His expression was darker than she'd ever seen, like gathering thunderclouds.
"Our Harrison family has stood firm in Country E for nearly a century," Mr. Harrison continued, his narrowed eyes glinting like honed steel.
"Our roots run deep.
For Sinclair to think he can topple us with the same tricks he used on the Algrea?
That's nothing but a pipe dream!"
He waved a dismissive hand, too consumed by strategy to spare concern for his daughter's tears.
"Call an emergency video conference in fifteen minutes.
Every mid-level manager and above—no exceptions."
Sniffling, Tina nodded and scurried out, her shoulders hunched.
Alone, Mr. Harrison sank into his chair with a heavy sigh.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, his face etched with the bitter disappointment of a general betrayed by his own troops.
The virtual meeting proceeded with military precision.
Calming rhetoric.
Clear assignments.
The entire corporation mobilized like soldiers preparing for siege.
Yet for all Mr. Harrison's meticulous preparations, the storm arrived exactly as foreseen—swift, brutal, and utterly inescapable.
First, the headquarters network of the Harrison Corporation was hacked, exposing countless core secrets.
Among the leaked information were shady dealings with several other prominent families and previously unknown financial scandals.
The entire financial sector and upper echelons of society erupted in uproar, with the ensuing media frenzy completely overshadowing the previous scandal involving the Algrea family.
During this time, numerous individuals came forward with damning testimonies about Mr. Harrison, the head of the Harrison family, and his son Harrison, detailing how they had covertly pressured other families into ruin.
Of course, concrete evidence accompanied these accusations.
The public outcry against the Harrison family reached a fever pitch.
Just as the Harrison family scrambled to issue PR statements and salvage their reputation, the Nolan family—the leading force among the three major families—suddenly announced publicly that they were terminating all contracts with the Harrison family and cutting ties permanently.
Shortly after, the Orlando, Mega, and Bernardo families followed suit, one after another, declaring the end of their collaborations with the Harrison Corporation.
Those who had initially taken a wait-and-see approach immediately sensed the impending crisis and could no longer stay idle.
They quickly followed the lead of the major families, severing ties with the Harrison family under justifiable pretexts.
The speed of their actions reeked of self-preservation.
It was a classic case of "everyone kicks a man when he's down."
The Harrison Corporation was thrown into utter chaos by this sudden turn of events.
The Nolan family, the Orlando family, the Mega family, and the Bernardo family?
Mr. Harrison received the news, and for a moment, he couldn't quite process it.
Were these families, led by Nolan, simply taking advantage of his misfortune to strike, or had they long been in league with Sinclair to target the Harrison family?!
If it was the former, there might still be a way to salvage the situation—perhaps by offering concessions.
But if it was the latter... Mr. Harrison pressed his bloodless lips into a tight line, his expression darkening further until it was downright grim.
"Cough... cough... Get me the heads of the Nolan and Mega families—immediately!!"
"Y-yes, sir. I'll contact them right away."
The assistant swiftly pulled out Mr. Harrison's private phone and dialed Nolan and the others.
Tina stood frozen in place, her face etched with unease, unsure of what to do.
The doctors nearby, maintaining a carefully neutral demeanor, stepped forward with prepared oxygen tanks to steady Mr. Harrison's agitated breathing.
"Sir, the Nolan family head says he's in a meeting and can't take your call."
"Sir, the Mega family head has refused to speak with you."
"Sir..." One piece of bad news after another came pouring in, overwhelming even Mr. Harrison, a seasoned titan of the business world who had dominated the scene for decades.
Not even answering his calls—it was clear these families had made up their minds to stand against him!
The entire Harrison family seemed ensnared in an invisible, suffocating net.
"How did it come to this?
It wasn't supposed to be like this!"
Mr. Harrison couldn't wrap his head around it.
How had Sinclair, an outsider, managed to rally these powerful E-country families to his side?
Especially Nolan was no pushover—certainly not someone who could be easily manipulated.
"Get me Count Easton on the line," Mr. Harrison demanded, his voice hoarse from coughing.
His pallid face was etched with deep shadows, his eyes dark and brooding.
"Hurry!"
He knew all too well.
No matter how vast the Harrison family's wealth and influence, they couldn't withstand a coordinated assault from multiple powerful families.
Especially with Sinclair pulling the strings from the shadows.
He had to start with the Nolan—make them back down before it was too late.
The call to Easton connected quickly, but the news that followed sent a chill straight to Mr. Harrison's core.
His entire demeanor grew heavier, as if the weight of the world had just settled on his shoulders.
"Your Lordship, are you suggesting that Nolan has been collaborating with Sinclair all along?!"
After giving an affirmative answer, Alston hung up the phone.
He was already overwhelmed by the business blunders involving Sinclair and had no energy left to deal with the Harrison family's affairs.
Mr. Harrison narrowed his eyes, piecing things together in an instant. —
The incident at Kiara's birthday banquet had been a trap from the very beginning, orchestrated jointly by the Luther and Nolan families.
Their goal was to force his hand, giving them a legitimate excuse to crush the Harrison family!!
"What a pair of despicable, scheming bastards!!"
Mr. Harrison choked on his fury, his eyes nearly bulging out of his skull.
"Notify the heads of all the branch families immediately—tell them to get their asses over here as fast as they can… *cough*."
Tina was startled and rushed to support her father, whose body trembled violently from the coughing fit.
"Dad, you have to hold on.
If you don't, our family is finished."
Mr. Harrison, who had just begun to steady himself, felt another surge of rage at her words, triggering an even more violent coughing spell.
In the business world, one misstep could trigger a domino effect.
The Harrison family's repeated scandals had investors sensing danger.
Fearing a repeat of the Algrea' catastrophic losses, many began quietly offloading their shares at rock-bottom prices.
As a result, the stock value of the Harrison Group plummeted by billions in an instant.
Panicked shareholders, now trapped in their investments, began demanding explanations from the corporation.
A series of unexpected blows dealt a fatal strike to the Harrison Group's once-unshakable business empire.
In just a short span of time, the conglomerate found itself on the brink of collapse.
Mr. Harrison hastily convened an emergency meeting, summoning even the heads of the extended family branches.
Midway through the discussions, yet another wave of bad news arrived.
Overwhelmed by the mounting pressure, Mr. Harrison's blood pressure spiked violently, causing him to collapse unconscious.
His life hanging in the balance, he was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
This latest crisis only deepened the turmoil within the already unstable Harrison family.
With Mr. Harrison incapacitated, the entire clan teetered on the edge of disaster.
In just a single day, two major families had fallen into chaos, sending shockwaves through E Country's elite circles and leaving the upper class in a state of unease.
Meanwhile... In stark contrast to the turmoil outside, the Luther Estate remained an oasis of calm.
Learning that Ramsey had been injured while protecting Sinclair, Camilla immediately set aside everything to carefully examine his wound.
Though the bullet hadn't pierced his heart, it had lodged deep in his flesh.
Given the sensitive location of the wound, improper treatment could easily lead to infection and further complications.
Camilla acted decisively, instructing her team to restrain the uncooperative Ramsey and secure him firmly on the operating table.
Sonia, who also had medical training, was pulled in by Camilla to assist.
While helping with the procedure, she was also tasked with tending to Ramsey's other injuries.
Though Uncle Carlos didn't voice his concern, his face betrayed his distress.
He remained outside the room the entire time, pacing anxiously back and forth.