radicalducati Chapter 543: Phoenix Alliance Group Is Falling Apart
Chapter 543: Phoenix Alliance Group Is Falling Apart
“The truth is... back then, I was scared you’d look down on me. That you’d pull away from me. I was the one who saved you, but somehow, it felt like I was the one who hurt you. I’m just a person too, and my pride... it’s fragile, like the silence between us.”
His honest words hit something deep inside Diana. She felt shaken and confused.
There was a time when her heart beat for Brandon, the boy who once seemed innocent but now hid behind a careless image. She had built a wall around herself, telling herself that his feelings didn’t mean anything.
But now, hearing his confession, she froze. It was like standing in the middle of her past and present, both crashing into her at once. How could she understand her own feelings? How could she figure out what Brandon truly meant to her?
"I... I..."
"Take your time," he said softly, letting go of her hand to give her space. "I’ll wait for whatever your heart decides."
Just as his words lingered in the air, the door flew open. Bianca rushed in, her steps quick and full of tension, like something big was about to happen.
The two were taken aback, looking like they’d been caught in the middle of something private. They quickly pulled themselves together and turned to Bianca, hoping things wouldn’t get awkward.
Brandon, always quick to adjust, put on his usual calm look. "Bianca, what’s the hurry?" he asked curiously.
Diana, sensing something was off, looked at her friend with worry. "Bianca, what’s going on?"
Bianca’s voice cut through the air. “Something big’s coming. Someone’s attacking the Phoenix Alliance Group from the shadows.”
“The Evans Group?” Brandon asked.
“No. We still don’t know who.”
Who would dare mess with Edenfield’s strongest company? Who had the guts to go after Phoenix Alliance Group and challenge Dave Evans?
Brandon stood up, alert. His instincts kicked in.
Bianca showed them her screen. The numbers were crashing. Phoenix Alliance Group’s market value was dropping fast. The trading day had barely started, but something unseen was already hitting their stocks hard.
"How is this possible?" Bianca whispered, her voice full of shock. "Phoenix Alliance Group lost... ten billion?"
Brandon stood beside her, his eyes sharp. "Who has the power to do something like this?" he said, more to himself than anyone else.
His phone buzzed with a Twitter update. The headline was grim.
"Phoenix Alliance Group accused of financial misconduct. Stock value crashes at market open."
The news hit hard. Brandon turned to Bianca right away. "The vultures are moving in. The market’s bleeding Phoenix Alliance Group dry. If this keeps going, there won’t be anything left."
Bianca stayed silent, her face calm but her mind racing. She thought back to the rushed morning, Dave leaving in a hurry, breakfast left untouched. Everything pointed to trouble.
She had always believed that once the Evans Group was out of the way, Phoenix Alliance Group would rise without obstacles. Her faith wasn’t just in Dave, it was in the company itself.
"Oh no, what is going on?" Diana's voice shook as she handed her phone to Bianca. "Look at this mess. The whole internet is talking about the food company under Phoenix Alliance Group selling unsafe products. And that’s not even all. People are saying the buildings they developed are falling apart. Just look at the trending searches, eight out of ten are attacking Phoenix Alliance Group..."
Her voice trailed off, leaving the words hanging in the air like a warning.
Bianca’s eyes darkened. This wasn’t like before. Something had changed.
The flood of bad news about Phoenix Alliance Group didn’t feel random. It was too well-timed, too coordinated like someone planned it all and made it look like insider leaks.
Real problems wouldn’t explode like this overnight.
"It’s obvious. Someone is targeting Phoenix Alliance Group," Brandon said, then turned and left without another word.
With Dave under pressure from all sides, Brandon knew he had to act fast. He would use every connection he had to find out who was behind this.
At the center of it all, deep inside Phoenix Alliance Group, Dave picked up Brandon’s call.
"Mr. Evans, today's headlines aren’t looking good for Phoenix Alliance Group..."
"Get to the point," Dave retorted in a cold tone.
Brandon swallowed hard and said, "I found out who’s behind it. It’s Law—"
"I knew," Dave said flatly, cutting him off. "If that’s all, I’m hanging up."
"You knew?" Brandon asked, caught between shock and realization.
Maybe Dave had known all along. This was his city—Edenfield was his ground.
But the way he stayed so calm felt strange. Phoenix Alliance Group had lost billions in just an hour. People were turning against the company, blaming it for serious problems.
Still, Phoenix Alliance Group hadn’t said a word. No statement. No response.
That wasn’t like Dave. He was the type to shut down rumors the moment they started.
"Want me to bring in a PR team?" Brandon asked. Even with all the chaos, he still believed in Dave's capability.
Brandon felt trapped in the messy games the Lawson Group was playing. Frustration was building inside him.
But what bothered him more was how distant Dave seemed. He looked too caught up in something else, ignoring how fast public trust was falling apart.
"I already made a plan," Dave replied. His voice was calm, giving nothing away, even though chaos was clearly boiling under the surface.
The call ended.
Dave stood by the big French window, his figure outlined by the city lights. His eyes were fixed on the view outside—a mix of glowing lights as night slowly crept in.
Wyatt stood nearby, alert. He kept glancing at his phone. Things online were getting out of hand. Public opinion was spinning fast.
"It’s clear why Phoenix Alliance Group broke away from Evans Group. They saw it coming and wanted to protect their name."
"A company without values doesn’t belong in this city. They should be kicked out of Edenfield."
"We’ve been tricked! If those brave people at Phoenix Alliance Group hadn’t spoken up, we’d still be calling them the pride of the city."
"This just shows what’s wrong with capitalism. I can’t wait to see Phoenix Alliance Group crash."
"Look at the stock market. It’s not just small investors pulling out. The big ones are leaving too. This isn’t just a mistake, it’s a total collapse."
The online attacks kept coming, sharp and relentless.
As the chaos swirled, a new string of messages popped up on Wyatt’s phone. He looked up at Dave and spoke calmly. "Boss, everything’s ready. What should we do next?"
Phoenix Alliance Group had lost billions. That kind of loss would’ve crushed someone else. But Dave wasn’t the type to fall apart. He stayed calm, right in the middle of the chaos, and moved fast with a plan the moment things fell apart.