They had successfully bought three percent from two minor shareholders and scooped up one percent of the retail shares, bringing their total to twenty-six percent.

As the room prepared for a recount, Jerome turned his sharp gaze toward Conrad West. His voice was dangerously calm.

"Mr. West, you married into the Madden family. Of your eight percent, six percent was inherited from my late aunt. At the time, she hoped those shares would ensure you lived a comfortable life and helped you care for her parents. Tell me, aren't you going to say a few words to clarify your stance before we vote?"

Conrad never expected Jerome to single him out so brutally.

He had walked in alongside the Porters today. It was painfully obvious whose side he was on.

By calling him out to declare his loyalty in front of everyone, Jerome was forcing him into a corner and inviting the entire boardroom to judge him.

Just as Jerome intended, every pair of eyes in the room snapped to Conrad.

Lynn Shen let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Oh, Mr. West was the very first one to raise his hand for the Porters earlier. I suppose he's married into the Porter family now? Ha. If you've pledged your soul to them, then hand back the shares Elsa gave you! You eat the Maddens' food, then stomp on their faces. Trees need bark to survive, but some men apparently don't need shame."

"You!" Conrad's chest heaved. He looked ready to lunge across the table and strangle her.

Lynn scoffed. "What? I spoke the truth, and now your feelings are hurt? Am I wrong, everyone? If the company falls into the hands of a treacherous bunch like this,

bankruptcy is practically guaranteed."

"Honestly, Ms. Shen has a point..."

"Yeah, he took those shares directly from the Maddens."

"If I were Elsa Madden, I'd crawl out of my grave to haunt him."

...

Low murmurs of agreement rippled from various corners of the boardroom.

Conrad's face burned with intense humiliation. His entire body went rigid, and he couldn't even lift his head.

Before today, Conrad had been one of the largest shareholders in the company, surpassed only by the elder Maddens and Chairman Porter.

That status had given him the intoxicating illusion of being second in command.

He had savored the power. But today, Jerome had ruthlessly stripped away the facade.

People had almost forgotten that nearly all of Conrad's shares were an inheritance from his late wife, Elsa Madden.

"Mr. West, if you'd rather be the

é

Porters' lapdog, return the Madden

shares. Bo that and What leask

respect you as a man," Jerome

pushed, his tone cold and unyielding.

Conrad gritted his teeth. Hand over the shares he had secured? Not a chance in hell.

Absolutely impossible.

"Jerome, what an odd thing to say. Conrad holds those shares because Elsa loved him, and because he's

Lizetta's father. Not a day goes by that he doesnt think of Elsa Sce none of that has changed, why should he return anything? You shouldn't try to manipulate your elders just because you want to seize power."

Eartha frowned deeply, her voice ringing out in self-righteous defense.

Jerome shot her a look of pure disgust. "To keep these shares, you publicly admit your husband loves another woman. The Porters truly put profit first."

The insult pierced Eartha's chest like a dagger. The one truth she despised more than anything was that she could never measure up to Elsa Madden.

She opened her mouth to argue, but Jerome had already turned back to Conrad.

"There is still hope for Liz to wake up. She is your only daughter. Ascher father, don't you want to protect the company for her? When she opens her eyes, how are you going to face her?"

Jerome's interrogation drained the color from Conrad's face, leaving him looking deeply conflicted.

He remembered the day Lizetta was brought back to the family. Nelson had

immediately transferred ten percent of the shares to his granddaughter.

He had even paraded her around the headquarters, making it clear to everyone that Lizetta was the true, undisputed heir to the empire.

As her father, Conrad actually held fewer shares than his own daughter, a fact that had earned him endless mockery.