CHAPTER 122: CHAPTER 122: ADDING INSULT TO INJURY

More importantly, if the Lloyd Group could seize the opportunity to collaborate with Lonex Company, the Lloyd Group might be able to turn things around.

With this thought, Ethan Lloyd promptly took out his phone and made a call.

"President Zane, hey, it’s me, it’s me. I’m wondering if you’re available tomorrow afternoon; I’d like to invite you to lunch... You’re available, ah, great, great. Then you must come to Azure Gardens tomorrow afternoon."

After hanging up the phone, Ethan Lloyd immediately began arranging the lunch for the next day, unknowingly unaware that as soon as he hung up, another call was made to Seraphina Sinclair.

"President Zane? Calling at this time, is there something you need?" Seraphina Sinclair was rather puzzled when she received the call.

"President Sinclair, shouldn’t we be putting our cooperation on the agenda? Otherwise, if someone wants to cut in, I can defend myself for now, but not forever." President Zane, also known as Leon Zane, the CEO of Lonex Company, said.

Seraphina Sinclair slightly furrowed her brow, "President Zane, what do you mean?"

"Ethan Lloyd, the owner of the Lloyd Group, just called me, inviting me to Azure Gardens tomorrow afternoon. President Sinclair, what do you think he wants at such a time? Surely he doesn’t fancy me and wants to date me?" Leon Zane replied.

Seraphina Sinclair’s face immediately darkened. Her imminent cooperation with Lonex Company was no secret in the circle.

If someone else had asked Leon Zane out at this time, she might not have given it much thought. However, since it was Ethan Lloyd, she didn’t need to think too much to understand his intentions.

"President Sinclair, what do you plan to do?" Leon Zane asked leisurely.

"I’m sorry to trouble you, President Zane, please be sure to attend tomorrow’s lunch meeting. If he truly intends to cut in, I guess your handling will bring this matter to a satisfactory resolution." Seraphina Sinclair contemplated and then replied.

Since Leon Zane would inform her about this matter, it showed his sincerity for this cooperation. Ethan Lloyd probably couldn’t sway this decision, but since he’s determined to seek his downfall, she wouldn’t mind giving him a little push.

"With your assurance, President Sinclair, I’m relieved. At what stage is our cooperation?" Leon Zane asked with a light laugh.

"Once this matter is resolved, we can start our cooperation immediately." Seraphina Sinclair promptly said.

"Hahaha, straightforward! Then I’d like to wish our cooperation success in advance." Leon Zane laughed.

"Successful cooperation."

Azure Gardens, the next afternoon.

Ethan Lloyd met Leon Zane punctually and successfully intercepted the collaboration between the Kevin Group and Lonex Company. Leon Zane immediately decided to start a new partnership with the Lloyd Group.

Ethan Lloyd never expected things to progress so smoothly. After bidding farewell to Leon Zane, he immediately returned to the company to hold a meeting to draft the collaboration plan with the Lonex Group, focusing all work on this matter.

However, what he never anticipated was that after drafting the collaboration plan and preparing the funds, he received news that the Kevin Group and Lonex Company had already signed a collaboration agreement.

"Bang!" With a loud noise, the documents on the office table were overturned onto the ground. Ethan Lloyd watched with bloodshot eyes as the news conference aired on TV, announcing the collaboration between the Kevin Group and Lonex Company.

"How could this happen! Wasn’t Lonex supposed to work with me?" After dialing Leon Zane’s number, he angrily questioned him.

"Why would President Lloyd think so? I never said we were going to cooperate." Leon Zane said indifferently. "In business, naturally, you compare options. I only mentioned it briefly to you before, and you said we were cooperating? Did we sign a contract? I remember, seems like we didn’t, right? If President Lloyd doesn’t have anything else, I’ll hang up. Cooperation, hope we have a chance next time."

Upon hearing Leon Zane say that, even if Ethan Lloyd was foolish, he understood that he had been toyed with by them together.

Thinking about the cooperation plan he painstakingly drafted and those well-prepared funds, everything turned dark in front of him, and he collapsed onto the sofa. A large portion of those funds were loans borrowed from the bank against the company’s fixed assets.

The original plan was to repay them with the successful cooperation, but now it pushed the Lloyd Group further into difficult times, fearing that they might never have a chance to turn around.

Seraphina Sinclair returned home from the press conference; she picked up Ethan Lloyd’s call as soon as she entered the door, raising her eyebrows with a hint of amusement.

"President Lloyd?"

"Seraphina Sinclair! You did this on purpose! You and that Zane deliberately set up this trap!" Ethan Lloyd yelled immediately upon hearing Seraphina’s sarcastic greeting.

"Oh, you’re wronging me. If you hadn’t started with bad intentions, would you have ended up in this situation? Instead of losing it here, you might as well think about how to get through your current predicament. Tsk tsk, though it seems tough." She then hung up immediately, blocking his number.

Seraphina Sinclair casually tossed her phone aside and collapsed into the sofa, her mood somewhat down.

Today Jude Sinclair was kept at the Fairchild residence by Old Mrs. Fairchild; Desmond Fairchild hadn’t returned yet, making the house rarely quiet. Seraphina suddenly reminisced about long-ago memories.

Back then, she was still young, and her father was still around, always taking her to the Lloyd Family. Every time Mr. Lloyd saw her, he would smile and lift her up, treating her kindly.

The past memories were too beautiful, making the present seem crueler.

Seraphina Sinclair once truly considered Mr. Lloyd as a family member, visiting his home often.

Whenever she and Ethan Lloyd had conflicts as children, Mr. Lloyd always sided with her. In her young heart, Mr. Lloyd was one of the people who treated her best in the world besides her father.

Yet, today’s situation also couldn’t have happened without Mr. Lloyd’s past instigations.

Even now, she can’t comprehend why the uncle who smiled kindly and embraced her would become one of the culprits responsible for her father’s death and her family’s downfall.

Could it really be just for the Sinclair Family’s inheritance and the Sinclair Group? Was there no genuine feeling during those years of interaction? Maybe there was, but it couldn’t compare to money.

"Dad, do you think money is really that important?" Seraphina Sinclair took out a few bottles of wine from the cabinet, murmuring while touching the wine bottles.

But no one could answer her.

Seraphina Sinclair took out the bottle opener, opened the bottles of wine on the table, and the intense and rich aroma spread in the air. Just from the scent alone, she felt a bit tipsy.