Chapter 312: Huge Losses
“You negotiated with the Goodridge family for this project, didn’t you? I’m the victim here. If you’re not giving it to me, then who are you giving it to?” Tiffany asked.
“I have my plans for it.”
After Tiffany left, Victor dialed a foreign number. “Hello, Mr. Foucault. I heard you were on a business trip in Jexburgh. I have a small token of appreciation for you.”
Fortune came knocking on the door of Royal Court twice that day. Raylee had acquired thirty percent of the Goodridge family’s shares and had also received Vera’s safe, which she couldn’t wait to open. The code her grandmother had shared with her on her deathbed was something she knew by heart.
Upon opening the safe, there were some gold jewelry, a black box, and a letter inside. In that fleeting moment, Raylee’s heart began to race rapidly. Vera had confessed that her biological mother was not the housekeeper who had switched her at birth, so her background wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. The mystery of her origins was likely tied to this box, but even Vera couldn’t open it.
Raylee picked up the box and examined it thoroughly. It was a sandalwood box, perfectly square in shape. When brought closer, one could detect a faint, woody fragrance coming from it. She had thoroughly inspected the entire box, yet found no place to unlock it. Interestingly, each side had a peculiarly indented shape.
That was when Raylee found herself in a predicament. If Vera couldn’t open it, then she wasn’t confident that she could either. The only solution, it seemed, was to break it forcefully. Since she was in no hurry to do so, she picked up the letter and read through it.
The envelope had been opened before. Both the envelope and the letter inside bore signs of age, yet the handwriting was still remarkably clear. The contents documented, however, had no relevance to her personal history. Instead, it was written in a straightforward and blunt manner. It stated that the box couldn’t be forcefully opened; otherwise, it would trigger the self-destruction mechanism inside, leading to an explosion.
Just as Raylee was finding herself in a predicament, the masked man walked in and said, “Come here, I have a surprise for you.” As he spoke, he placed a set of documents into her hand.
“The transfer documents for Snow Wave Amusement Park?” Raylee paused for a moment.
The masked man said, “Snow Wave Amusement Park is the largest project of Goodridge Group. It’s a resort that spans over eighty hectares, combining both entertainment and living facilities. Originally, this was the dowry Alaric had set aside for Waverly. This project had cost upwards of tens of billions and took over three years to complete. The architecture was crafted by renowned international designers, using only the finest materials. It is nestled within the prime real estate of Jexburgh. This year, it was just rated as the most valuable vacation spot globally, with limitless potential.”
“So, you’re telling me you managed to snatch Goodridge Group’s biggest project, which Alaric had left as a dowry for Waverly?” Raylee exclaimed in surprise.
The masked man shook his head. “To be precise, the project was on the verge of completion when Mr. Victor decided to take it from him. Mr. Victor had given it to me as a token of appreciation, and now, I’m handing it over to you. Do you like it?”
Raylee was overjoyed. When this project had emerged out of nowhere, it had shocked both domestic and international circles, so it was only natural that she had heard of it. When the engagement between the Sutherland family and the Goodridge family was announced, Alaric had renamed their largest project to Snow Wave Amusement Park in front of the media. The fact that he had named it after Waverly was enough to illustrate the significance of this project. And there, on the spot, it was presented to Waverly as her dowry. Upon receiving such a generous dowry, Waverly was so moved that she burst into tears on the spot. This incident once became a trending topic, and Waverly was admired nationwide as a wealthy heiress. Because of the substantial dowry she had received, she held herself with newfound confidence. Consequently, Margaret wholeheartedly accepted her as her daughter-in-law.
Unexpectedly, that very same dowry had suddenly ended up in Raylee’s hands. It felt so heavy that she couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart, but the thought of Waverly’s loss made her feel a lot better.
While Raylee was making quite a fortune here, turmoil descended upon the Goodridge family. Alaric was no longer the largest shareholder of Goodridge Group since he lost thirty percent of the shares. At the board meeting, he no longer held absolute majority shares and had even lost his right to speak. He returned home, sinking into the couch, tiredly massaging his brow.
Just when things were about to turn around, fate seemed to play a cruel trick on him. The nearly completed and soon-to-be-profitable Snow Wave Amusement Park was unexpectedly snatched away by the head of the Lorimer family. With Goodridge Group’s largest project gone, their stocks plummeted, and shareholders were frantically selling off their shares. The board of directors had erupted into chaos, and Alaric bore the brunt of all the pressure alone, leaving him physically and emotionally drained.