A Debt of Revenge のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

"President Knight, we need answers today!"More than a dozen payment demands slammed onto the conference table in the top-floor meeting room of the Knight Group headquarters.Representatives from banks, suppliers, and investment firms filled both sides of the table. Every one of them wore a sharp suit, and every face carried the same four-word message: We want our money.My dad, Waylon Knight, sat at the head of the table, his temples throbbing. He hadn't slept all night. Half his hair had turned gray.My older brother, Heston Knight, stood behind him, juggling phone calls while flipping through financial statements. Every time he hung up, his expression grew a little grimmer."Dad, the bank financing the Eastport project just pulled our loan. The construction site on the west side has shut down, too."If we can't come up with the funds by midnight, three banks will simultaneously apply to freeze the company's assets."My dad's hand trembled around his water glass. Half the wate

8:15 p.m. The first bank delivered a formal demand for repayment.8:20 p.m. Equipment at the construction site in the southern part of the city was seized.8:30 p.m. The last of the Knight Group's liquid assets were frozen.One piece of bad news followed another.The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavier by the minute.The suppliers' representatives had also run out of patience.David was the first to stand. "President Knight, our company has thousands of employees, too. If you don't pay us today, I won't be able to explain myself when I get back. I need to see $500 million in payment for our goods by 9:30 p.m."The other creditors chimed in one after another.Some demanded that the Knight family mansion be mortgaged immediately. Others had their eyes on the last shares my dad held privately.Still others suggested that I use my own assets as collateral.These same people had called my dad and my brother by their first names every time they saw us.Now that the Knig

The big screen lit up.The names of twelve companies, the amounts they owed, and their payment deadlines were displayed in neat rows. Not a single detail was missing.David was at the top of the list. He owed $760 million.Three subsidiaries under the Dawson Group owed a combined total of $4.2 billion.The other creditors weren't doing much better.Some owed $300 to $500 million. Others owed more than a billion.Together, they made one luxurious spread of unpaid debts.David stared at the screen, the flesh on his face twitching twice. "What the hell is this?""A payment reminder," I explained helpfully. "You threw more than a dozen of those at us earlier. I was worried you'd get tired of looking at them, so I thought I'd give you the electronic version."He slammed his palm on the table. "Absolute nonsense! When has my company ever owed you money? Henley, you think you can delay the Knight Group's bankruptcy by putting together some random spreadsheet?"The others seemed to h

Everett had finally lost the composure he arrived with. After reading the award notice, he turned and headed straight for the door.When he reached it, I called after him. "Mr. Dawson, you forgot your agreement."I tossed the acquisition contract toward him. The papers scattered across the floor, but he didn't bend down to pick them up."Henley, don't celebrate too soon. Dawson Group isn't going to collapse over $4.2 billion.""Of course not." I nodded. "I wasn't planning to collect only $4.2 billion, either."His steps faltered for a moment. In the end, he said nothing.Once the doors closed, only the Knight family and Darius remained in the conference room.My dad instructed someone to call the police.Before Darius was taken away, he suddenly turned to look at me. "Henley, I always thought you didn't understand anything. When did you figure me out?""The first time I acquired Summit Construction."Three years ago, I instructed the finance department to pay $1.2 billion for

On the day of Dawson Group's shareholders' meeting, reporters crowded the entrance.Everett had clearly prepared for me. He refused to let me inside and had his public relations department issue a statement declaring that Dawson Group would not entertain unreasonable debt collection demands.I didn't force my way in. Instead, I sat on a sofa in the lobby and ordered the most expensive coffee on the menu.The receptionist reminded me that a cup cost $388.I nodded. "Put it on Mr. Dawson's tab. He owes me $4.2 billion. A little more interest won't make a difference."The reporters nearby burst out laughing.The news quickly reached the conference room.Less than ten minutes later, Everett's lawyer came downstairs. "Mr. Knight, Mr. Dawson is willing to negotiate with you privately.""He's willing to talk now?""But you must withdraw your debt collection claims first."I picked up my coffee. "Tell him to come down.""Mr. Dawson is chairing the shareholders' meeting right now."