“He’s in control, my a*s!” Joseph snorted. “Tanner Corporation has been around for years. There’s no way that every employee would take him seriously, especially the old-timers. Once I give my orders at the right time, I can still take the company back!”Elizabeth brightened hearing this, but she did not feel convinced after giving it some thought. “Are you sure? You’ve failed to seize Tanner Corporation after so many years, so how can you get it back now it’s in that man’s hands?”“It’s different now. My brother was still around back then.”“But your brother isn’t now?”“He’s gone missing, probably kidnapped by Nathaniel. Yes, we have to report this to the police!” He grew convinced that his plan could work. “Damian, get ready to go to the police station. Wait, no, we should think through what we’ll say before we leave.”Elizabeth noticed Joseph’s manic expression and asked, slightly worried, “Are you all right?”“I’m fine! I just got an idea. Damian, you tell the cops that you
Behind a massive desk in the Tanner Corporation Building was a near-transparent glass wall—wiped so clean that it looked nearly transparent,allowing light to shine through freely.He looked beyond the glass and took in the sprawling city landscape, thinking this was the pinnacle of his life and that he deserved to work there.Nathaniel was holding a wine glass with its red liquid swirling inside. Its color was bright and compelling. He recalled the past few months with a slight smile as if what happened was only a dream.He thought he could build a career through his own efforts and become somebody that people would look up to, but his company went bankrupt, and he had to dodge his creditors like a complete loser.Arianna then took him in and brought him into the company. He knew she was just using him and would cut him loose when she obtained her goal, so he had long prepared for his game plan.Each thought he or she was the mastermind, not knowing they were all Nathaniel’s pawns
Eloise grew sad thinking about her daughter. After seeing her the last time, Arianna refused to see Eloise again. It had been a while since Eloise last saw her daughter, not knowing if she had suffered in jail.“My sister?” Nathaniel raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “If I remember correctly, I’m yours and dad’s only son. I don’t have a sister!”“Although you have different fathers, I gave birth to both of you. That means she is your sister,” Eloise said.“She’s not!” Nathaniel roared, “If she’s my f*cking sister, how come she grew up wealthy and could have anything she wanted? Why does she have a father and a mother, but I have nothing and must endure mockery that I’m an unwanted bast*rd?“If she’s my sister, why could she have an easy life and openly call you mom in public while I could only wait for you to contact me first and not even be able to call you mom? Now you’re telling me she is my sister?! Sorry, I don’t have one because I’ve always been f*cking alone!”Eloise was sh
“You haven’t gotten the shares yet?” Eloise was shocked.Eloise did not know much about business and could not understand how her son could become the CEO without getting Derrick’s shares.“That old fox is too stubborn, so I need you to persuade him. Now that his son is dead, why should he hold on to the shares? If he wisens up and agrees to the transfer, I’ll make him my godfather and take care of him until he dies. He has nothing to lose,” Nathaniel said casually.“Take him as your godfather?” Eloise raised her voice and could hardly believe it. “How could you say such a thing just for money and power?”“Ha!” Nathaniel looked at his mother, amused. “If you could abandon me to marry into a wealthy family, what’s wrong with me taking him as my godfather? If he agrees to hand me Tanner Corporation, I can even treat him as my real father!”“Why you…” Eloise almost choked on her breath, not expecting her son to say such things.“I know you’re healthy, so keep your drama to yourself.
Eloise knew it would be difficult since Derrick and Stephanie were stubborn as a mule and would not budge easily. If even Arianna had failed to obtain the shares despite her various attempts, there was no way Derrick would give them to an outsider.However, she might as well visit them since she was already there. It had been a long time since she last saw the couple at the hospital, and she could hardly explain how she felt. Eloise walked toward the entrance, gave the door a gentle push, and it swung open.The air inside smelled of food. Derrick and his wife sat at the dining table and had their meals quietly. As if they had not heard anything, they did not even look up at the sound of someone entering.“Hi,” Eloise quietly said when she got near them.Derrick ignored her while his wife looked up. “El, it’s you.”“Steph.” Eloise felt a mix of emotions when Stephanie called her by her nickname.Although she had spent her whole life scheming and hoping her family could take over t
“He’s…”After a pause, Eloise heaved a heavy sigh. “With all that has happened, I guess he’s been generous, not leaving me for the sake of our marriage.”“With him keeping that woman for so many years, could he still hold it against you? Anyway, you two are quite alike in this aspect,” Derrick made fun of Eloise.Eloise was embarrassed and speechless. She had expected them to be hostile, even though she did not choose to be there.“All right, enough of your stories. What are you truly here for?” Derrick looked over at her as he spoke impatiently. Since Nathaniel was holding them as hostages, he knew Eloise had not come just to chat with them.‘I…” She hesitated for a moment, glanced toward the door, and whispered. “You haven’t transferred your shares to Nate, have you?”The couple shared a scornful look.“So that’s why you’re here!” Derrick snorted, “Eloise, you’ve married into the Tanner family for so many years. Have my wife and I ever mistreated you? How could you help your son
“Please leave,” Derrick said.“Derrick, I have no ill intentions. No one here wished for things to end up like this. How about this? If you sign the share transfer agreement, I’ll get Nate to promise not to rename Tanner Corporation. That way, the company could retain its name although managed by a different person. With Nate’s abilities, he can make Tanner Corporation greater than before.”“You truly know no shame!” Stephanie was not used to scolding people but uttered it despite herself, her face flushing.“Say no more. We wouldn’t sign it even if we were to die!”“Do you think I won’t be able to get the shares if you’re dead?” Nathaniel pushed open the door and swaggered in. “You’re so naive! Don’t you know that even if you don’t sign it, you can’t change the fact that the company has become mine?”“Oh, yeah?” Derrick snorted and looked askance at him. “Just wait.”“Nate…” Not expecting him to come in, Eloise wanted to say something, but he held up a hand to stop her. Nathan
“Ms. Christian, we look forward to working with you!” The other party put down the pen and picked up the two copies of the contracts, revealing a satisfied smile.Lily took the contract, carefully looked it over, and extended her hand. “Looking forward to working with you too!”She did not expect the collaboration discussion to go so smoothly as Grandeur readily accepted all of her terms with only slight amendments. In the next quarter, they would launch a co-branded series named “Grandeur de Lily,” which would be a win-win model for both parties.Of course, it was not without precedents. Some famous perfumers had worked with international brands to launch co-branded series, which were very popular among consumers who chose their perfumes based on who the creators were.As this was Lily’s first attempt to explore the international market, it would be challenging to achieve one-shot success through her alone effort. Therefore, she thought it was an excellent opportunity to collabora