Chapter 122

Chapter 122

The luxury car was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Octavia stared at her laptop, firing off email after email. She hadn't stopped since she got in.

When she finally finished and noticed the direction they were heading, she frowned. "Didn't you say you had something to discuss? Then say it. I'm busy."

Ignatius furrowed his brow, something complicated flickering in those deep-set eyes.

"You—"

He barely got the word out before his phone rang. Yvaine's name flashed bright and clear on the screen.

No hesitation. Same as always. He picked up immediately.

"Where are you? Let's grab dinner, the three of us. I already made a reservation—"

The car was too quiet. Octavia had sharp ears, so every word Yvaine said on the other end came through crystal clear.

Then she heard Ignatius reply with a simple "Sure."

The call ended.

Ignatius opened his mouth to speak, but Octavia cut him off. "Since you've got dinner plans, go ahead. But we do need to set a date. When are we going to finalize the divorce?"

The property transfers and title changes were nearly complete. Just one last step remained.

This had dragged on long enough. It was time to end it.

The car pulled over to the curb. Ignatius paused before speaking. "Let's wait a little longer."

Wait for what?

Octavia's patience snapped. She was about to ask when a car behind them laid on its horn.

To avoid blocking traffic, she pushed the door open. "Fine. Just send me a date when you're free."

It was rush hour. Cars were everywhere.

Octavia stood on the sidewalk, watching Ignatius's car disappear into the stream of traffic. A faint, bitter smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

She was debating whether to call a rideshare when a car pulled up in front of her.

The window rolled down, and Kenna waved. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

Octavia smiled and slid into the passenger seat. "I was just about to call a car. Give me a ride home?"

"Of course. But what happened? Why are you—"

"Had a meeting with someone. Got ditched."

She didn't want to dwell on it. A brief explanation would do.

The car moved on. Within ten minutes, Kenna's phone exploded with calls—one after another, nonstop.

When Octavia learned the company's cash flow had collapsed, shock hit her like ice water. "What the hell happened? Didn't the company still have liquid assets? How did things fall apart?"

As a shareholder, she'd received the financial report just days ago. She never imagined that in a matter of days, the entire funding chain would shatter.

Kenna's expression was helpless. "I had no idea either. I thought everything was running smoothly. But then the bank loans hit a wall—"

Cash flow was the lifeblood of any company. The Miller Group had always been meticulous about it. No one expected someone to sabotage them from the shadows.

Someone anonymous had emailed every major bank and business partner of the Miller Group, claiming the company had financial irregularities.

Normally, no one would notice anything without digging. But once they started looking—well, no company could survive that level of scrutiny completely unscathed.

One creditor made the first move, showing up for a surprise audit with zero warning. They uncovered a bad debt on the books.

"They demanded immediate repayment. No negotiation. The company's cash reserves were drained just like that. And then the others came knocking too. Right now, the company is—"

Kenna's voice cracked as she went on, grief seeping through. "They were all in on it together."

No company, no matter how well-managed, could pay off multiple creditors simultaneously.

Now the Miller Group's cash flow was destroyed. Worse, they faced a mountain of debt.

If it weren't for a few well-placed connections, the whole mess would've already been plastered across the internet.

"Am I useless?" Kenna whispered. A tear slipped down her cheek, but she turned her face away stubbornly, not wanting Octavia to see.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're the best aunt anyone could ask for. The company thrived under you for years. This was deliberate sabotage—I'm sure of it. Give me some time. I'll get to the bottom of this."

It had to be Yvaine.

So she just wouldn't quit. Strike after strike after strike. Did she really think Octavia was a pushover anyone could walk over?

Octavia didn't go home. She went with Kenna straight to the Miller Group.

In the office, she studied the freshly printed financial report, her expression darkening as she scanned the liabilities against the remaining assets.

They were underwater.

To bring the company back from the brink, they'd need a massive capital injection. But given the company's current state, most investors would sit on the sidelines. No one extends a hand when you're drowning.

"The Rivera family has been offering to help, but they—" Kenna trailed off, unable to finish.

Octavia understood instantly. "They want to pick the bones clean while we're down?"

It was phrased as a question, but her tone left no room for doubt.

Kenna winced with embarrassment. "I never thought they'd do something like this, given how close our families are."

The Miller family and the Rivera family went way back—generations of friendship. That history was the very reason Kenna had married Flynn in the first place.

The couple had been happily married for years, barely a disagreement between them. Yet the Rivera family had chosen this moment to swoop in, offering rock-bottom prices for the Miller Group's shares—a hostile takeover disguised as charity.

Octavia shrugged. "Everyone's got a price. Their move doesn't surprise me. Let's focus on what we can control. How much do we need?"

A rough calculation: at least five hundred million dollars to fully revive the company.

She checked her bank balance. Her frown deepened. "Does Grandma know? Can she contribute anything? All those gifts Ignatius sent over the years—they're worth a fortune. We could take them to auction—"

During their marriage, Ignatius had never wanted involvement in Miller family affairs. But Mason was generous by nature. Every birthday, every holiday, he'd send extravagant gifts to Cleo.

Now, with their backs against the wall, those gifts needed to earn their keep.

Kenna looked stunned. "Is that really okay? Selling those things—what if the family finds out?"

"So what? Ignatius and I are about to be divorced, and Mason already knows. Don't worry—I know what I'm doing. Besides, I have some things of my own we can put up. We can assess everything, and if we don't want to sell outright, we can use them as collateral—"

The bottom line was simple: raise the capital, save the company. Nothing else mattered.

Night had fallen thick and dark by the time Octavia returned to her apartment. She opened the safe and stared at the collection of exquisite jewelry inside.

She let out a quiet sigh.

The prenuptial agreement was crystal clear—every piece of jewelry gifted to her was hers to keep.

She'd originally planned to return everything to Mason once the divorce was finalized.

But now, it seemed she'd have to break that promise.