Remarried Wife: Mr. Ex, We Will Never Reconcile!-Chapter 49: Bribing Nina to Ruin Ian’s Reputation
Ian Kane still couldn’t keep their divorce a secret.
It’s true, when the devil’s ten feet high, it’s hard to compete with a business tycoon like his grandfather.
"Maeve, should I not have gone through with the divorce at this critical moment?" Vera Sheridan gripped her water cup, sitting helplessly on the couch in Maeve Holloway’s office.
Maeve didn’t expect Ian Kane to agree to the divorce so readily either.
Considering his seven years of feelings for Vera, she thought he would put up more of a fight.
From what Vera just described, that guy truly seemed to understand and sympathize with Vera’s pressure and inner turmoil, choosing to respect her and let go.
Maeve said, "Since it’s done, have you thought about how Ian Kane will handle the public relations? Given his status, he won’t end up disgraced over something that’s entirely made up, right?"
Vera thought about it and agreed.
She called Ian Kane, but the call was redirected to Elias Crowe, "Madam, President Kane is in a board meeting. You can make a public statement in your personal capacity, declaring that the divorce is due to other conflicts, not because President Kane was unfaithful. I’ll have the PR department draft the content for you."
Vera replied, "Alright."
"By the way, Elias, please remind him to take his medication on time. His lungs aren’t well, and every high fever easily leads to pneumonia. It’s best to prevent it with herbal decoction. I’ll send the prescription to your phone in a moment."
Elias said, "Madam, President Kane really doesn’t have time for this... Fine, send it to me, and I’ll see what I can arrange."
Hearing his response made Vera even more uneasy.
After hanging up, Maeve teased her, "You still can’t let go of him, can you?"
Vera blinked away the moisture in her eyes, "If he were truly a scumbag and had really let me down, I could probably let go a bit easier... But now, I just feel like I’m the one who’s wronged him." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Maeve understood her.
Moreover, there was nothing concrete about Ian Kane’s alleged infidelity.
Maeve suddenly remembered something, "By the way, since you’re divorcing him, maybe I should relocate my office or pay the regular rent."
Ian Kane was always generous to Vera’s friends, and Maeve’s therapy office was in a building owned by the Kane Group, with rent essentially being free, just a bit of property fee each year.
Vera understood as well. It was time to slowly distance herself from Ian Kane.
"From now on, I’ll join forces with you and buy into your counseling practice!" Maeve, who had just completed her master’s degree this year and was still in the accumulation phase, worried about her funding and suggested investing.
Maeve wasn’t modest, confident in her business, "I guarantee you’ll make a profit."
Vera smiled, then looked down at her right foot, recalling the photo from last night, remembering her past self on stage, the thrill and joy of being fully immersed in ballet.
Unfortunately, returning to the stage was no longer an option.
After a while, she received the PR draft from Elias and posted the full statement on her own social media account.
Despite the explanatory essay clearing the air, the suspicion of Ian Kane’s infidelity couldn’t be easily dispelled. Gossip accounts fueled the narrative, "The ex-wife was obviously paid off by Ian Kane; these things are not unheard of."
The Kane Group’s stock price continued to plummet, with shareholders panicking and selling off their shares at low prices.
Major shareholders on the board watched in horror as the value of their tangible assets shrank by billions in a matter of days, and they couldn’t wait to impeach Ian Kane.
"President Kane, if you can’t come up with a countermeasure, our board can’t continue to support you!"
"How did you get yourself into this mess? Was it that you didn’t pay enough outside or did some femme fatale catch you in a trap? Haha—" His cousin from his uncle’s side, Liam Kane, who was also the eldest grandson of Old Master Kane, ridiculed him.
Ian Kane sat in the vice-chairman’s seat, dressed in a black and white ensemble, exuding an air of nobility and restraint.
He listened to his cousin’s words, pressed his lips into a faint smile, and didn’t respond, letting Elias Crowe speak on his behalf, "Manager Kane, you shouldn’t speak recklessly. The police have already issued a blue notice clearing President Kane’s name, and the woman who defamed him is still in detention."
Liam Kane sneered but remained silent.
This scandal, even with a police announcement, couldn’t whitewash Ian Kane. This was their best opportunity to tarnish his reputation and drag him down!
Moreover, it wasn’t just their family; there were too many rivals in the business world envious of Ian Kane, all taking advantage of this incident to ruin him and short the Kane Group’s stock.
Old Master Kane had also come to the company today, dressed in a traditional Zhongshan suit, exuding a scholarly merchant’s demeanor.
He looked at Ian Kane, "Ian, because of your personal issues, the Kane Group’s stock value evaporated by 50 billion in just a week, and as the group’s president, you cannot escape the blame!"
Old Master Kane never imagined that this grandchild, whom even the birth of a child could not cripple, would stumble due to a mere woman!
If it weren’t for Vera Sheridan causing a divorce, it would have been difficult to falsely accuse him of infidelity this time.
Ian Kane smiled wryly, "Chairman Kane, you’re right to reprimand me. It’s my fault for causing everyone a loss, and I sincerely apologize."
Old Master Kane slammed the table, "What are you planning to do next? I give you a week to bring the stock price back up. If you can’t, you’ll have to hand over control of the company to Liam!"
Ian Kane played with his lighter, his gaze nonchalantly sweeping over the board members, "Ladies and gentlemen, do you all share the Chairman’s opinion?"
The board members looked at each other, still very much reliant on Ian Kane’s abilities.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you agree with the Chairman’s view, please raise your hand!" Ian Kane’s voice fell, and he lit a cigarette for himself.
Through the blue-white smoke, he calmly assessed the directors.
Under pressure, one by one, the directors slowly raised their hands, except for three who didn’t.
Hence, what Old Master Kane said held weight.
Old Master Kane said, "Ian, the majority of the board has lost confidence in you. I could dismiss you right now."
"But you’ve dedicated yourself to the Kane Group over the years, so I’m giving you one last chance, make sure you grasp it."
Elias heard the underlying meaning, not just casting aside a workhorse but also trying to take the moral high ground!
He couldn’t help but sweat for Ian Kane.
And lament for his boss.
It all started with just wanting Vera to feel a bit guilty and believe he hadn’t cheated, but how had things become so counterproductive?
After the meeting ended, Elias received a call, and his face grew even more grim.
Ian Kane had just returned to the office when Elias rushed in to report, "President Kane, Nina is being released today, and the first family has already sent people to intercept her!"
"I suspect they plan to bribe Nina with money to get real evidence of your infidelity."
Without any solid proof, the speculation online was just damaging to his reputation, but if there were concrete evidence, he’d be ruined!
Nina, who was likely lured by money, would surely receive a substantial offer from the first family. The more Elias thought about it, the more anxious he became.
Ian Kane simply leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers idly on the armrest, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, in a private room in a restaurant near the detention center.
Nina was being treated to a feast, and Mrs. Kane, with a wide smile, opened a suitcase.
As it opened, the gleam from the gold and jewels lit up Nina’s weary eyes.
She gazed at the gold ingots, gold bars she’d only ever seen on TV, and the exquisite jade jewelry sets, far superior to those Ian Kane had ever let her wear, and was so moved that she momentarily forgot to drink her soup.
"Young lady, do you still have evidence of Ian Kane’s infidelity? If you do, all this is yours, and I’ll also arrange for an Ardendale millionaire’s son for you to marry, with a grand ceremony, allowing your family to settle in Ardendale," Mrs. Kane tempted her.
Nina regained her composure, blinked, and picked up her phone to ask Mrs. Kane, "Madam, may I take a picture? My parents have never seen so much gold and jewelry."
