Master of his heart

Chapter 619

The faces of the Rowland clan were ashen, a ghostly parade of worry that only lifted when they all turned to Tessa after a series of tense calls with the bank.

“What do we do now, Tess?” they asked, their voices tinged with a dread that

mirrored the pallor of their skin.

The family was in deep, with other ventures already sucking dry their resources, and hundreds of billions more needed to keep the wheels turning. If this one project didn’t pay off, the financial blow could be catastrophic for the Rowlands.

Tessa’s lips quivered as she slumped in her chair, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Austin quickly stepped forward, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. “Look, it’s not the end of the road. If you and Andrew tie the knot, we can ride the Clements‘ coattails for a fundraising round. With the two families united, those venture capitalists will be falling over themselves and throwing money our way. A few hundred billion? We’ll have it in no time.”

The thought of it made Tessa’s head throb with pain. She was the linchpin, and she knew it.

Her father was right; the banks were getting wind of their troubles and had started their probing calls. They wouldn’t lend any more to plug the gaping financial abyss, and loan sharks were out of the question–with compound interest, the debt would skyrocket to an unpayable sum.

The Rowland family’s net worth might be in the hundreds of billions, but that was all tied up in projects and illiquid assets. Market valuation was just smoke and mirrors; cash flow was the lifeblood of their empire.

it, their hundred–billion–dollar enterprise was like a towering skyscraper with its foundation blocks being pulled

word of

interests. Once you stripped away the pleasantries, you were left with cold, hard transactions. Without her status,

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12:08

Chapter 619

smooth the path to fundraising, keeping the Rowlands troubles at bay.

them, “No need to panic. Everyone knows Andrew wants to marry me. I’ll just drop by the Clements‘ home, chat with his parents, and we’ll set a date. Once the news is out, Dad, you, and the uncles can start the fundraising in

with relief as he gave Tess another supportive pat. “Tess, we’re

facto leader of this worried pack. “Don’t worry, Dad. It’s as good as done. Andrew’s been eager to marry me. We’ll set the date for next week,

every word. She had been in cahoots with Mason and was brought into the fold by Brielle herself. The offer had been too tempting to

soon

her. Excitement for the Rowlands‘ impending doom and anxiety for what could go wrong in Mason

develop that piece of land, and if the information Brielle received was incorrect, what should

Mason

work with Brielle for exactly that reason–Brielle’s uncanny ability to inspire