Chapter 245 Hunger Strike
Chapter 245 Hunger Strike
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Lenora returned to Zachary’s ward, carefully arranging each box of food she had brought along on the table, placing them one by one in a neat row.
Harrietta, full of excitement, immediately jumped onto the couch and eagerly surveyed the options. “I’ll take this one… and this one too,” she announced with a satisfied grin, already picking her portions.
Lenora turned her attention to Zachary, her face composed as she asked, “What would you like? Or should I just bring you a little of everything?”
Zachary shook his head. “No, don’t bother. I can’t eat anything.”
Lenora gave a small, cold laugh, raising an eyebrow. “Can’t eat? Then why did Elijah tell me you’ve been on a hunger strike all day because of something I said?” she challenged, her tone sharp with a touch of
annoyance.
Zachary’s face registered surprise and a hint of wounded pride clouded his pale features. “H–How would I know what Elijah told you? No matter what he does, you’ll always end up blaming me for it, won’t you?”
Lenora sighed.
Fine,
- ou win.
She closed her eyes briefly, finding solace in the darkness that blocked out her frustrations.
During the meal, Zachary sat off to the side, his laptop open, fingers working over the keyboard as he watched them out of the corner of his eye.
After they finished eating, Lenora quietly tidied the table, the subtle clinks and clatters the only sounds breaking the room’s stillness.
Just then, a sharp knock sounded from the door. “Mr. Fuller?”
Lenore rose to answer, and on the other side of the door were two middle–aged men, both wearing neatly pressed surts.
Behind them, two younger assistants stood holding a fruit basket and a gift box.
Lenora gave a polite nod. “Mr. Gale, Mr. Quinn,” she greeted.
The two men seemed momentarily taken aback to see Lenora, though they quickly masked their surprise. “Ms. Wilkin, is Mr. Fuller available?”
“Come in and have a seat.” Lenora nodded and stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in.
Harrietta, curious as ever, looked at the men from her spot on the couch, her big round eyes widening as she offered a cheerful, “Hello!”
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Both men paused, exchanging a glance before one responded, smiling. “Hello there, young lady. You’re absolutely charming.”
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Inwardly, they wondered, When did Mr. Fuller end up with a daughter?
Jeremiah’s gaze finally moved from Harrietta to Zachary. “Mr. Fuller,” he greeted, his voice steady.
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Chapter 245 Hunger Strike
Zachary gave a nod in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable.
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Lenora felt it was time to leave, sensing the visitors likely had business to discuss. She looked over at Harrietta. “Hattie, looks like your Uncle Zachary has a few things to discuss with his guests. How about we head out and come back tomorrow?”
“Okay.” Harrietta nodded and slid off the couch. She waved enthusiastically. “Bye, Uncle Zachary! See you tomorrow!”
“See you tomorrow.”
Once they had gone, Jeremiah turned back, his face serious as he signaled to his secretary, who placed the fruit basket and gifts on the table and quietly left, shutting the door behind him.
“Mr. Fuller…”
Zachary leaned back on the couch, his fingers lifting from his laptop as he looked at them expectantly. “If you two are here about the same issue as before, I’d suggest you both save yourselves the trouble. My current condition prevents me from managing Fuller Group matters, as you can see.”
The two men exchanged a heavy glance. It was hard not to notice the changes in Zachary; his once robust. form was visibly diminished, pale and thinner than they remembered.
However, they had no choice. Jeremiah cleared his throat. “We understand your situation, Mr. Fuller, but we really have no alternative at this point. The company is struggling, both internally and externally. Anxiety is spreading, and we need you to take the reins again—if only temporarily to bring stability back to the company.”
Johanne wasn’t accustomed to Fuller Group’s business complexities, and the transition was far from smooth.
Meanwhile, outside competition saw their chance, quickly moving in to seize Fuller Group’s resources and projects.
Board members were divided, and two senior executives had already been poached by competitors. Johanne’s leadership style did little to unite them, and the stock value had suffered, sinking to its lowest since Zachary’s departure
Just before New Year’s Day, Fuller Group held an end–of–year press conference. At the meeting, a few outspoken shareholders stirred up trouble, demanding explanations from the management team for the dismal performance and ongoing challenges.
Jeremiah, having endured over two months of turbulence within the company, began to recognize an uncomfortable truth. Perhaps Zachary had been autocratic, but he’d been exactly the type of leader Fuller Group needed. The company required someone with the strength to rally its people from within and confront competitors without.
Zachary’s eyes narrowed. “Faced with internal and external troubles?”
Jeremiah nodded solemnly. “It’s worse than you might imagine. For two months, several major projects we initiated have been snatched up by competitors in Cutvine. Our other departments are also under attack, with each move appearing strategic, as if aimed at us specifically.”
Some directors, still nursing bruised egos, suggested going after those projects or teaching the competition a lesson. Others, however, argued that the company needed stability more than aggression, cautioning that any hasty moves could make the situation worse.
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Chapter 245 Hunger Strike
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Zachary’s large hand rested on his knee, his fingers tense. “Any idea who’s behind it?” he asked, his voice quiet yet intent.
He could tolerate family rivalries–particularly with Johanne, his older brother–but he had no patience for outsiders meddling with his grandfather’s legacy.
“I checked. It’s the Hoffman family from Jeahron,” Jeremiah said.
“The Hoffman family?” Zachary repeated, his gaze darkening as he absorbed the information, his eyes taking on a thoughtful glint.
Why would they set their sights on Fuller Group?
“Have you reached out to them yet?” Zachary asked.
Jeremiah let out a weary sigh. “I had my secretary arrange a meeting with the head of the Hoffman family, but they kept postponing. I ended up meeting with their two members of their management team, but they were both pretty vague.”
Zachary’s brow furrowed slightly. “Right now, it’s not in our best interest to have a direct confrontation with them. Assign someone to thoroughly investigate if we somehow managed to offend them without realizing it. If there’s a chance to reconcile, we should take it. If not, we’ll avoid conflict for now and focus on steadying our current projects. We’re not in a hurry to expand.”
Jeremiah nodded. “Understood. By the way, how are you feeling? When do you think you’ll be able to come back to the company?”
“It’ll be a while yet, so just keep things steady. There’s no need to rush.”
Jeremiah and Daniel exchanged glances before reluctantly nodding their agreement.
Once they left, Zachary found himself alone in the quiet of his hospital room.
Not long after, Elijah entered, dropping into the chair across from him and downing a couple of mouthfuls of water. “I got a message from the mental hospital,” he said. “Susanna wants to see you. She’s getting patient. She said if you keep refusing, she’ll expose Lenora’s background.”
Zachary adjusted his cuffs with a look of mild irritation. “Fine, have her come by tomorrow,” he said evenly.
The next day, when Zachary saw Susanna, he almost didn’t recognize her.
Her once–vibrant appearance had deteriorated–she was gaunt, her complexion sallow, her hair dry and frizzy. Her clothes hung loosely on her frame, a stark contrast to the glamorous star she’d once been.
Her eyes were sunken, large and eerie, and her gaze was unsettlingly fixed, likely from an overuse of sedatives. She stared at Zachary with unblinking intensity.
Catching sight of his surprise, Susanna gave a wry smile, her voice hoarse and bitter. “Shocked, aren’t your Thanks to you, I’ve ended up like this!”
Zachary sat back in a single–seater armchair, tapping the ash from his cigarette into a nearby ashtray. “I treated you well, didn’t I? If you’d just gone overseas like you were supposed to, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. It’s human greed–no limits. You chose this path yourself.”
Susanna let out a laugh, her voice hollow, her laughter tipping her back and forth.
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Chapter 245 Hunger Strike
Unfazed, Zachary took another puff, exhaling smoke in a steady, unhurried stream, his expression impassive.
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After a while, Susanna’s laughter died down. She settled back on the couch, her gaze unfocused. “You’re saying I’m greedy? That I don’t know when to stop? Funny. I was meant to be the lady of the Fuller family. You all didn’t keep your word, and now you blame me? I gave up so much for you, and for what? To be left with nothing?”
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