Chapter 1291:
The legal director lowered his head, carefully avoiding Luther’s gaze, and pressed on. “In addition, under the shareholder agreement you signed last year, fifteen percent of your shares are legally held by a man named Ryan Lloyd. And this Mr. Lloyd—” He stopped mid-sentence and glanced quickly toward Brad.
Brad gave a small, approving nod.
The legal director drew a slow breath, as though steeling himself, before delivering the final blow. “He has already transferred all of his voting rights to Mr. Morgan.”
The conference room erupted into noise.
𝘕е𝘸 𝘄𝗲𝘦𝘬𝗅𝘺 c𝗁аpt𝖾𝗿s о𝗻 𝘨𝗮𝘭𝗻𝗼v𝘦l𝗌.𝗰𝗼𝗺
The color drained from Luther’s face until it was completely white.
“That’s impossible. Who the hell is Ryan Lloyd? I have never heard that name in my life.”
Brad held his gaze, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, knowing smile. “Of course you haven’t,” he said calmly. “Ryan Lloyd never really existed. That name belonged to Mr. Sugden.”
His eyes shifted briefly toward Ibrahim.
Ibrahim rose from his seat and walked toward Luther with slow, deliberate steps, stopping directly in front of him.
Twenty years earlier, Luther had stolen his shares through deception and manipulation. Now, after two decades, Ibrahim had returned to reclaim what had been taken from him—on his own terms.
“Luther,” he said evenly, “when you hid behind a false name to steal my shares, did it ever occur to you that one day I might return the favor in exactly the same way?”
Luther’s body swayed slightly, and he gripped the edge of the table to keep himself upright.
He turned sharply toward the shareholders, his voice hoarse and strained. “You’re all just going to sit there and let him tear everything apart? Brad is not one of us. He is an outsider. He has betrayed this company. You—”
Not a single person answered him.
The shareholders who had been smiling only moments before now looked away, deliberately avoiding his eyes. A few shifted back in their seats, as though they wanted to put distance between themselves and the man still standing.
Luther felt his chest hollow out.
He turned to Kari, desperation seeping into his voice. “Kari! Say something! He is your husband, and you are carrying his child.”
Kari had already risen to her feet, her face drained of all color, her body trembling faintly. She stared straight at Brad, her lips quivering, her entire frame rigid with disbelief.
“Brad…” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “Why are you doing this to me? I’m carrying your child. We were supposed to get married. I really believed—I believed you loved me.”
“Love?” Brad repeated quietly, almost tasting the word before releasing a short laugh that sent a chill down Kari’s spine. “Kari,” he said calmly, “are you certain that child is mine?”
Kari went completely still.
“What are you even saying? If the baby isn’t yours, then whose could it possibly be?” she shot back, her voice rising with fury. “You were thrilled about becoming a father. Are you really willing to let your own child grow up without a complete family—without a grandfather? Are you seriously going to destroy everything we have—our future, our happiness?”
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