Chapter7

The next morning, news of White Group's massive embezzlement and tax evasion scandal dominated every headline. Bruce White was taken in by police. White Group's stock plummeted at opening and hit rock bottom before noon, declaring bankruptcy within hours. The news hit campus like a bomb. Everyone was stunned. Grace was so scared she skipped classes for days. My family, having relied on White family support for years, saw Patel Enterprises collapse too. Their funding vanished, and bankruptcy followed swiftly. My parents called, sobbing hysterically, begging me to go to Eric and plead for mercy, to save the Patel family. "Zoe, I know you resent us for favoring Grace, but we're still your parents!" Mom wailed over the phone. "Your sister collapsed and is in the hospital! If you don't help, we'll all have to jump off a building!" Holding the phone, I felt numb. They still didn't realize Patel Enterprises' downfall wasn't Eric's doing, but the result of their own greed and blind pursuit of