Chapter 686

Maeve remained silent with a stern expression. Zayla led her to the executive elevator. As the doors closed, Zayla spoke up, "Ms. Scott, a lot has happened at the company while you were away." "I can tell," Maeve replied. Her eyes narrowed. "I entrusted the company to you because I believed in you. But now, what the hell is going on? I need a proper explanation." Just then, the elevator doors opened, revealing the third floor. Maeve's frown deepened. "Why are we stopping on the third floor?" "Ms. Scott, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go to my office first." The serious look on Zayla's face told Maeve that things were worse than she'd imagined. Once they were inside Zayla's office and the door was shut, Zayla finally spoke. "Ms. Scott, the new general manager has taken over your office." Maeve let out a short, incredulous laugh. "A new general manager? And who authorized that? I'm the owner here—nothing happens without my say-so. Did I approve of this so-called general manager?" "Ms. Scott, it was… Mr. Brooks who made the decision." "Sergio?" "Yes." "And what gives him the right to do that?" "While you were on the island, the company came under attack from Brooks Group. At first, Bryce was just caught up in some scandals, but then, somehow, he got involved in a fight and ended up arrested. "He's still stuck in the police station, under questioning. Right after that, you had your accident, and with both Mr. Spencer and Mr. Foster rushing to the island, I was left here alone at Mirage Group. "That's when the Brooks Group started hitting us hard. They even bought up shares from some of our smaller investors." Maeve finally grasped the gravity of the situation. "How much of Mirage Group does the Brooks Group own now?" "20%!" "How did it get that high?" Zayla's voice was somber. "Some of our key partners sold their shares to the Brooks Group for reasons I can't explain. Add that to the shares they acquired from smaller investors, and they've managed to acquire 20%. "With you missing, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Foster out of the picture, and Bryce in custody, the person with the largest stake now has decision-making power according to the company rules." The reality hit Maeve hard. The Brooks Group had infiltrated Mirage Group and was now its largest shareholder. She fell silent for a long moment before asking, "Was it Sergio?" "Yes." Maeve clenched her fists at the confirmation. "But I was with Sergio on the island during the shoot. How could he have orchestrated all this from there?" "It wasn't Mr. Brooks himself," Zayla explained. "It was Mrs. Brooks Senior. But given her age and lack of financial knowledge..." "So, you think Sergio set this all up in advance? Agreeing to the shoot was just a way to get me and Zion Charlie out of the way?" "That seems most likely. We'd hinted to Sergio before that Bryce was the real power behind Mirage Group. "When you went to Yewridge for those two days, Sergio personally came to the company to introduce the new general manager." Maeve took a deep breath as she struggled to control her emotions. "Who is this new general manager?" "It's... Clara." When Maeve heard Clara's name, her last shred of hope crumbled. It was all the same as before. Just like in her previous life, Sergio would never fall in love. Everything he did was part of a calculated plan to gain power.