Lauren addressed the executives with conviction. "You all remember how the corporation successfully acquired that large plot of land in West End's development zone." Edward frowned. "Ms. Rhodes, bringing up irrelevant matters won't help. We're discussing how to deal with this man right now." "It's not irrelevant," Lauren snapped. "That land deal was secured through Mr. Lloyd's connections, and in return, the corporation granted him a director position." The executives exchanged uncertain glances. If Lauren was telling the truth, they had no right to touch a corporate director. "Have you found anything?" Michael asked darkly. His secretary shifted uncomfortably. "Mr. Rhodes… it's true." Michael grabbed the laptop to check the corporate website himself, and his expression grew increasingly grim. "He owns 1% of the company shares," Michael gritted out. "Now you have nothing to say, do you?" Lauren said coolly. "Mr. Lloyd isn't just my driver—he's a corporate shareholder,
Michael grinned with confidence. "Lauren, I warned you before—if you just quietly played your role as Vice CEO, no one would bother you. But if you challenge my authority as CEO, I'll show you who really runs this corporation." "Michael, do you really want to take it this far?" Lauren asked icily. Michael's eyes turned bloodshot as he remembered how Andrew had humiliated him in the past. "No, you're wrong. This bastard is the one who took things too far, making my life hell. I won't rest until I see him behind bars!" Edward sneered. "The police commissioner is an old friend of mine. With just one call from me, Donald will make sure to give Director Lloyd special treatment." He emphasized "Director Lloyd" mockingly, dripping with sarcasm. The executives continued their taunts. "Your 1% shareholding might save your life, but you won't escape punishment entirely!" Though Andrew's director status was confirmed, Michael and Edward's joint attack gave the executives new hope. Th
Lauren explained, "But according to corporate bylaws, shareholders with higher stakes have more authority and priority than you. Since Michael is both CEO and has more shares than you, he technically can take legal action." "I see," Andrew nodded. "So if I had more shares than Michael and Mr. Hills, I could overrule them?" "That's true, but even if we combined our shares, we still wouldn't match them," Lauren replied. "This is getting complicated—maybe we should call Mr. Yates for help." Andrew appreciated Lauren's suggestion but smiled slightly. "No need for that. If it's just about having more shares than these two, I can simply buy more right now." Lauren's beautiful face showed confusion, while Eunice scoffed. "Andrew, stop pretending. You want to buy more shares? Michael and Mr. Hills together own 20% percent, which is worth about three billion dollars. Do you think this is like shopping at a grocery store?" Marcus could not stay silent anymore and moved next to Andrew.
"Mr. Lloyd, d-did you really just invest… five billion dollars in the corporation?" Marcus stammered, his mind reeling from the absurdity of what had just happened. Eunice's previous hostility and condescension toward Andrew instantly vanished, replaced by shock and disbelief. Edward shook his head. "No way! That's absolutely impossible! Even most successful financiers couldn't pull out five billion dollars for an investment without preparation. Check if hackers have attacked our network and caused this data anomaly." Michael's face showed uncertainty as he barked at his secretary, "Verify this immediately!" The sweating secretary worked frantically at her computer and made several urgent calls. Two minutes later, she looked at Michael with a pale face. "Mr. Rhodes, it's confirmed. The stock exchange has verified Mr. Lloyd's purchase of five billion dollars' worth of shares, and…" Michael exploded. "And what? Are you all brainless? This kind of thing only happens in movies
Andrew stood up, and his previously friendly smile had vanished, replaced by an icy demeanor. The shift in his expression sent chills through the boardroom, making everyone uneasy. He stated coldly, "Since my shares now exceed both the CEO's and Mr. Hills', doesn't that give me the greatest authority and priority in today's lunch meeting?" Michael's face twitched. "In principle, yes, that's correct." Edward was not having it, his face contorted with anger. "Kid, I didn't expect you to pull something like this. But five billion in funding—you must have misappropriated it from somewhere. With your position and background, even if your family saved for generations, they couldn't come up with that kind of astronomical sum." Many heads nodded in agreement around the table. Edward's logic seemed sound, as instantly injecting fifty billion dollars to become the fifth major shareholder was suspicious. However, Andrew could not care less about their suspicions. He slowly walked over t
Edward—the company veteran, the CEO's right-hand man, the head of corporate security, and a board member—had just been knocked out cold with a single slap. The shocking display of power left everyone in the boardroom stunned and speechless. "Mr. Lloyd, you…" Marcus' scalp tingled as words failed him completely. Eunice stared in disbelief. She mumbled, "This is terrible. We finally had things under control, and now he's ruined everything. Mr. Lloyd, do you realize how serious it is to assault a board member and disrespect a company veteran?" Even Lauren had not expected Andrew to make such a bold move. Slapping Edward across the room was something she had not dared to consider, even when she was CEO with absolute authority at Rhodes Corporation. Michael jumped to his feet, his face dark with anger. "What the hell are you doing? How dare you assault our company veteran! Are you trying to land yourself in prison?" "Is there a problem with me slapping this old fool?" Andrew ask
Andrew walked back to Lauren's side and sat down with a casual smile. He said, "You're the CEO, it's your call. But please understand, I just joined the Rhodes Corporation today, so I got a bit carried away and gave Mr. Hills quite a shock!" Many people gritted their teeth in silence. Andrew's nonchalant attitude hardly seemed apologetic, and calling it "quite a shock" when Edward had to be rushed to the hospital was a massive understatement. Michael slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! Let's get down to business. Everyone, quiet!" Andrew and Lauren exchanged glances, their expressions innocent. Lauren was secretly delighted, as Andrew's performance deserved full marks. She could only imagine how furious Tiana must have been while watching all of this unfold through the surveillance cameras. "Do we have any updates on the Northern District case?" Michael turned to an executive. "Atlas may be dead, but we haven't recovered a single penny from our two investments in Northern
Michael cleared his throat before saying, "There's another important matter—the Weller Group has been making big moves lately." He added, "Harvey has somehow found the courage to aggressively expand into the pharmaceutical industry. Their first batch of products has already hit the market with excellent feedback." He paused before exploding in anger. "Meanwhile, our pharmaceutical department is full of deadweight! Rhodes Pharmaceuticals has decades of expertise and foundation. We've always dominated the Jayrodale market, but now Harvey, that incompetent fool, is stealing business from us. Can anyone explain this to me?" Marcus reluctantly spoke up. "Mr. Rhodes, I've been overseeing our pharmaceutical division, which is one of our flagship departments. Overall, our production volume and quality have remained solid, consistently outperforming the Weller Group. The only issue is their newly developed health supplement, which has been incredibly successful in the market. This single
"Please, just give me one more chance! I promise to turn over a new leaf and lead the Weller family responsibly," Harvey pleaded, his forehead nearly touching the floor. The two elders exchanged glances, their eyes burning with a desire to punish him severely. However, there was no escaping the reality—Harvey was Kane's only heir. If they removed him, the Weller family would need to choose a new head, and frankly, there was not anyone else who seemed even remotely suitable. Though Harvey was reckless and immoral, he had proven competent as the family leader. The recent surge in profits from their wellness products was his doing, helping to pull the family out of a dire financial crisis. "Fine, get up," Ian said in frustration. It was as if he speaking to an utter disappointment. "Having someone like you as head of the family is a disgrace, but it's our misfortune, not yours." Ted gritted his teeth. "But listen carefully, you pathetic fool. You may remain as the family head,
Serena's piercing scream echoed from behind, forcing Harvey to whip around in shock. To his horror, he saw Ian and Ted, two of the most respected elders of the Weller family, dragging Serena across the ground by her hair, pulling her out from hiding. "You two old bastards! Let go of me! I command you, as the family matriarch, to release me immediately! Are you really going to defy your master?" Serena shrieked. Her disheveled hair and furious expression made her look like a vengeful ghost. Half of her face was bruised and swollen, evidence of a slap. Harvey rushed forward, alarmed. "Elders, what are you doing? Let Serena go, now!" However, before he could say more, one of the elders kicked him square in the stomach, sending him flying backward. Harvey tumbled to the ground, rolling over several times before coming to a stop, gasping for air, and almost spitting blood. As he staggered to his feet, dazed and clutching his burning abdomen, he roared, "You old fools! What do
"Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about," Harvey said calmly. He added in a steady tone, "As far as I know, the one responsible for such an appalling act in our family is my uncle, Brad, and he's already been taken into custody by your department. Now you're here again—so I have to ask, do you even have evidence?" Harvey forced himself to remain composed, ensuring he did not give anything away. After all, he had only issued orders and stayed in the shadows. As long as no one caught him red-handed, his position as the head of the Weller family would shield him from arrest. One of the officers spoke coldly, "We do have evidence. According to the kidnappers' confessions, they were hired by your family's butler." The officer continued, "So, we'll be taking Mr. Alfie Daves, your butler, into custody. You don't have any objections to that, do you, Mr. Weller?" Harvey clenched his teeth and said nothing, though rage boiled inside him. Suddenly, with a loud thud, Alfie dr
When the call connected, a voice answered, "Who is this?" "Are you kidding me? You don't know who I am?" Harvey exploded. "Kill Marcus's daughter and dump her body at Rhodes Corporation! I want Marcus, Andrew, and Lauren to learn their lesson!" "Sorry, but the Jayrodale Police Department only catches criminals—we don't do murder for hire," the voice replied coldly. "This is Donald, the police commissioner, and I'm ordering you to identify yourself and your location immediately, then turn yourself in." Harvey froze, his heart nearly stopped as the blood drained from his face. It felt like his entire body turned to ice. What the hell just happened? He had clearly dialed the number of those hired thugs, but how on earth did Donald answer the call instead? Donald barked through the phone, "I'll repeat myself: state your identity and address, then surrender at the station. If we have to catch you ourselves, you'll face serious jail time!" Harvey threw his phone down as if it had
Before Harvey could even use his family's influence to suppress the negative online news, he had become Jayrodale's hottest headline. Social media erupted with comments. [What an absolute animal! How could such scum become the head of the Weller family? It's ridiculous!] [Is this a moral failure or a loss of humanity? How could he sleep with his stepmother? Isn't he afraid his father will crawl out of the grave to haunt him?] [Man, the scandals in their circles are wild! Honestly, I'd pay 50 bucks to see a video of Harvey and his stepmother hooking up. Anybody got one? DM me!] [I've seen Serena before, and she's definitely still got it—curvy, voluptuous, and oozing mature charm. When she wears those body-hugging dresses, she could drive any man crazy!] [Honestly, this isn't even surprising. A playboy like Harvey would sleep with anything that moves!] "This is a PR nightmare for the Weller family, though. Let this be a lesson for all of us: keep your pants zipped and you
The Rhodes residence was massive. After leaving Lauren's bedroom, Tiana made her way through various corridors to another wing of the mansion. "Mrs. Rhodes!" Jerry greeted respectfully in the dimly lit hallway. Tiana's expression was indifferent as she asked, "Jerry, is there something you need?" Jerry hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Mrs. Rhodes, there's something I want to say, but I'm not sure if I should." Tiana raised a brow and stated coldly, "If you're here to tell me to stop meddling in Lauren's matters, then save your breath." Jerry carefully chose his words, lowering his voice. "Mrs. Rhodes, I wouldn't dare interfere in Ms. Rhodes' affairs, especially since this involves the family's leadership decisions and Mr. Rhodes' intentions. I wanted to discuss something else—about Andrew." "Oh? What about that boy?" Tiana asked, slightly surprised. "Mrs. Rhodes, he's no ordinary person," Jerry said gravely. "In my opinion, Mr. Rhodes' relationship with him might
"Marvin and Andrew are probably father and son," Lauren said hesitantly. Tiana scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. "You're overthinking it. When Marvin escaped from Chetvine, no one even knew the scale of the forces he had crossed. But one thing's certain—he was already in his 50s and gravely injured. Do you really think a man in that condition could father a child?" She continued, "And Andrew is 26, isn't he? There's no way he's Marvin's son. He's just a smoke screen—a decoy Marvin set up to confuse his enemies, or worse, a pawn to execute Marvin's schemes." Tiana paused, her gaze growing colder and more penetrating. "Now, do you finally understand the lengths I've gone to for your sake? I'm not just doing this for you—I'm doing it for the entire Rhodes family. Marvin's criminal past will catch up with him sooner or later." She added, "The forces he angered are unimaginably powerful, far beyond anything you or I can comprehend, and certainly beyond what the Rhodes family
Faced with Tiana's fierce demeanor, Lauren responded in disbelief, "Are you really going to deny everything Andrew has done? How can you be so self-deceptive and blind?" Tiana's tone calmed, but her disdain was evident. "I'm not denying it. I'm just looking at the bigger picture from a wiser perspective. This boy is all show and no substance—everything he's shown you is borrowed from Marvin's influence and power." She continued, "His money comes from Marvin, his influence stems from being tied to Jayrodale's wealthiest man, and even his life has been protected by Marvin. Otherwise, with the enemies he's made, he wouldn't have survived this long." Tiana's relentless questioning completely dismissed all of Andrew's contributions to Rhodes Corporation. Lauren, enraged, responded, "You can criticize me all you want, but what Andrew has done for me and the company are undeniable facts. I absolutely won't let you insult him or someone who's devoted himself to helping me." Lauren, w
"If I wasn't here, were you planning to spend your nights out with Andrew instead of coming home?" Tiana's voice grew sharper with every word, each sentence harsher than the last. Lauren looked at her calmly and asked, "What are you trying to say?" "I want you to show some restraint," Tiana snapped. "Remember, you're the heiress of Rhodes Corporation, not some wild party girl with no self-respect." Lauren let out a cold laugh and said dismissively, "Everything I do appears wrong in your eyes. You even want to control who I date, but what I can't tolerate is—what makes you think being with Andrew means I have no self-respect?" Tiana sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you think I'm blind? You're out there shopping, holding hands, whispering sweet nothings to each other in public—I know about your every move." Lauren's voice dropped, laced with accusation. "So, you let me go out, but then you spy on me?" "I'm not spying—I'm preventing you from doing something you'll