When Bad Boys Fall II

Seventy-Two

Lucas' POV

Rookie CEO of Nexus Wealth Deals with Illegal Gang Race: Drug Trafficking and Drag Racing.

My heart started to pound so fast in my chest and every sound around me muted. My phone suddenly appeared small in my hand as I stared at the screen, reading the headline over and over again. I took a deep breath and sat down on the closest couch then started to read the article. From start to finish, everything was about me racing illegally, mingling with people who did drugs at the racetrack, the team embroiled in illegal activities, with pictures of me being part of the group. It was over. There was no way I was recovering from this. Henry attacked me so well and I doubt there is anything escaping it.

I searched up my company's name, going on every social media platform but there was barely any article. I was partially relieved since I was just a newbie, but the attention was still on me, and this was social media. Digital footprints would affect me even if I escaped this and became something bigger in the future.

I wanted to fucking curse out, to swear out loud but Paul was close by, which meant he would hear it and start saying the same word I spoke. I opened my mail and saw multiple emails from the investors at the company— This was bad. I didn't open them, but I could read half of the subject... they were pulling it and if they did, it meant I was going to lose every fucking thing and end up bankrupt.

"Lucas?"

I flinched at the sound of Jackie's voice and glanced at her before looking back at my phone. My hands felt numb as I scrolled through the phone, and I was certain that my blood pressure was fucking high with the way my heart was pounding.

"Are you okay?" She sat down beside me and placed her hand on my back.

I felt defeated in that moment and leaned forward with my hands cupping my face. She rubbed my back as I meditated on trying to get myself. This was not what I expected at this point of my life. I simply wanted to have a perfect company while I did everything to keep my family together.

"It's the company," I said then told her everything.

"Why is your uncle so despicable?" She asked, her voice strained from anger.

I didn't want her stressed over my business. She was still healing from childbirth and the last thing I needed was for her to be stressed, mentally. I took my hands away from my face and looked at her. Her eyes were filled with worry and anger at the same time. I smiled and cupped her cheek. I smiled more when she leaned into my hand while her eyes softened.

"You don't have to worry about me, baby. Just... don't worry. I'll see things through."

She nodded. "What are you going to do now? Are you going back to Rochester or?"

I dreaded this. I didn't want to be away from them, not even for a minute. Going back to Rochester could probably take up a long time and the last thing I wanted was a repeat of last time.

"You should go," she said, startling me. "This is your business, Lucas. You need to do something to save it. Make the investors understand that this is all a lie. I mean, if part of the reason why some of Hamilton's investors and executives went to Nexus, it means they know what your uncle is capable of doing but... the public don't know that yet, so you have to fight back. Do something to get your lick back... even if it's to find some illegal things done by him. I'm sure there are."

I looked to the side in thought. She was right. Henry probably had some illegal things lying around and if I had to ruin the image of the family business in order to take him down, I would do it.

"So, what are you going to do?" Jackie asked.

| | |

The moment I arrived at the company, the staff were running here and there, there was noise coming from every angle and phone calls being made. I was worried for the state of the businesses we were managing as they would assume an illegal enterprise was tainting their names.

When I got to the door of my office, it opened, and Axel almost bumped into me. He looked relieved when he saw me before grabbing my arm and pulling me into the office with him.

"What's the update?"

"Our stocks are going down every hour and I don't think we can escape this," Axel said and handed me the tablet he was holding.

The chart was not looking good. Not one good spike on the chart, everything faced downwards, and the deep red color made me feel as if I was going to pass out from anxiety.

"I contacted the investors after the emails they sent, none of them are answering. They all want their money back and where are we supposed to get it when we put them into the businesses we're sponsoring?"

I gave him back the tablet and walked to my desk. I leaned against the desk and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Where is Maddie?"

"She's currently in Vietnam for a summit and I have been trying to contact her, but she is not answering."

"Fuck... how many investors are still standing with us?"

When Axel did not say one word, I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands. I wanted to hit something, to take out the rage in me through one way or another. How was I supposed to get out of this mess? I can't even make a statement because it was useless. More dirt would come out of it if I did. Shit!

This was the real world and there is no way I could walk away from everything. I had a company, with staff and businesses that put their trust in me to help them— Shit!

"Uh..." I swallowed and rose to my feet. "C-call the investors or let them know that we have a meeting by three... Have Jared pull up some contracts too and uh... fuck, I don't know, man... Just find Jared for me and tell him to meet me in my office."

Axel nodded and left the office, leaving me to my declining mental state. I shut my eyes hard and rubbed the bridge of my nose as my head began to ache. I was doomed. Sooner or later, my employees would be leaving one by one.

I hated Henry so fucking much! Why couldn't he just leave me alone? I want nothing to do with Hamilton Inc, yet he came after me.

Someone knocked on my door and as much as I wanted to not talk to anyone other than Axel and Jared, I had to save face if it was an employee.

"Come in," I said and raised my head to see who it was.

My heart hardened from more rage when Matt strolled into the office, looking smug. He slowly made his way toward me with a swagger that told me everything I needed to know in that moment.

"You," I said through my teeth.

Matt smirked. "Aw, are you sad? Baby bro thought he could get away with being a Ceo."

He laughed and before I could stop myself, I punched him in the face, sending him downward. He groaned from pain and looked at me with dark eyes and a bloody nose. He stood upward and glared at me.

"You will regret this, you bastard," he said.

"Enough."

I blinked at the new voice which made Matt quickly turn around.

Why was he here?