Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby

Chapter 167: Cracks in the Foundation

Things had been deteriorating steadily for the Whitmore family. They weren't sure whom they had offended, but

it felt as if an invisible hand had been working against them for years. Their company, EverBuild Solutions

Limited, had once been the leading supplier of construction materials in Manchester... back when its formidable

founder, Esmeralda Langford, was still alive.

After her untimely death, the company’s meteoric rise began to wane slightly. Even so, they managed to retain

their hold on valuable government contracts, a testament to the legacy Esmeralda left behind.

When William Whitmore stepped in as acting chairman, he worked relentlessly to maintain the company’s

stature. Although newer firms emerged and overtook them in sareas, EverBuild still remained one of the

largest players in the region. Many contractors felt at ease granting them projects, relying on the prestige of

their name.

The true downfall began nearly five years ago. Since then, both turnover and profits have been steadily

shrinking. William suspected sabotage from within. It coincided too precisely with the disappearance of Eleanor

Whitmore.

That incident fractured the board. Smembers loyal to Eleanor’s mother blamed William outright, attempting

to unseat him from his chairmanship. Eleanor’s vanishing remained a mystery to the Whitmores. Early

speculation pointed toward Elliot Grant... a close aide to Esmeralda Langford and the second-largest shareholder,

with 16% of the company. Eleanor, the sole heiress to her mother’s 35% stake, had vanished without a trace. If

Grant had managed to secure custodianship over Eleanor, he could've used her voting power to take over the

company.

But events didn’t unfold that way.

Grant publicly accused William of orchestrating Eleanor’s disappearance. Fortunately, the police intervened and

ruled out any foul play, clearing William of involvement. Despite this, the meddlesold man continued trying

to remove him from power.

William handled the matter decisively... rewarding certain shareholders with increased benefits and removing

others from key positions. After that, his position becunassailable. Still, one fact continued to gnaw at his

pride: he remained only acting chairman.

That, too, was thanks to Elliot Grant. It was he who invoked the seven-year presumed death rule, keeping

William's authority tethered to a technicality. But William had changed the game. By enriching shareholders and

tightening his grip on the board, he had begun consolidating true power. He appointed his daughter, Jennifer

Whitmore, to a key role in the company, and quietly began buying back shares on the market.

Now, William held 8% of the company, and Jennifer held 8.5%... stakes they had acquired quietly over time. Even

if seven years were to pass and Eleanor remained missing, no one would dare challenge his rule.

Most within the company had already written Eleanor off. It was a deliberate narrative, spread from the top, to

make William's leadership appear inevitable.

That's why Eleanor’s sudden reappearance in the city set off alarms in William's mind. His first instinct was to

eliminate the threat, but his attempt to assassinate her had failed. Worse still, she was now backed by the

powerful Miller family. Though James had reassured him that Eleanor seemed to have lost her memory, possibly

due to an accident during her disappearance. But William remained uneasy.

He pushed her out of his mind, at least for the tbeing. But EverBuild’s financial troubles had reached a

boiling point. Just last month, he’d been forced to take a bank loan just to cover payroll. For a company of

EverBuild’s size, that was a damning sign. He doubted any bank would lend in their current state, but somehow,

their past reputation had still carried weight.

Several employees from the finance department had already resigned. They'd sensed the storm brewing long

before the others. More were following suit. If the trend continued, EverBuild would face not only financial ruin

but a debilitating talent drain.

William's mood had soured considerably. He'd snapped at employees, berated those who slacked, and carried

himself like a man under siege. The atmosphere in the office was bleak. Slong-temployees... who had

given their lives to the company... had begun looking for jobs elsewhere. The rot was setting in.

But that wasn’t the only thing fuelling his fury.

Ever since Jeanne caught his secretary in his bed, she had vanished. Lydia hadn't shown up for work since. Her

phone was off. William had checked the hospital where her brother had once been admitted... he'd been

discharged months ago. He even visited the address Lydia listed on her résumé, only to learn she'd moved out

weeks prior. Desperate, he called in a favour from a friend in the police, but even they couldn't find a trace of

her.

He now believed Jeanne had done something to her.

William had always known Jeanne was ruthless, but never imagined she’d go that far. She had been

incandescent with rage after discovering the affair, and William hadn't dared question her since.

With his personal life in shambles and the company on the brink, Lydia's absence was a final blow. She had been

his only comfort. Now, with her gone, every minor inconvenience sent his temper flaring.

He exhaled deeply, steadying himself, and called in his new secretary... a loyal, grey-haired man who had worked

at EverBuild for more than thirty years. He never imagined he'd be promoted to this position so late in life, but

the pay rise pleased him.

William, on the other hand, was in no mood for pleasantries. The idea of replacing Lydia with another pretty face

had crossed his mind, but his financial situation didn’t allow for indulgences. He had to tighten the reins, rebuild

his base, and focus on survival.

When the secretary entered, William issued a string of new orders.

"I'm leaving for home. If anyone comes asking for money, tell them everything will be paid by next week. On

your way home, stop by the NatWest Bank and request the manager to release the allocated funds this week.

And tomorrow, before you cto the office, visit Mr. Sanders at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

They'll be needing materials soon."

Having delivered his instructions, William left the office.

When William arrived home, he was met with an expected scene... Jeanne, Jennifer, James, and his mother,

Phoebe, were all waiting for him in the drawing room. Despite the brewing tension between William and Jeanne

behind closed doors, both maintained a cordial fagade in front of their soon-to-be in-laws.

They had gathered to finalize the details of James and Jennifer's wedding, which was now scheduled for the

following week.

In light of EverBuild’s recent loss of several major contracts, the Whitmore family had decided to advance the

ceremony ahead of the original date. After all, the Clifford family was considered one of the most prestigious in

Manchester. A union with them would elevate the Whitmore’s social standing significantly. William intended to

leverage the wedding to build stronger ties with the Clifford family’s business allies and secure much-needed

cooperation.

Within the Clifford family, James's position was currently solid. His grandfather, the patriarch and de facto power

behind the clan... had recently thrown his support behind James. Though James was the fourth son, and his elder

brothers had long vied for succession, the old man’s favour carried immense weight in determining the next

head of the family. The current leader, James's first uncle, had been grooming his own son for the position for

years, but James's recent success in forging cooperation with the influential Chen family had drawn the

patriarch’s keen interest. His status in the clan had risen sharply as a result.

William knew all of this. That's why he had urged Jennifer to push the wedding date forward. Reluctantly, she

agreed... and James, though hesitant, acquiesced.

James had initially tried to delay the

marriage as long as possible. He

P

wasn't ready to settle down. Years

ago, Jennifer had been his only rn

sexual Res But Mis idterast in her

hbd'dul ed over time. Though she still

satisfied him in bed, she was no

longer enough. James had long since

begun indulging himself with a

variety of women, both in the

Kingdom and abroad... many of

whom were fleeting pleasures shared

within his exclusive circle of friends.

He didn’t want to lose that life of unrestrained indulgence.

But everything changed when Jennifer announced she was pregnant.

Trapped by circumstance, James

had no choice but to accept the

situation. He knew his mother,

Phoebe, would be lidhetfied to

7

deny thechild: She had been

pressuring him for a grandchild for

. . ,

years. Besides, Jennifer's mother and

his own mother were both from the

Baker family and distant cousins. The

family ties were too delicate to risk

offending. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

The moment Phoebe heard she

would be a grandmother, she took

charge of the preparations. She was

relentless in organizi ggveryetal of

ing/viedding, insisting i

te upcping ing, insisting it be

grand and dignified... worthy of both

qa ,

families. James's grandfather, too,

expressed satisfaction upon hearing

that an heir was on the way. A child

meant continuation of the legacy...

another thread in the Clifford family

tapestry. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

For nearly two hours, the group discussed logistics, finalized the guest list, and ironed out ceremonial details.

Eventually, they decided to take a break. A maid arrived with a silver tray of carefully arranged snacks, and they

began nibbling while revisiting the guest list, double-checking for any important omissions.

That was when William's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen. One of his assistants from the office.

He answered immediately. As he listened, his expression darkened, the weight of the conversation pulling the

corners of his mouth into a tight, grim line. Everyone in the room noticed the shift. After a few terse

acknowledgments, he ended the call and lowered the phone.

"That son of a snake," he spat, unable to restrain his fury.

Jennifer looked up, alarmed. "What happened, Dad?"