As James listened to Lance's accusations, he had a sudden realization. He had dug his own grave! James had manipulated Charles since they were young, molding Charles into a tool for his own use. But James never thought Christopher would use this tool against him. Charles' death had made James the scapegoat.
Lance vented all the grief and hatred over losing his son and blamed James for it.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Dad, if something's bothering you, let's have a calm conversation about it. Getting angry is bad for your health." Christopher quickly moved forward to help Lance sit down on the sofa.
He then calmly explained, "James, you've misunderstood me. I did look into that land. I didn't tell you about it because I was afraid you'd think I was meddling in your project or trying to sabotage it. You've never really trusted me, and I didn't want to deepen your misunderstanding of me. Now, it's just the two of us left, so I don't want to further strain our relationship." James thought, 'Listen to that! Such noble words!' In just a few sentences, Christopher had portrayed himself as a kind and sympathetic younger sibling who cared for the greater good. It painted James as a petty and shortsighted fool who could not differentiate between public and private affairs! "My good son, I appreciate your good intentions," Lance said with relief as he patted Christopher's shoulder.
Lance turned his gaze toward James, wishing he could tear his eldest son apart with his eyes. "James, I'll give you one last chance! I've handled the local backlash for now, but you'll have to clean up the mess overseas on your own! If this incident disrupts Iverson Group's usual operations, then you'll have to step down from your role as CEO right away!" Christopher gently patted his father on the back as a sly grin formed at the corner of his mouth.
James realized that this might be his last chance, so he could only clench his teeth. "I have attempted to bribe those villagers, and no one has died so far. I assure you that the situation will not worsen anymore." Suddenly, there was a frantic knock on the door.
"Cin!" After Lance responded, the secretary rushed in anxiously. "Chairman Iverson! Please take a look at the news! Something bad has happened!" The faces of the Iverson family members turned pale as they immediately turned on the TV to the news channel.
At that moment, the news channel was broadcasting about Iverson Group's urban construction project for the resort, which involved forcibly demolishing a traditional village in Terranova, resulting in serious injuries to residents. S The news not only extensively reported the incident but also provided visual evidence that revealed the truth, which caught Iverson Group completely off guard.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"W-What is going on?!" Lance pointed at the TV screen, erupting in fury.
James' face drained of color in an instant. Even though he was experienced, his mind was in utter chaos.
At that moment, all four of their phones rang at the stime. Just when Iverson Group had quieted down for a while, another storm erupted on the internet.
[Iverson Group should just vanish from this world! The whole family is a bunch of worthless scumbags!] [Don't say that! At the very least, it seems like Christopher Iverson is decent.] [The only good person left in the Iverson family is Christopher Iverson. I hope he can successfully take over the company!] [Can we petition for this? I also et support Christopher Iverson taking over! He has good character and He can rival Justin Salvador from Salvador Corporation!] [They dare to carry out a forced demolition in another country? Do they think foreign lives do not matter? The Hoffman family roset from the underworld, but at least they have never sunk as low as the Iyerson family!] Lance's eyes went dark, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.