulled me behind her. "Dream on."Simone glanced at her watch. "Half an hour until midnight. If the agreement isn't signed by then, the remaining 4 billion in the Grantham Group's overseas accounts will be forcibly liquidated."Miss Grantham, take your time deciding."Nicole did not look at her again. She turned to me and gripped my shoulders, lowering her voice. "Whatever happens next, don't be afraid. Felix Collins is waiting for you in the

No one dared answer their phone right away. The shrill ringtones overlapped one after another, like death knells.I tapped the table. "Answer them."The blonde woman was the first to accept the call. Furious shouting immediately erupted from the other end, and the color drained from her face."No, I didn't act on my own... I'm looking into why the account was frozen."There's no way our access will be permanently revoked. We were only shorting one company, the Grantham Group..."I couldn't make out the response.The blonde woman's head snapped toward me.The other representatives weren't faring any better. All twelve funds had their Avelian accounts frozen, and every short position had stopped settling. Investors had already received risk warnings and were filing redemption requests in droves. If this dragged on for another half hour, those funds would lose far more than money.A middle-aged representative was the first to crack. "Mr. Jensen, I was only following orders from he

Simone stared at Henry. "What do you mean by that? He stepped down three years ago. The Global Financial Order Council even published the list of successors."Henry's expression remained ice-cold. "The Council never accepted his resignation. For the past three years, the Chairman's seat has remained vacant."Simone's fingers tightened.Several of the representatives had gone completely pale. They had assumed I was simply using old connections to freeze the market temporarily.But as long as the Chairman's authority remained intact, I was capable of far more than freezing their accounts. I could decide whether they had any accounts left at all.Henry placed a black badge on the table. It was the highest-authority badge of the Global Financial Order Council."Fifteen minutes ago, the Council confirmed your biometric data. All emergency authority has been fully restored."I picked up the badge and examined it. "Well done."All twelve fund heads sat even straighter.Simone gave a

Nicole grabbed Simone by the collar. "Where are they?"Simone did not struggle. "Hand over the compensation agreement and lift the freeze on all twelve funds' accounts. Then I'll tell you where they are. Otherwise, I can't promise your two sisters will come back alive."Connor clenched his fists. "Despicable."Simone let out a cold laugh. "The winner takes all. That's all this is. Didn't Lionel use the exact same method to force twelve funds to their knees just moments ago?"I glanced at her. "What I froze was illegal capital. What you took were people.""Is there a difference?""Of course there is." I set my phone down. "I won't lose."Simone's smile froze for an instant, but she quickly recovered her composure. "Only I know the transport route. Even if you mobilize everyone you have, you won't find them in time."Nicole released her and turned to me. "Forget the compensation. Save them first."The twelve fund heads visibly brightened. If the freeze was lifted, they could pre