Chapter 212

The sender was one of his most trusted lieutenants, and the subject line screamed bad news in bold red letters. A quick glance confirmed Andre’s worst fears. A competitor was behind the recent market slump—Northstar. Somehow, Elodie Fontaine had managed to poach a significant portion of Albrecht Industries’ clients, effectively crippling their bottom line. There was barely enough time to process the news. Andre winced as his phone screen lit up, displaying an incoming call with Philip Albrecht’s name flashing ominously. He met Alyson’s gaze. She saw the caller’s name as well. Alyson squeezed his hand. ‘Go on, answer it, lover boy.’ Andre pushed himself out of bed and walked over to the window. He swiped the answer button. ‘Mr Albrecht,’ he greeted formally. ‘Andre! You have some explaining to do! The news…’ Andre winced, holding the phone at arm’s length as Philip launched into a scathing tirade. ‘Incompetence! Sheer, unadulterated incompetence! This stock price drop… is this what I ge