Roman and Julienne's heart desire
Chapter 54: This is only the beginning

Chapter 54: This is only the beginning

"Another investor gone! That’s five this week. Five! They’re pulling out like we’re diseased—what the hell is going on?!"

Mr. Jenkins’ voice thundered through the vast living room, echoing off the high ceilings and marble walls.

His face was flushed a deep, angry red, and a pulsing vein throbbed at his temple.

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he paced back and forth like a caged animal.

His usually composed posture was now replaced with frantic, jerky movements that mirrored the chaos inside him.

Cassandra and Rachel rushed into the room, alarmed by the outburst. The heavy echo of his voice had stirred the stillness of the house like a violent storm.

"What’s wrong, Father?" Rachel asked gently, her voice soft, almost hesitant, as if afraid her words might cause him to unravel further.

She stood near the doorway, her wide eyes brimming with concern as they tracked his agitated movements.

Her lips trembled slightly, betraying the fear she tried to conceal behind a calm expression.

Cassandra’s brows furrowed deeply as she observed her husband with growing unease.

She walked swiftly to his side, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.

"Are you alright?" she asked, placing a cautious hand on his arm, though the answer was already written plainly across his face.

His features were twisted in a storm of frustration and defeat. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the coolness of the air-conditioned room.

"No," Lewis snapped, jerking away from her touch. "I’m not alright—and the company’s not alright either!" His voice cracked at the end, raw with emotion.

Both women stiffened. Cassandra’s hand fell back to her side, and she exchanged a worried glance with Rachel.

Their faces mirrored the same expression—tight with tension, eyes wide with dread.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, stepping closer now. Her voice was low, laced with a fragile desperation.

Her hands wrung the edge of her blouse unconsciously, knuckles white as she waited for his response.

Lewis stopped pacing and turned to face them fully, his shoulders slumped and eyes bloodshot.

The fire of his earlier rage had given way to something heavier—something far more crushing. Defeat.

"Yes, my daughter," he said bitterly, his voice low and strained, as if each word cost him something to say.

"You heard me. The investors are gone. One after another, pulling out like we’re infected. Like we’re cursed. I don’t know who’s behind it or what they know—but something’s happening. And it’s killing the company."

His words hung in the air like a thick fog, suffocating and inescapable.

Rachel’s mouth parted, but no words came out. Her throat was tight. She blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the stinging in her eyes.

Beside her, Cassandra’s expression hardened, her worry sharpening into disbelief. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her jaw clenched.

Lewis slowly sank into one of the armchairs, his body folding in on itself.

He ran a hand down his face, eyes fluttering shut as if hoping that when he opened them, everything would be back to normal.

But when he looked up again, the same fear still lingered in his wife’s and daughter’s eyes—confirmation that nothing was fine.

"We’re on the brink," he whispered, the fire in his voice now reduced to embers. "If this keeps up, we’ll lose everything."

Silence followed. Cold, thick silence. The kind that only came when words were no longer enough.

"But you didn’t tell me. Why?" Cassandra’s voice broke slightly as she looked at her husband, eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and hurt.

Her brows knitted together as she tried to understand, her tone hovering somewhere between disbelief and pain.

"You kept it all to yourself. You could have told me—we could’ve figured something out together."

Lewis looked up at her, guilt washing over his already strained face.

His shoulders sank further into the armchair, and his lips parted, but for a second, nothing came out. Then finally, with a heavy sigh, he nodded.

"I know. I should have told you," he admitted, rubbing his forehead as if trying to push back the shame clawing at him.

"At first, I thought it was nothing. It’s not unusual for investors to pull out occasionally. It happens. One or two, it’s manageable."

He paused, his voice dipping lower, filled with regret.

"But then... two dropped within days of each other. And before I could make sense of that—another one pulled out this morning. And now..." He trailed off, shaking his head, his expression crumbling into helplessness.

Rachel stepped forward and rested a hand gently on his shoulder, offering a faint, shaky smile.

"Everything will be alright, Father," she said softly, her voice tender, though it trembled with doubt. "We’ll figure it out. You’re not alone in this."

But Cassandra’s eyes stayed locked on her husband, narrowed with suspicion now creeping behind the worry.

"But why so suddenly?" she asked, her voice more forceful this time. "We’re talking about five investors, Lewis. That’s not random."

"Yes, Mom," Rachel added, catching on to her mother’s unease. Her expression shifted from concern to alertness.

"Five investors in just one week? That’s not normal. Something’s... fishy."

Cassandra nodded slowly, her lips pressed together as her mind worked through the possibilities.

The silence in the room grew tense, taut like a pulled wire.

Then, as if on cue, Lewis’s phone buzzed sharply from the coffee table. The sound sliced through the heavy atmosphere.

Ring. Ring.

All three of them froze. Lewis stared at the phone for a moment before reluctantly reaching for it. He pressed the screen to his ear with a clenched jaw.

"Yes?"

A pause.

His eyes closed for a moment, and he pinched the bridge of his nose as the voice on the other end spoke.

"Sir... another investor has withdrawn."

The words landed like a punch to the gut.

Lewis didn’t respond right away. He simply sat there, his hand slowly lowering the phone, placing it back on the table with a shaky breath.

His face had gone pale now, the red flush from earlier drained away and replaced by something heavier—numb resignation.

Cassandra’s hands flew to her mouth in disbelief, her eyes wide. Rachel stepped back, her breath catching in her throat as a cold realization dawned.

"That’s six," Cassandra whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lewis nodded faintly. "Six. In just one week."

And just like that, all doubt vanished. Whatever hope or denial they had clung to was gone. Something was definitely happening—and it wasn’t coincidence.

Lewis slammed the phone down with a sharp click, cutting off the secretary mid-sentence.

His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as frustration poured off him like steam from boiling water.

"Another investor just pulled out," he said bitterly, rising from his chair. "That’s the third one today."

Rachel, sitting across from him with her arms folded, scoffed. "You see? Another one. Something’s not right, Dad."

He paced the floor of his study, muttering under his breath.

"Mom," Rachel turned to Cassandra, who sat on the armrest of the couch with her usual composed detachment,

"Don’t you think this feels orchestrated? Six investors don’t just walk away in one week. Not without a reason."

Lewis stopped in his tracks and turned sharply. "What are you trying to say?" His voice was tight, on edge—he hated suggestions that pointed to something outside his control.

"I mean," Rachel leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as her thoughts raced, "it feels like someone’s behind this. Like someone is deliberately targeting us."

Lewis scoffed, but the edge of concern flickered in his eyes. "No one would dare."

"Wouldn’t they?" Rachel countered. "Think about it. Have we changed anything in our operations? Cut corners? Offended anyone recently?"

Cassandra shifted slightly, brushing an invisible speck of dust off her sleeve. "Lewis, have you had any serious disagreements lately? Business deals gone wrong?"

Lewis shook his head, frowning deeply. "Not that I can recall. Nothing big enough to warrant this kind of backlash."

Rachel stood and walked slowly toward the window, her expression pensive. "Then someone’s making it personal."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

"Who would even want to hurt us this badly?" Cassandra finally asked, her tone somewhere between curiosity and skepticism.

That’s when Rachel’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened slightly, and she turned back to her parents.

"What is it?" Lewis asked, noticing her sudden change in demeanor.

Rachel hesitated. "Could it be... my sister?"

Cassandra blinked, then burst out laughing—a sharp, humorless laugh that echoed off the walls.

"Oh, Rachel," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "You’re giving that girl far too much credit. She doesn’t have the brains or the connections to pull off something like this."

"But what if she does?" Rachel asked, her voice firm despite the doubt creeping in.

Cassandra’s laughter subsided, replaced by a smug tilt of her head.

"Unless she stumbled into a pile of gold or started rubbing shoulders with billionaires, there’s no way. She’s probably begging on street corners by now."

"She was always weak," Lewis added, tone dripping with disdain. "Couldn’t handle pressure. Couldn’t even stand up for herself without crying."

"But what if we’re wrong?" Rachel pressed. "What if we underestimated her?"

Lewis stared at the floor, his brow furrowed. "It’s true this doesn’t feel random. And it’s hard to ignore the timing. Just when things were finally turning in our favor..."

"She might not be doing it alone," Rachel murmured. "What if she has help?"

Cassandra snorted. "From who? Some low-life boyfriend? Please."

"Still," Lewis said slowly, rubbing his chin, "we’d be fools not to consider all possibilities."

Rachel nodded, though the idea clearly unsettled her. "She could have changed. We haven’t seen her in years. What if she came back stronger? Smarter?"

"If she’s behind this," Lewis said darkly, "then we need to find out fast. This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s an attack. On everything I’ve built."

Cassandra stood abruptly, smoothing her skirt. "It’s absurd. But fine. Investigate her if you must. Just don’t expect to find anything."

Lewis gave a slow nod, eyes narrowing with determination. "If she’s involved using her body against us. I’ll expose every move she’s made. I’ll make sure she understands the cost of crossing this family."

"I will make sure I wipe her out of this world," Lewis muttered under his breath.

Just then, Lewis’s phone vibrated again. He picked it up and stared at the screen. His face went pale.

"What is it?" Cassandra asked, concern creeping into her voice.

He swallowed hard. "It’s from one of the investors."

He tapped the message open—and froze.

Rachel stepped closer. "What does it say?"

Lewis’s voice was hoarse. "They said... they were warned. Told to pull out. Or risk everything."

"By who?" Cassandra asked sharply.

Lewis stared at the screen in silence, then turned it toward them.

There was no name. Just a message.

"This is only the beginning."