Now You Want Me? Too Late

Within minutes, news channels were broadcasting Elena’s accusations and Elias’s explosive revelations.

The Sterling Group felt the impact immediately.

Several major clients had already requested meetings. A few had suspended negotiations. And some had simply stopped answering their calls. Then came the news that several financial institutions were reviewing their exposure to Sterling Group.

Panic spread rapidly through the headquarters.

Executives gathered in the emergency conference room, their faces grim. Some were frantically calling business partners, while others stared at their phones as one alarming message after another appeared on their screens.

Inside his office, Cedric stood motionless before the television.

Elias’s final warning echoed through the room. "If anyone chooses to work with the Sterlings from this moment forward, I will consider them my enemy."

Cedric’s hands slowly curled into fists. His face flushed with fury.

"That bastard..." He swept his arm across the desk. Several files crashed to the floor. "How dare he?"

For years, Cedric had endured the Rowan family’s dominance. He had resented Elias’s growing influence, but he had never imagined Elias would publicly declare war on him.

Worse, Elias had warned the entire business world to stay away from Sterling Group.

Slowly, his anger turned to horror. His breathing became heavier.

Cedric knew the gravity of those words. If Elias truly intended to cut Sterling Group off from his network, other companies would hesitate to do business with them. No one would want to become an enemy of Elias Rowan.

And in the business world, reputation and connections were everything.

"No..." Cedric staggered back and dropped into his chair. Beads of sweat gathered across his forehead. "This can’t be happening."

Cedric immediately grabbed his phone. "Get me the board members. Contact our major partners. Tell them this is a personal dispute between Elias Rowan and me. Tell them Sterling Group has nothing to do with Vivian’s actions."

He swallowed. "And find our lawyers. I want a statement released immediately."

His assistants rushed to carry out his orders.

Meanwhile, Cedric contacted old business associates. He offered better contracts. He promised higher returns and reassured investors that the company remained financially stable.

Then he ordered his public relations team to release statements distancing Sterling Group from Vivian’s crimes. But none of it worked.

The damage had already been done.

People had heard Elias Rowan himself accuse Cedric publicly. And, more importantly, they had seen Elias sever every connection between the Rowan and Sterling families.

One by one, business partners began backing away. A major investor postponed a scheduled meeting.

Another company withdrew from a joint venture. A long-standing supplier suddenly demanded stricter payment terms.

"No... This is wrong... All wrong."

His fingers trembled as he clasped his head. For the first time in his life, Cedric felt utterly helpless.

His assistant barged in. "Mr. Sterling. It’s getting worse," he exclaimed in panic. "Another contract is cancelled. At this rate, the company will go bankrupt."

Cedric looked up at him, exhausted.

He had spent decades building Sterling Group into an empire. Whenever the company faced market crashes, lawsuits, or business disputes, he had always managed to survive. He had believed that, no matter how bad things became, he could find a way to protect what he had built.

But this time, things were different.

The Rowan family’s influence reached too far under Elias’s leadership. And Cedric had made a fatal mistake. He had almost forgotten just how much Sterling Group depended on Novacrest Global.

His phone rang again. He answered impatiently. "What?"

There was a brief pause. His expression changed. "What do you mean the bank wants to review our credit facilities? Tell them everything is under control."

His jaw clenched. "Just handle it."

He ended the call. For several seconds, he remained completely still in his seat.

The room seemed unnaturally quiet.

For the first time, Cedric could feel the foundation beneath the company beginning to crack.

"Sir... Mr. Sterling..." The assistant wanted to say something.

Cedric gave him a cold look. "Get out."

The man turned and dashed out without waiting.

Cedric then called Victor.

The call connected after a long ring.

"Mr. Kane," Cedric said desperately. "Please help me. Elias is targeting me. My company is facing a terrible crisis. Without your help, I won’t survive."

"Help you?" Victor’s furious voice exploded through the phone. "You pathetic loser. Because of you, I am facing trouble. You couldn’t even handle something this simple. I regret ever trusting you and partnering with you."

"What are you talking about? You can’t abandon me at a time like this."

"I’ve invested a lot in you, Cedric." Victor’s voice turned even colder. "I believed you would help me bring down Elias and claim the Rowan fortune. But I was wrong. I wasted my time and money on a loser."

Cedric’s heart sank.

Victor continued bitterly, "In the past, you tried to take over the company, but you failed. Then you told me to wait until your daughter married Elias. I waited twenty long years."

His voice dripped with contempt. "But your plan failed. Elias married someone else."

Cedric almost dropped the phone. His heart pounded as he listened to the fury in Victor’s voice.

"Yet, I trusted you, believing you were still useful to me. But you proved me wrong. You disappointed me completely this time. You and your foolish daughter are nothing but useless."

"Please, Victor. Don’t say that." Cedric’s voice trembled. "We’ve worked together for so long. I’ve helped you countless times in the past. Consider our partnership. Give me another chance. I’m still useful to you."

Silence stretched across the line. Then Cedric heard Victor scoff, "How can you possibly still be useful to me?"

"I know every secret of the Rowan family," Cedric continued. "Elias may be powerful, but he has too many weaknesses. His old grandfather, his twin sister, his nephew, and most importantly, his dear wife."

His voice dropped. "If anything happens to anyone of them, he will go mad."

"What is your plan?" Victor asked thoughtfully.

Cedric’s expression became unnervingly calm. The fear that had consumed him moments ago began to disappear, replaced by something darker. A muscle jumped along his jaw as he fought to contain his temper.

"I’ll help you claim everything Elias has. Just trust me this time and help me stabilize my company."

Victor remained silent for several seconds. Then he said, "Fine. I’ll give you one more chance."

Cedric’s eyes flickered.

"I’ll release the overseas funds to help you deal with the immediate crisis. I can keep you afloat temporarily. But you have to deal with Elias quickly. Otherwise, everything will be ruined."

"Thank you for giving me a chance. This time, I won’t fail you."

The line went dead.

Cedric’s fingers tightened around the phone. Fury burned behind his eyes.

"Elias," he muttered. "Since you’ve declared war on the Sterlings, I won’t go easy on you. You want to destroy me? Then before you can ruin me, I’ll destroy everything you love."