As long as there was a glimmer of hope, Latham refused to give up.
"How about this: I'll prepare the files today and fly out to Cabinda personally. We can discuss the details face-to-face before you take it to your board. Does that work?"
It had been a long time since Latham had sounded this subservient.
But it was the only way to breathe life back into the company and find a way out of this mess.
"If you have the time, certainly."
In truth, the Acceptance Letters were due to arrive any day now.
Claire's acceptance into The Cabinda University was already set in stone.
Even without Latham's desperate pleas, Dane had been planning a trip to Apex anyway.
Padgett had made it crystal clear that he was not to miss Claire's appearance at The Ivy Gala.
The older man had also repeatedly reminded him to prepare a spectacular gift for her.
Naturally, even without the prodding, Dane wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Back in Apex, Latham hung up the phone and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
He turned to thank Claire, only to realize she had already slipped away.
A bitter taste filled Latham's mouth.
Did she really despise him that much?
Didn't she even care to know the outcome? How could she just walk off?
Furious as he was, there was absolutely nothing he could do to her; he could only swallow his anger.
However, the news he brought back injected a much-needed shot of adrenaline into the company.
Even his younger brother was ecstatic, entirely forgetting the lingering resentment over Latham forcing Shirley into an unwanted engagement.
"Latham, if Dane from Vertex is stepping in, we're actually saved, right?"
His brother lacked any real ambition;
ource of panic was the
his only
th
realization a bankruptcy
instantly end his life of luxury.
would
He had a wife and child to support, and losing the company was simply not an option.
Latham masked his disdain as he looked at his useless sibling.
If his brother had just convinced Shirley to marry that other family, would they even be in this catastrophic mess?
With a fresh bank loan, he wouldn't have to play these humiliating games with Dane, let alone butcher his own profit margins.
"Even if Vertex takes over, the company is going to take a massive hit. But as long as I have time, we will rebuild."
"Avoiding total collapse is a win in our current situation."
Despite his boiling resentment, Latham had no intention of severing ties with his brother just yet.
The man might be an underachiever, but he still held significant phantom shares in the company.
A public fallout was out of the question—it would only leave them vulnerable to hostile takeovers.
"I'm heading to Cabinda. I need you to hold down the fort here."
"Keep everyone calm and focused."
Latham quickly convened an emergency board meeting, ordering the executives to prep the files for his early morning flight.
The room was stunned to hear that Vertex International was even considering a buyout, and everyone immediately fell in line.
After all, if Vertex took the reins, their jobs were safe.
Most of the veterans deeply wanted to see The James Group survive.
Latham was a capable leader; his
aggressive push for teen step
Height's Project had been a
but he had made them all.
undeniably wealthy in the past.
Only a few dissenters, harboring their own hidden agendas, cast doubt on the impending trip.
"Bringing them paperwork doesn't prove anything. If Vertex really wants in, they send a team for on site due diligence. Our PR department can't even handle the current media fallout..."
Sure enough, one executive stepped forward to throw cold water on the plan.
Latham shot him a piercing look. "If this fails, I'll accept the bankruptcy. But at least we'll know we did everything in our power."