Chapter 376: The One He Truly Desires

“Furthermore, with the situation escalating, almost everyone believes Thornton Corporation is unethical. Even settling the matter might not erase the negative impression; they might think we’re buying our innocence, making things worse. This can’t be solved with money anymore,” Madelyn rationally analyzed.

Derek considered her words and found some truth in them. “So, what do you think we should do now?”

Madelyn took a deep breath. “Dad, if you trust me, leave this to me.”

“Can you handle it? The matter has escalated,” Derek doubted.

Madelyn nodded. “I was in charge of this project from the start. Since something went wrong, I should take responsibility. Dad, trust me.”

Seeing his daughter’s determination, Derek felt relieved. He decided not to argue and entrusted the matter entirely to his beloved daughter, also lending her his assistant, Cyrus.

Madelyn didn’t hesitate. After accepting the assistance, she immediately began addressing the issue, the most urgent being the plummeting stock prices. “Cyrus, how many people have sold our stocks?” she calmly asked upon returning to the office.

At that moment, her eyes sparkled with profound wisdom, resembling capable elites on television.

“Ms. Thornton, approximately three million shareholders have sold their stocks, resulting in an estimated loss of three hundred million,” Cyrus responded.

“Three hundred million?” Madelyn was shocked.

Cyrus nodded. “Actually, that’s a conservative estimate. I’ve noticed someone is trying to buy our stocks at a low price, and they’ve already purchased some.”

“What’s going on?” Madelyn frowned.

Under normal circumstances, shareholders would be selling in such a critical moment. Why would someone foolishly buy these rock-bottom stocks? Could someone be secretly acquiring the company’s shares?

“Ms. Thornton, what should we do now?” Cyrus asked.

Madelyn shook her head thoughtfully. “Don’t rush. There’s too much about this situation that doesn’t add up.”

Following that, Madelyn put on a stern expression. “No, I can’t let someone frame me like this. I need to come up with a plan.” With that, she quickly stood up and hurried out. Cyrus watched her hasty departure in silence.

Soon, Madelyn left Thornton Corporation and went straight to Lockhart Group to find Sebastian. He was working in his office when she burst in, looking anxious.

“Sebastian, something’s wrong.”

Sebastian, having already seen the news, wasn’t surprised. He calmly asked, “What do you want me to do?”

Madelyn felt a warmth in her heart. Is this man a mind reader? “Sebastian, I do need your help,” she said directly.

“Go ahead,” Sebastian replied without looking up.

Madelyn swallowed. “Lend me three hundred million.”

Sebastian was visibly taken aback. He looked up, puzzled. “Why do you need that much money?”

Madelyn knew the amount was huge, so she whispered, “I want to buy back our company’s stocks…” She then explained her plan to Sebastian: to buy back the stocks before others could snatch them up, preventing a substantial loss of shares.

“But don’t worry, I’ll pay you back! I swear!” Madelyn promised earnestly.

Sebastian listened and understood. He nodded. “I can lend you the money, but are you sure you can earn it back?” Sebastian didn’t actually care about the money; he wanted to test her determination.

Madelyn’s tone was more confident than ever. “Sebastian, trust me. I’ll earn it back, and if I can’t, I’ll work extremely hard to pay you back.”

Upon hearing this, Sebastian chuckled. Madelyn was what he truly desired. She blushed deeply at his words, feeling incredibly warm inside. Of course, even if Sebastian hadn’t asked, she wanted to stay by his side forever. She wouldn’t go anywhere. She nodded shyly, agreeing without hesitation.

Seeing her agreement, Sebastian was pleased and promptly wrote her a check for three hundred million. Madelyn took the check and returned to Thornton Corporation, ready to take action. First, she needed to buy back the shares.

Cyrus worked efficiently, buying back the sold shares within half a day. Seeing the stocks return to their rightful owner, Madelyn was very satisfied. Next, she had to take the next step in her plan.

Meanwhile, in a certain hotel room, Eunice and Kieran were sitting in front of a computer, feeling smug about the stocks they had recently acquired. “If we get those shares, Madelyn won’t be able to compete with you anymore!” Kieran encouraged.