THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 697

Stuart's expression shifted as he listened. Though he'd only been awake for a few weeks, he had already noticed the same problems. After more than twenty years, Gonzales Holdings was not the company he had built. Caitlin was right. The glory was a facade; the core was corrupt. Many of the older shareholders had grown complacent and formed cliques, poisoning the corporate culture. Forcing them out now was a brilliant move.

He looked at Caitlin with newfound respect. "Freya, you're right. I'll go issue a statement right now. Anyone who wants to divest can do so immediately, no questions asked. They just need to get the papers stamped by Secretary Lowell."

"Good," Caitlin nodded. "You should go now."

The announcement went out, and soon, nearly half of the company's original shareholders were lining up outside Secretary Lowell's office. Her desk was inundated with paperwork, and the rhythmic *thump* of her stamp echoed through the room.

As she was stamping, a familiar name caught her eye. She paused, the stamp hovering over the paper, and looked up in disbelief. "Mr. Blake, you're pulling out too?"

Mr. Blake, also known as Clark, had been with Stuart since the company's inception. He was one of his most loyal partners. Secretary Lowell could understand the others, but Clark's departure was a shock.

Clark's eyes narrowed. "The way things are going, Gonzales Holdings won't last another week. If I don't get out now, I'll lose everything." At least this way, he could salvage a significant sum. If he waited for the company to declare bankruptcy, he'd be left with nothing. Caitlin had given them five days, and at the end of that countdown, Gonzales Holdings was sure to collapse.

Clark sighed in relief as he saw the red ink on his documents. He tucked them away safely. "A word of advice, little Lowell," he said, a patronizing smile on his face. "You should start looking for a new job. Otherwise, you'll be defaulting on your mortgage before you know it."

She nodded politely. "Thank you for the advice, Mr. Blake, but I think I'll stick it out for a few more days." It had been hard enough for a recent graduate to land a good job, and this was her first one. She wasn't ready to give up on it.

Clark scoffed. "Youth is wasted on the young."