Return Of The Prodigy
Return of the Prodigy Chapter 189

Half an hour later, Adam and Katie arrived at the police station. As they alighted from the car, they heard a man's laughter.

"Ms. Hartley, you sure were fast. I'm surprised that you're here already. Nevertheless, you wasted your time by coming to the police station. Your attempt to bail Robert Byron out isn't going to work. After all, the man is being investigated for fraud! You lost an important ally this time." Leroy Ortiz alighted from his car and walked up to them. Katie furrowed her brows and asked, "Were you waiting in the parking lot just to make fun of me?"

Leroy grinned and said, "Maybe. I came here because I was curious about the extent of your capabilities. You have some connections with the Hamiltons, but even they can't do much as long as I'm here. Ms. Hartley, your largest backer is basically useless. What are you going to do without the help of the Hamiltons?"

Katie snorted and ignored him, heading to the police station.

Adam shook his head and followed his wife.

As they got into the building, Katie told a police officer why she was there. However, her request to meet Robert was denied.

"Robert Byron is currently under investigation. No one can meet him."

Katie frowned. "I believe that Mr. Byron was falsely accused of this crime. I only need a few minutes with him. Perhaps I can help you solve this case faster."

The police officer's face fell. He said coldly, "Don't you understand what I'm saying? No one can meet him right now!"

Katie wanted to continue when Leroy Ortiz came over and interjected, "Ms. Hartley, you shouldn't waste your energy in vain. You're fighting a losing battle. If you surrender now, perhaps you can still get away with some little gains. The more you struggle, the worse it'll get later.

"Moreover, this is just the beginning. I still have a lot of tricks up my sleeve."

Katie's expression became frosty. "Mr. Ortiz, don't be so sure of yourself. If this matter is investigated properly, and the truth comes to light, you might come to regret your decision of getting involved."

Leroy sneered and said, "Ms. Hartley, you won't have a chance later." With that, he took out his phone and made a call. "Start."

Before long, Katie's phone rang.

Her expression changed, and she hurried to pick up the call.

When the call connected, the anxious voice of a man came from the other end. "Ms. Hartley, you have to help me!"

Katie asked with a frown, "What happened?"

"I'm Joshua Heart from Heart Corp. We've been targeted by the Chamber of Commerce since a few days ago. At first, we were able to use our connections to hold on, but our bank called us moments ago, telling us that we have to repay the loan in advance." Katie frowned and asked, "Which bank was it?"

"Redfield Bank."

Redfield Bank? Are the Redfields at it again?

Katie nodded and said calmly, "Don't worry. Go to Rivers Bank and apply for a loan there, tell them that I was the one who sent you."

"Thank you, Ms. Hartley. Thank you!" Joshua thanked Katie again and again before hanging up.

Leroy said with a sneer, "Ms. Hartley, it seems I've overestimated you. Do you think I don't know about your relationship with Rivers Bank? That guy in your pocket is just a small branch manager. I don't even need to go there in person to take care of him." Katie's frown deepened at Leroy's remarks. She said, disgruntled, "Isn't Hartley Group your objective? Why are you involving other people in this mess?"

Leroy sneered. "All those who dare to help you are my enemies. Even if it's a dog that dares to show you affection, I'll make its life miserable! If you don't want to involve other people, just surrender."

Katie was so angry that her body quivered. She did not expect Leroy Ortiz to be so shameless.

Adam sighed and grabbed Katie's hand. "Let's leave. If we stay here any longer, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold myself back from beating this guy up."

Leroy hurried to take a step back and looked at Adam vigilantly. He knew that Adam had no filters; he would not hesitate to hit him if he felt like it.

Adam pulled Katie and headed toward the exit.

Leroy glanced at their departing backs and said, "Are you leaving just like this? Heh, perhaps it's for the better!"

Adam and Katie returned to their car.

Katie took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anger. "That guy is so arrogant. Sooner or later, I'm going to find proof of his crimes!"

Adam advised as he drove them away, "The Camdens did not take action directly, but Leroy Ortiz can still make use of their influence. Even with the assistance of the new Chamber of Commerce, it'll be hard for you to fight him on even ground." Katie sighed. "I know. It's just that..."

It's just that I don't want to be a burden to you, added Katie inwardly.

"Anyway, your plan wasn't bad. If Leroy Ortiz keeps attacking more and more companies, he'll spread his forces thin and weaken his position. The only problem is that you'll have to suffer for a certain period before you can turn things around. It's similar to dealing with a cheater in a multiplayer game. They'll inevitably have the advantage at first, but you can beat them as long as you last long enough for the devs to come to your rescue," comforted Adam.

Katie nodded and looked at the scenery outside the window with a frown on her face.

At this moment, her phone rang.

"Ms. Hartley, something happened to Herbal Care. Their skincare product seems to have caused widespread allergic reactions. The customers have stormed the building and are asking for clarifications."

"Ms. Hartley, we received news that Green & Co.'s bid for a batch of raw materials was leaked, which caused them to be disqualified from the bidding competition. Their reputation is at an all-time low among other companies." "Ms. Hartley..."

Bad news came one after the other, and Katie's expression grew gloomier and gloomier.

Adam kept silent and did not say anything. The atmosphere in the car was very tense.

Half an hour later, the duo arrived at Hartley Group.

As they got upstairs, Jenny said, "Katie, the CEOs of some companies have been waiting in your office."

Katie nodded and entered her office.

In the room were three men and a woman. They all stood up and greeted Katie.

Katie did not know them too well, but she knew they were members of the new Chamber of Commerce.

"What happened?" she asked eventually.

The four were not in the mood for a casual chit-chat and went straight to the point. "Ms. Hartley, it's not that we've given up on our joint project, but we can no longer bear the pressure. We'd like to leave the new Chamber of Commerce." Katie's face fell.

One of the CEOs continued, "We believe that you're a capable woman, but the people from the old Chamber of Commerce have no morals, and they'll stop at nothing to take us down. They're willing to use all kinds of dirty tricks." "Perhaps we can resist them for a while, but we can't keep them at bay forever."

"Leroy Ortiz has the backing of the Camdens, while you have the backing of the Hamiltons. However, none of us has this kind of privilege. We can only rely on ourselves."

Their words were sincere, and they spoke no lies.

Katie nodded and said softly, "I'm sorry for involving you in this mess. I understand your concerns, and I agree to your request."

The four shook their heads. "We're the ones who should apologize to you."

"You advised us not to split the Chamber of Commerce, but we insisted on creating a new one and made you the leader despite your wishes."

"Yet, we're now running away from the battle while you have to stay behind and fight."

This was more or less what had happened. Since they did not like Leroy Ortiz's ways, they decided to rally behind Katie and make her the President of the new Chamber of Commerce, ignoring her suggestion. However, it was useless to cry over spilled milk. It was time to look at the future. Katie forced a smile and said, "We united to resist the Camdens, but since the burden has become too much to bear, it's normal that you'd want to leave. I won't fault you for your decision. You're free to rejoin at any time."

The four nodded and thanked Katie.

Katie saw them off to the elevator and returned to her office.