Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth! - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: There’s Something

On Monday, Alex strode into the sleek glass doors of Ling Corporation, his mind alert but burdened.

The tension from the weekend’s events clung to him like a storm cloud. He had barely settled into his office when his secretary, George entered with an unusually grim expression.

“Good morning, sir,” he greeted, placing a folder on his desk.

“Morning, George,” Alex replied, noting his unease. “What’s on your mind?”

He hesitated, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. “The directors have called for an urgent board meeting, sir. It’s scheduled for ten o’clock.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Do you know what it’s about?” he asked even though he knew it was because of the scandal from Saturday and Sunday.

In fact he had expected this.

George shifted on his feet. “It’s likely connected to the news from Saturday and yesterday. The directors… well, they’re concerned about the potential impact on the company’s reputation.”

Alex sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Of course, they are.”

“Should I prepare anything for the meeting?” George asked cautiously.

“No, I’ll handle it,” Alex said, his tone firm but calm. “Thank you, George.”

As he left the room, Alex’s jaw tightened. He knew this meeting was inevitable, but it still irritated him. He picked up his phone and dialed Mark.

He needed to know what Mark had on Jake and if he had gotten news on who started the whole thing. He could only do much when he knew who he was fighting.

Though he knew it was related to Rick Lawson, there was no harm in knowing for sure what the truth was.

He dialed Mark’s number and waited for a few seconds before Mark answered.

“Alex. I was about to call you,” Mark said the moment he received the call, his voice brisk.

“I figured you’d have updates by now,” Alex said, his voice sharp. “What’s the latest on this mess?”

Mark sighed. “I reached out to the news outlet that first broke the story. I threatened to sue them for defamation unless they disclosed their source.”

“And?” Alex asked, wondering why Mark was giving him all those details.

“And they caved,” Mark said, his voice taking on a grim tone. “It turns out the tip came from Rick Lawson’s secretary.”

Alex frowned. “Rick Lawson? Why would he—— I had thought——”

“Wait for it,” Mark interrupted. “When I pressed further, they admitted Rick’s secretary claimed he got the information directly from Emma’s ex-husband.”

Alex’s grip on the phone tightened. “Jake,” he said, the name coming out as a growl.

“Exactly,” Mark confirmed. “It all points back to him. He’s the one who fed this to Rick, knowing it would blow up in the media.”

For a moment, Alex didn’t speak. His blood simmered, anger coursing through him like wildfire. “Of course, it’s Jake,” he muttered, his voice low.

Mark continued cautiously, “I thought you’d want to know before you head into that board meeting.”

“Thanks, Mark,” Alex said, his tone clipped. “I’ll deal with it.”

After ending the call, Alex leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. It wasn’t enough that Jake had tried to use Vanessa against him—now he was dragging Emma into this.

Not just Emma but also their family name. How could he be so careless and selfish? This was the height of it.

Without hesitation, Alex called Claire.

Claire was in her study, reviewing documents, when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Alex’s name. Picking up the call, she greeted him warmly, though her tone hinted at lingering guilt. “Alex. Good morning.”

“Claire,” Alex began, his voice steady but edged with frustration, “I just found out that Jake was behind the scandal on Saturday including the one from yesterday.”

The line went silent for a moment. Then Claire sighed deeply. “Yesterday?”

Alex explained what Mark had discovered, his voice hardening as he recounted the details. “He went as far as involving Rick Lawson’s secretary to leak the story. He’s trying to tarnish my reputation, and he’s dragging Emma into it while dragging our family name in the mud. I wonder what he’s trying to achieve by doing this to the family.”

Claire’s disappointment was palpable through the phone. “I can’t believe him,” she said, her voice heavy with frustration. “Every time I think he’s hit rock bottom, he finds a way to sink lower.”

“I thought you should know,” Alex said, his tone softening slightly. “There’s a board meeting this morning, and it’s likely about this mess.”

“I’ll be there,” Claire said immediately.

“Claire, you don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do,” she interrupted firmly. “I need to set things straight. Jake’s actions are unacceptable, and this has gone too far.”

Alex hesitated. “I can handle the board.”

“I know you can,” Claire replied, her voice resolute. “But this isn’t just about the company, Alex. It’s about our family. I need to be there to make things right.”

Alex sighed, recognizing the determination in her voice. “Alright. I’ll see you at the meeting.”

“Thank you,” Claire said softly before ending the call.

Alex stared at his phone for a moment, then set it down. His mind raced with strategies for the meeting, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Jake’s betrayal. He would handle the board and protect the company, but he also needed to ensure that Emma didn’t suffer further because of Jake’s schemes.

As he stood to prepare for the meeting, one thing was clear: he wouldn’t let Jake win. Not this time.

Thinking about it, he called Mark regarding what he had asked him to do.

“What about the other task I gave you?” he asked and Mark sighed.

“Theres something. It’s bad,” Mark said and Alex sighed.

“Send it to me. The meeting is in twenty minutes,” Alex said before hanging up, wondering what it was that Mark had found out.

It didn’t take long before his phone buzzed and he wasted no effort in clicking on the mail Mark sent.

Immediately after he saw the contents of what Mark sent, Alex froze, unable to believe his eyes.