Chapter 257

Chapter 257

Meanwhile, at his private club, Delbert had been receiving reports from his operatives for several consecutive days.

Learning that Charles had taken no countermeasures—that even the senior executives at Howard Group remained oblivious to the threat—his smile grew wider, his eyes brimming with contempt and triumph.

He lifted the wine glass from the table, gently swirling the liquid inside.

The crimson wine glinted coldly in the crystal glass as those signature green eyes gleamed with arrogance.

"What a useless fool. Thinks being born into the Howard family and playing cop makes him something special? Running a massive conglomerate like Howard Group, yet he hasn't noticed a damn thing. He's practically braindead."

Delbert sneered, draining his wine in one gulp, voice dripping with disdain.

"At the end of the day, he just got lucky—born into the main branch of the Howard family, handed everything on a silver platter. What does he know about real business warfare? What does he know about what people like us have endured all these years?"

The more he thought about it, the more exhilarated he became. When he'd first learned Charles had taken control of Howard Group, the jealousy had nearly consumed him.

Why should Charles effortlessly possess everything while he and his family had to live abroad in hiding, enduring scorn and humiliation?

Now he finally had the chance to reclaim what should have been his. Watching Charles flounder gave him immense satisfaction.

Unable to contain his excitement, Delbert immediately called Walter. The moment the call connected, he spoke eagerly, tone laced with self-congratulation.

"Grandfather, great news—Charles's side is completely quiet. Our operations? He hasn't noticed a thing. The man's utterly useless. Howard Group will be ours in no time."

On the other end, Walter sat in his study, brow furrowing tightly as he listened. His aged voice carried unmistakable gravity and wariness.

"What are you so pleased about? How many times have I told you—stay calm, take it slow, don't rush! Charles didn't secure his position as CEO of Howard Group by being the fool you claim he is. If he's staying quiet, he's likely laying traps, waiting for you to slip up. Do not let your guard down, and for God's sake, don't accelerate the timeline. You'll throw everything away!"

Walter had spent years lying low abroad, had suffered too many setbacks. He knew full well that every member of the Howard family was dangerous. Charles might be young, but his methods would be sharp. This current calm was the eye of the storm.

He repeated his warnings, terrified that Delbert's youthful arrogance would blind him to reason and sabotage the entire plan.

But Delbert was already drunk on the taste of victory. His grandfather's cautions fell on deaf ears.

He responded with perfunctory obedience.

"I know, Grandfather. I'll be careful. I won't make any rash moves."

The moment he hung up, Walter's words evaporated from his mind. His face twisted with contempt as he muttered under his breath.

"The old man's gotten too cautious. Cowardly, even. Charles is clearly incompetent—yet he thinks the bastard's setting traps? Paranoid fool."

He toyed with his phone, eyes burning with impatience and greed, then immediately called his operatives, voice sharp and commanding.

"Speed things up. Keep buying scattered shares. Increase the offers to the executives—I want Howard Group's core power structure gutted as soon as possible. Cut off two more overseas partnerships. I want Charles blindsided. I'm done waiting. I want to see the day Howard Group changes hands—the day he begs for mercy!"

His subordinates dared not refuse. They scrambled to comply.

Delbert stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the glittering city below, green eyes alight with certainty.

Soon, everything the Howard family possessed would be his. And Charles? He'd be crushed beneath his heel.

He failed entirely to realize that his reckless acceleration was walking him straight into Charles's trap.

 

At that very moment, Charles sat in his office at Howard Group headquarters, reviewing the latest intelligence report Mike had delivered. His fingertips drummed lightly against the desk, a flicker of icy calculation passing through his eyes.

The fish was finally taking the bait.

The consequences of Delbert's haste became apparent within days.

At first, it was just minor internal leaks Howard Group quietly identified—overseas supply chain disruptions causing production shortfalls, key department heads submitting resignations and taking business contacts with them, scattered minority shareholders quietly offloading stock...

Charles had kept everything tightly controlled. Mike and his team worked through the nights patching holes. Not a whisper leaked externally. The company continued operating smoothly, projecting total normalcy.

But Delbert's eyes had turned bloodshot. He ignored Walter's warnings entirely, his tactics growing more vicious. He abandoned covert manipulation and launched direct, frontal assaults aimed at destabilizing Howard Group's entire operation.

Within three days, three Howard Group subsidiaries were embroiled in commercial disputes—either partners suddenly accused them of contract violations, or products faced coordinated complaints triggering regulatory scrutiny.

Immediately after, the real estate and media divisions were hit with employee lawsuits alleging workplace harassment by direct supervisors. The claims were a mix of truth and fabrication, but malicious amplification sent them viral online.

One incident after another—seemingly unrelated, yet falling like dominoes—all strategically aimed at Howard Group's reputation and foundation.

Howard Group, long respected in the industry, was suddenly thrust into the eye of a media storm.

Negative coverage flooded the internet. Uninformed netizens joined the pile-on. Partners sent inquiries. Minor shareholders began panic-selling stock. The saying proved true: when the wall falls, everyone pushes.

Financial news outlets published endless analyses predicting Howard Group's decline. Doomsaying became ubiquitous. Even the Howard family's blue-blood pedigree became fodder for baseless speculation.

Emily stumbled across the news while browsing financial headlines. Her fingers clenched around her phone, heart sinking like a stone.

Though she focused primarily on Windsor Group affairs, she always kept tabs on Howard Group. She'd noticed Charles growing increasingly busy recently—working deep into the night, dark circles deepening beneath his eyes day by day.

She'd assumed it was wedding planning combined with routine corporate stress. Never had she imagined Howard Group had fallen into such dire straits.

She couldn't sit still another second. Grabbing her car keys, she headed straight for Howard Group headquarters.

Her mind raced the entire drive, flooded with those vicious online attacks. She wasn't worried Charles couldn't handle the pressure—she was furious he'd shouldered it alone without telling her.

When Emily arrived at Charles's office, she found him standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the traffic below, a document gripped in one hand.

His entire bearing radiated cold severity. The gentle warmth usually in his eyes had been replaced by exhaustion and gravity—but his composure remained unshaken.