Chapter 440: Chapter 440

Mason King and Leo King escorted Anna Thornton into the Sterling Group through a secure passage.

Outside, it was a complete mess, but inside the Sterling Group, things were still under control.

Anna donned a mask as she walked through; everyone was focused on their tasks and didn’t look up to notice her.

That was because President Sterling had returned first and steadied the situation.

The powerful aura of Conrad Sterling, though oppressive, also had the ability to calm minds at crucial moments.

Even though the Sterling Group was facing its biggest crisis since its establishment, every employee couldn’t help but feel worried.

Few within the company believed the rumor that President Sterling was a spy.

But whether they believed it or not wasn’t important; what mattered was the investigation had already commenced.

A few years ago, even when the Sterling Group was besieged by the four major families, it wasn’t as troublesome as it is now.

After all, no matter how fierce the battles in the business world get, they are resolved through business means, and President Sterling’s ability and methods are beyond doubt.

This time, however, they are facing not the four major families but an overwhelming wave of public opinion that demands answers, and even the ’officials’ require an explanation.

After entering the elevator, Anna overheard two employees conversing and complaining.

"Recently, the company’s phones have been ringing nonstop."

"Isn’t that right? All brands under the Sterling Group have been boycotted, sales have plummeted, and customers are coming back asking for invoices. If we can’t keep up, they’ll file complaints!"

"Don’t be discouraged; everything will be fine now that President Sterling is back!"

"Sigh, I reckon even with President Sterling’s return, it’s going to be tough. I’ve never seen the company face such a huge crisis. Did you see those people who just entered the company? They went straight into the President’s office!"

"You mean those people are..."

"Shh! Can’t say! If anything is uncovered, this big trouble won’t go away."

"Shouldn’t our company have nothing unspeakable?"

"Who knows? I’ve seen so much online gossip lately that I’m questioning reality. Come to think of it, other companies are family-owned, but our President’s company is this large and he’s never mentioned relatives, isn’t that strange?"

The two employees stepped out as they finished their conversation in the elevator.

Now only Anna Thornton remained, with the King brothers standing behind her like guardians.

Mason King couldn’t hold back, "My brother and I also grew up without parents, is it that strange? Are orphans meant to be doubted, or what?"

If it weren’t for the necessity of keeping Miss Thornton anonymous, Mason King would have liked to rebut those two employees on the spot.

How could they not trust their own boss while working under President Sterling?

What spy? What conspiracy theory?

Look at President Sterling’s aura of righteousness; only a fool would be misled.

Anna glanced at the loyal and protective Mason King, and, well, perhaps only these brothers could see such righteousness in Conrad Sterling.

However, the move by Smith and Rainie Hawthorne was truly ruthless.

They knew the enormous Sterling Group wasn’t easy to attack, so the previous actions were merely feints.

They didn’t choose to start from the company side; they chose to smear Conrad Sterling personally.

The key is that this stain is hard to wash away; once it sticks, he might be disgraced forever.

No matter how much Conrad Sterling achieves in business, this is Aethelgard... with certain unspeakable factors, even the largest company can be destroyed in an instant.

After all, the Sterling Group only emerged in the past three years, earning vast wealth, but its foundation is not yet stable; this is its biggest weakness compared to the four major families.

Identity is Conrad Sterling’s Achilles’ heel, and compared to other opponents, Smith indeed hit where it hurts.

It is just a bit despicable!

Reaching the floor where the President’s office was located, the scene Anna Thornton saw was even more chaotic than that of the ordinary employees downstairs.

She also saw the people who had come to investigate the Sterling Group, as mentioned by the two employees in the elevator.

One of them was flipping through documents, and the female secretary stood before him, pale-faced and somewhat panicked.

Speaking of which, Anna Thornton knew Conrad Sterling’s secretary—it was Amy!

Anna looked at Amy for a moment; the latter immediately made eye contact with her, "Miss Thornton, President Sterling is inside!"

Anna could tell Amy was signaling her, causing the man in front of her to glance at Anna as well.

"May I ask what position you hold at the Sterling Group?" The man scrutinized Anna skeptically.

Anna didn’t answer; she went straight to push open the office door.

"Hey, you can’t go in there right now!"

If Anna walked fast enough, she could act as though no one could stop her in time.

Anna entered the President’s office; besides Conrad Sterling, there were two other unfamiliar men.

They were likely part of the same investigation team as the man outside.

It was the first time Anna saw Conrad Sterling motionless, allowing others to ransack his desk for documents.

As Anna’s silhouette appeared, the man frowned.

But his words were directed at the King brothers behind Anna, "I remember I asked you to take her home!"

"Don’t blame them; I wanted to come and see for myself," Anna answered first.

"What are you here for?"

"I just returned to the country and heard someone’s troubles were escalating, so I came to see if the company was about to go under."

Hearing Anna’s words, Conrad Sterling furrowed his brow even more tightly.

He disliked the feeling of things spiraling out of control, especially in front of Anna Thornton.

"Mason, Leo, take her home! Don’t make me say it a third time!"

Conrad Sterling issued the order, but Anna plopped onto the couch, crossed her arms, and raised a leg, "Why rush me off? Seems you really do have secrets unseen!" Dıscover more novels at novel_fіre.net

"Miss, we are conducting business here; unrelated persons please vacate!" One of the two men flashed his identification to Anna.

But Anna remained unmoved, "I am not an unrelated person."

Everyone present was astonished!

The fact that Conrad Sterling and Anna Thornton were married was known only to a few close individuals and had not been publicly announced.

The King brothers finally understood why President Sterling had risked his life to save Miss Thornton.

The two investigating individuals had no reason to expel Anna from the office now.

However, they began to include Anna in their investigation, "Miss, please remove your mask and present your ID!"

"Here you go," Anna readily handed it over, adding, "Due to identity reasons, ours is a secret marriage, and after marriage, we’re more apart than together, nearly on the verge of divorce. So, regardless of what you find, please don’t involve me. I barely know this man!"

Conrad Sterling: "..."

"Miss Thornton, whether this concerns you or not, we will thoroughly investigate; there’s no need to worry," the counterpart’s tone carried a hint of brusqueness, as his daughter was a fan of Anna Thornton.

Parents don’t usually support their children idolizing stars, and indeed, these starlets often appear two-faced.

Leaving a hidden marriage aside, her likeliness to seek a wealthy benefactor is currently under suspicion.

But given Anna’s current attitude, with her husband in trouble, she showed no concern and instead hastened to dissociate herself.

Even those who came to investigate Conrad Sterling couldn’t help but feel heartbroken for him.

Nonetheless, despite the sympathy, the proper procedures couldn’t be omitted.

Soon, they noticed the safe behind the desk on the bookshelf.

"President Sterling, could you provide the safe’s combination?"