Marcus kept his expression composed, but inside, he was fuming. He was the

Vice President of Goodwin & Co., after all, and yet Eleanor Sutton had just called him out in front of every shareholder, showing him absolutely no respect.

Ian Goodwin wasn't exactly pleased either, but his voice was steady and low. "Dr. Sutton, please continue."

Eleanor resumed her presentation, and then pulled up a market analysis report. "This is a projection of future profits in the civilian medical sector. If this project expands into defense or aerospace, the potential is impossible to quantify."

Shareholders started murmuring to one another. Many were already nodding along-clearly, Eleanor's three-year report had begun to win them over.

Marcus noticed the shift and felt a surge of panic.

"Dr. Sutton, what are the odds of this project actually succeeding?" an older shareholder asked.

"I've already shared everything I can at this stage," Eleanor replied smoothly. "You can assess the prospects yourselves, using the current data and test results."

Outwardly, the shareholders remained calm, but inwardly, the fog had begun to lift -they could finally see the enormous potential of this project.

As Eleanor gathered her notes, lan called out, "Don't go just yet. Find a chair and take a seat."

Then, bracing his hands on the table, lan addressed the room. "I trust everyone heard Dr. Sutton's three-year strategy. Now, I have another important announcement to make."

His sharp gaze swept across the room, finally settling on Marcus.

Under lan's stare, Marcus grew uneasy but forced a smile. "Mr. Goodwin, is there something else you'd like to share?"

lan didn't answer at once. Instead, he nodded to Gavin Young, who began handing out a stack of documents to each shareholder.

"In your hands," lan said, his voice cold and unwavering, "is evidence that Marcus abused his position, falsified investment data, and embezzled project funds. You'll also find recent photographs of him dining with our competitors."

The shareholders stared at the evidence in disbelief. They had trusted Marcus completely-now, their faces darkened with shock and anger.

Marcus leapt to his feet, fists clenched, face drained of all color. "Ian, this is slander!"

lan let out a mirthless laugh. "If it's slander, the police will get to the bottom of it." Jacques was the first to slam his hand on the table. "Marcus, we trusted you, and this is how you repay us? You've let us down more than I can say."

"What's someone like him still doing on the board? Throw him out-now!"

Several older shareholders were so furious their hands were shaking; they were more incensed by Marcus's betrayal than by losing their money.

Sweat broke out on Marcus's brow as he scanned the room, meeting only disgusted stares.

He knew it was over. For what he'd done, prison was the only future left.

He'd always feared lan would be sharp enough to spot his mistakes-that's why he'd tried to use the neural interface project as a way to push lan out and take control himself. Then he could cover his tracks. But he'd underestimated lan's abilities.

Just then, the office door opened and Byron Chase entered, accompanied by two police officers. They walked up to Marcus. "Sir, please come with us."

Marcus shot lan one last furious glare, but in the end, he had no choice but to follow the police out.

"Mr. Goodwin provided all of Marcus's criminal records to the authorities three days ago," Gavin announced.

The shareholders were visibly agitated. Eleanor sat quietly, watching the drama unfold, but then pressed her fingertips to her forehead in frustration, biting her lip.

lan glanced over and caught her troubled look. He motioned for the room to quiet down. "Now then, does anyone else have concerns about investing in the neural interface project?"

The shareholders exchanged glances, but one by one, they shook their heads.

It wasn't just lan's decisive action that had convinced them-Eleanor's three-year

plan had given them new confidence in the project.

"I'm in favor of investing in the neural interface project," one of the older shareholders said, his voice animated. "I believe it's the most promising venture we have."

A wave of agreement swept through the room.

lan smiled and nodded. "Excellent. That concludes today's meeting."

As the meeting adjourned, Eleanor packed up her files, preparing to leave. Ian approached, leaning on the table to block her exit. "Thank you for your proposal." Eleanor didn't look up, and made no move to respond.

The plan had pleased the shareholders, and future investment was secured, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

"Would you like to grab lunch together?" lan asked out of the blue.

At last, Eleanor looked up, her gaze cold. "I don't have time."

lan didn't seem surprised by her rejection. He gave a slight nod. "Another time, then."

Eleanor strode out of the conference room. The shareholders, who had entered with such stern faces, now strolled down the Meridian Dynamics hallway, relaxed and congenial, clearly pleased with Eleanor's presentation.

Just then, Faye Yeaton crossed paths with the group. She stepped aside and smiled as she watched them pass.

"That Eleanor is something else. Looks like we underestimated her," one shareholder remarked.

"We may have misjudged her before. With her on board, this project's chances just got a lot better."

"No wonder she earned her doctorate so young-her reputation is well deserved!"

Faye's smile faded as she watched them disappear down the hall. She thought to herself that Eleanor's speech had completely won them over.

That meant no one was going to oppose the neural interface project anymore—or challenge lan's leadership.

Back in her office, Faye picked up her phone to update Vanessa Shannon.

"Eleanor managed to convince the entire board by herself?" Vanessa was stunned.

"She did. The shareholders couldn't stop singing her praises as they left-" Faye admitted, albeit reluctantly, that when it came to public speaking, Eleanor really did have a gift.