Chapter 861
I gazed at Atlas’s handsome profile, feeling like I was falling in love all over again.
“I finally understand why Liora has been keeping a low profile lately.” I smiled contentedly.
“Yeah, because she’s lost her confidence. After Melvern cut off the funding, Liora’s plans took a major hit. She feels the crisis and wants to liquidate her remaining assets as quickly as possible. What else does she have left?” Atlas chuckled, his smile charming.
“She only has Ardora left.”
“Exactly! She intended to hand Ardora over to Melvern, but he refused. However, Melvern did release his shares, all because Liora threatened him. If he didn’t comply, she would attract more funds and dilute his ownership.”
“Liora completely manipulated Matthew and Melanie. They walked right into this mess themselves,” I said.
“Once Matthew got caught in Liora’s trap, he lost all autonomy. That’s why he handed over Muborough to Melanie to manage. Melanie was the one acting out and disrupting their peaceful lives. So, Matthew used Muborough to control her, a temporary solution to deal with her antics.”
I was utterly confused. Things were getting more convoluted by the minute.
“In fact, Matthew has been doing everything to protect Ardora. He’s probably afraid of devaluation.” I sighed.
“If that happens, Matthew will have nothing. Prior to this, Matthew brought in a sizable seven million dollars, along with funds from other investors Liora enlisted. Matthew agreed to invest these funds in Ardora through the issuance of shares.
“That was just a pie in the sky that Liora painted for Matthew. She must have fooled him big time.” I rolled my eyes as I spoke.
Atlas reached out and pinched my cheek, asking softly, “Upset?”
I immediately glared at him. “Nonsense!”
He grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth. “Do you know how much Liora gained from empty-handedly deceiving him?”
“How much?” I was curious now. I realized I knew too little about Ardora, and Atlas had the whole picture.
I had to admit that, without Atlas, I would be utterly lost. I didn’t know Liora’s background or her ruthless tactics, while Atlas had a clear train of thought.
“15 percent! She obtained it through project investment, with Keegan owning 8 percent and the sisters owning 23 percent. It’s nearly a quarter As soon as she got it, she transferred this acquired stake to Melvern.”
“Good grief!” I exclaimed.
Atlas looked at me with a smile.
“Melvern invested, seeing through Liora’s game plan. Once he understood the situation, he woke Liora up from her dream. If she
didn’t return the funds, Melveri net
would retaliate. But this retaliation would be fatal for Liora and the Thompson family.”
“She’s caught between a rock and a hard place.” I sighed. “Isn’t Melvern being too stingy?”
“He’s definitely not stingy. He has other plans,” Atlas said casually.
“My goodness, it’s so complicated! So, Melvern and Liora are at odds now?” I finally grasped that point.
Atlas nodded decisively.
“Liora released Melanie to buy some time because, with Matthew acquitted, she has no other way out under Melvern’s pressure.”
“That’s clever, but not the whole story.”
I felt my brain working overtime. Suddenly, I asked Atlas a daring question. “Do you think…Liora and Felix have been friends for many years?” “Yes.” Atlas nodded affirmatively.
I looked at Atlas, and questions swirled in my mind. Finally, feeling a little nosy, I asked my question…