The position of chairman was inevitably Christopher Patel's.
Everyone had recognized and accepted this situation.
Except for a few elders who had always been loyal to Wallace.
Stan sat in his chair, arms crossed, a furrowed brow betraying his worries. Glancing at the clock, he grew impatient.
"Didn't Christopher say the meeting was at nine? Why hasn't he shown up yet?" he muttered.
As if in response to his words, the office door swung open, and Christopher entered with a few people, wearing a genial smile.
"Sorry for the delay, everyone," Christopher said smoothly as he took his seat at the head of the table.
Beside him sat Charlotte and Lora.
"Allow me to introduce my daughter, Charlotte, the renowned designer behind 'Athena' fashion brand," Christopher announced, his pride evident. "And this is Lora, my father-in-law's only daughter and my beloved wife. As per legal arrangements, her father's shares will soon be trans
Christopher's face turned pale, his eyes darting around. He stuttered out a trembling syllable, "Father..." At the sound of that word, Wallace's expression twisted as if he had heard something utterly vile. His face twitched, and he lifted the cane, swinging it towards Christopher's head. A loud thud echoed! Christopher staggered from the blow. But Wallace couldn't seem to calm down. He shoved aside the people trying to support him, gripping the cane with both hands, and relentlessly swung it at Christopher. The people in the conference room hurriedly intervened. "Chairman, what's gotten into you?" After about ten strikes, Wallace, panting heavily, was finally pulled away and helped to sit in a nearby chair. Stan handed him a cup of tea. "Wallace, take your time. Don't let anger harm your health!" Wallace looked at Christopher, who sat nearby looking ashen. His eyes burned with ic
"You beast... You monster..." Lora's emotions reached a boiling point. For all these years, she had lived a pampered life and had never laid a hand on anyone. But this time, she entertained thoughts of tearing out his heart to see what color it truly was! "You heartless fiend... You deceived me... You deceived me for so many years!" Lora unleashed a barrage of slaps on Christopher's face, her hands becoming swollen and numb from the repeated blows, yet Christopher didn't react. She struck Christopher with more than ten slaps, her eyes filled with fury. Then, suddenly, her eyes closed, and she collapsed. Charlotte rushed forward to support her mother. "Mom!" Wallace instructed, "Take your mom to the hospital quickly. I'll handle things here!" Charlotte nodded, torn between staying and leaving as she glanced at the struggling Christopher on the ground. Finally, she had Lora carried away and
Wallace coughed heavily a few times, then turned to Charlotte. Suddenly he said, "Charlotte, I'm old, and my health isn't what it used to be. With the Patel family... only you can carry on the legacy now." Charlotte turned to him. "Grandpa, what are you trying to say?" "I want to hand the company over to you." "Me?" "Charlotte, you've been outstanding since you were little. You've even started your own studio and created such a great brand. I believe you can handle the company." Charlotte's eyes flickered slightly, and a pensive look crossed her face. If this had been before, she would undoubtedly have felt pleasantly surprised by Wallace's words. But now, with the company in turmoil and an uncertain future ahead... Charlotte hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay." A look of relief instantly washed over Wallace's face. He reached out and took Charlotte's hands. "Charlotte... I'm entrust
Diana chuckled nervously, "Well, it's kind of... close to what you said, Andrew..."At her words, the expressions of the men around the table darkened slightly.Sensing the tension, Diana panicked slightly. Under the table, she discreetly pinched John's thigh."Maybe John should tell you," she suggested, her voice barely above a whisper.John nodded, laying down his fork, and surveyed the faces around the table. Just as he was about to speak, Diana leaned in close, whispering urgently, "Remember what I told you earlier?"Tactful.It had to be tactful.John nodded again, gently squeezing her hand in assurance.Amidst the puzzled looks from the others, John lifted his eyes slightly and spoke slowly, "Mr. Thompson, the reason I'm here today is because I hope Diana can move in with me."Upon hearing this, the people around the table were stunned.James immediately objected, "But... you two aren't officially married ye
Andrew ruffled her hair. "We love you too." Ben rushed over, "Diana, I want a hug too!" But just as he approached, Andrew skillfully grabbed him by the back of his collar. He frowned, "Diana's in a delicate condition now, be careful with your movements, don't be so hasty." Ben: ...Hmph! Diana peeked out from Andrew's embrace. "Well... I wonder how John is doing upstairs," she said. "Don't worry, as long as John can be with you, even if Dad has to break his legs, I think John would be willing," Andrew reassured her. Diana was taken aback by his statement. Seeing her shock, Andrew smiled lightly. "Just kidding. Don't worry, Dad wouldn't do something so cruel." Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the stairs. Then, James and John descended, one after the other. Both of them wore stoic expressions, unusually calm. Diana instinctively stood up. "Dad..." James glanced at her,
Suddenly, a spark ignited in one corner of the room. Soon, the entire room was ablaze. The young man's eyes widened in panic as he pushed against the window, trying to get in. But no matter how hard he tried, the glass in front of him remained unmoved. He stood in place, watching helplessly as the woman inside the room merged with the flames... John's eyelids trembled violently. The next moment, he snapped his eyes open. His almond-shaped eyes filled with fear. But in less than a second, they quickly regained composure. The dream again... John massaged his forehead, letting out a deep sigh. Coming to his senses, he noticed his phone vibrating on the bedside table. He lowered his gaze. Seeing Diana sleeping soundly in his arms, he breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. He didn't wake her up. Bending down, he gently kissed Diana's hair and smelled the fam
John paused, his voice turning colder. "But let's look on the bright side. You don't have much time left. You might not even make it to the trial before you are dead." With each word he spoke, Max's complexion grew uglier. Sitting on the bed for a moment, Max suddenly chuckled. Then he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll transfer." At his words, Eva, who was standing by, turned her head in surprise, unable to hold back. "Max, are you... are you really going to do this?" Max reached out and grabbed her hand. "If I can't fill this hole, my properties and cars will be confiscated. I don't have much time left anyway. These things don't matter anymore. But what about you?" "Max..." Eva's eyes shimmered with gratitude. Taking the stock transfer document Ethan had prepared long ago, Max held the pen, his hand trembling as he slowly filled out the paperwork. Ethan took it, double-checked, then nodded at John. John's
The memories that he had buried deep within him, thinking they were illusions, suddenly became vivid. He remembered a sunny afternoon when Ruby looked at the roses he planted for her and smiled faintly, saying, "I really like them." And when he worked late into the night, falling asleep on his desk, he vaguely felt someone covering him with a blanket. Then, he forcefully demanded her that night, and she, with tearful eyes, said, "I didn't betray you, I just wanted to say goodbye to him..." In his fury, he couldn't hear her. Memories flooded back, the past he had deliberately hidden away, now occupying his entire heart like madness. Max covered his eyes with his hands, tears rolling down through his fingers. He suddenly realized that perhaps, very early on, Ruby had loved him. But at the crucial moment, he didn't trust her. It was his suspicion and sensitivity that ruined her life. And destroyed their fut