Eleanor frowned. "Do I really have to go?"

Ellington seemed to have expected her reluctance, but he still tried to persuade her. "Ms. Sutton, you saw for yourself how those shareholders treated you earlier. Attending the Goodwin & Co. shareholders' meeting is more than just a formality —it's a statement. If you show up in person, you'll carry much more weight with them in the future."

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, silent for a moment, then looked up at Ellington. "Is it absolutely necessary?"

He nodded. "At the very least, you need to show them you're not just passively following lan's arrangements. You're in control. You're making your own moves."

Eleanor bit her lip, considering. "Alright. I'll go."

It made sense-she had to secure the future of these eight companies, lay a solid financial foundation, so that when her daughter grew up and took over, she wouldn't be at the mercy of the Goodwin family.

"Ellington, over the next ten years, I want you to draw up a plan-see if there's a way to get my companies out from under lan's control." Eleanor's gaze was steady as she looked at him.

He hesitated, then nodded. "Of course. I'll keep an eye out for better investment opportunities and discuss them with you as they come up."

Eleanor nodded in return.

She had her reasons-someday, Vanessa and lan's child would inherit his company, and she wanted her daughter to have a future free from the shadow of the Goodwin family. She had to plan ahead.

Friday morning arrived sooner than expected. At the Goodwin & Co. headquarters, Eleanor strode into the conference hall in a tailored black suit and heels, instantly drawing every eye in the room.

Shareholders whispered among themselves; many were seeing Eleanor for the first time. She was the youngest among them, and one of the few women seated at the table.

lan sat at the center of the board, his brow arching slightly when he spotted her, before his expression returned to its usual calm.

Gavin hurried over. "Ms. Sutton, your seat is up front."

She nodded slightly and moved to the front row, where a seat had been reserved for her.

Once the meeting began, lan delivered a composed report on the company's annual performance, then opened the floor for questions.

A middle-aged shareholder rose, shooting Eleanor a pointed look. "Mr. Goodwin, word is you've been backing Ms. Sutton's smart hotel initiative. Is that going to affect Goodwin & Co.'s core business?"

The room fell silent.

lan's expression didn't waver. "Our investment strategy has always been clear: we invest in projects with real value. Ms. Sutton's hotel venture fits that bill."

The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances. Clearly, they weren't satisfied. Ian had been making bold moves all year-pulling five percent of overseas investments to focus on the medical sector, and now it seemed he was planning to funnel even more resources into biotech.

An older shareholder stood up, his voice skeptical. "Mr. Goodwin, is it wise to diversify so aggressively? Especially when you're shifting so much towards biotech, which I hear is a high-risk industry."

lan's composure didn't falter. "The drop in our overseas market share is a result of our own strategic realignment." His gaze swept the room, lingering on Eleanor for a moment. "By concentrating our resources on smart hospitality and biotech, we've seen a 37% year-on-year growth."

He paused, then added, "Biotech is indeed high-risk, high-reward, but we have some of the best scientists working on new treatments, and we've already made significant breakthroughs."

Eleanor lowered her eyes, fingers tightening around her pen. As expected, lan was using her as a trophy-another success story to parade before the board.

lan continued fielding questions from the shareholders, some of whom pressed for more details about specific projects. Through it all, Eleanor kept her head down, but she could feel lan's gaze settle on her again and again, almost tangible.

Suddenly, lan's deep, magnetic voice called out, "Ms. Sutton, do you have any comments you'd like to share?"

Eleanor looked up, caught off guard that he had singled her out. Her reply was cool and measured. "No, I don't."

lan's eyes darkened slightly, but he quickly gave a light laugh. "Well, if you ever have questions, my door is always open."

The shareholders' faces were a mix of curiosity and calculation.

Eleanor could feel their eyes on her, wondering what lan was getting at.

Applause signaled the end of the meeting.

Afterwards, several shareholders gathered around lan, eager to chat. Eleanor grabbed her bag, ready to leave, but Gavin stepped in her path. "Ms. Sutton, Mr. Goodwin invites you to relax in his office for a bit. He'd like to speak with you privately."

"Tell him I don't have time," Eleanor replied briskly.

"Ah, well, this evening the company's hosting a dinner. Mr. Goodwin hopes you'll

do him the honor of attending," Gavin said, still smiling.

Eleanor didn't hesitate. "I'm afraid I can't."

Gavin nodded politely. "Of course. I'll let Mr. Goodwin know. Have a good day, Ms. Sutton."

He escorted her out of the conference room with perfect manners. Later, when lan heard Gavin's report, he raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

With that, he picked up a champagne flute, took a sip, and turned back to his conversation with the other shareholders.

As Eleanor stepped outside the Goodwin & Co. building, her phone buzzed.

A message from Ellington: "Ms. Sutton, I just got word that several international investors will be at tonight's dinner-including Johansson, CEO of Montclair Omnistar Dynamics, the potential partner for our smart hotel project."

Eleanor stopped in her tracks, her brow furrowing.

Omnistar Dynamics was a pivotal partner for her hotel initiative. If she could use this dinner to move negotiations forward, it could be a game-changer for the entire project.