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First thing the next morning, Marina got a call from Robert.
“Ms. Finley, you should be extra careful at today’s executive meeting. Ross Group is having cash flow problems and urgently needs new funding. Mr. Ross is planning to have all the senior management put pressure on you to give up some of your shares in exchange for capital,” Robert warned.
“He’s already found investors who are ready to put up the money,” Robert added.
Marina’s lips curled into a smirk, a glint of mockery flashing in her eyes.
‘Lavern’s got it all figured out, huh? He wants to trade away my interests for everyone else’s benefit,’ Marina thought.
At Ross Group, the executive meeting was about to begin.
Lavern claimed the seat of power at the head of the table, his gaze icy as he glanced at the empty chair to his left.
The meeting was about to start, but Marina still hadn’t shown up.
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Everyone here owned at least a sliver of Ross Group stock. Even if their shares were small, it still made them shareholders.
Those shares had all been handed out by Lavern himself.
That was Lavern’s way of keeping the senior management on his side.
Marina had actually suggested the idea, but Lavern was the one who put it into action and claimed all the glory for himself. So these people felt indebted to him.
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After all, Ross Group had been on a roll these past few years. Even with just 2% to 5% of the shares, they’d managed to rake in plenty and ride the wave of success.
Lavern was the one who cheated and dragged Ross Group into this mess, but nobody had a word of complaint for him. Instead, all the blame landed on Marina for stirring up drama.
“Didn’t Ms. Finley say she’d be here for the meeting today? Why isn’t she here yet?” someone remarked.
“Is she really just going to abandon Ross Group like that?” another person chimed in.
“She’s being way too headstrong. No matter what, she should be thinking about the bigger picture
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right now,” someone else grumbled.
“Mr. Ross never should’ve let her take the biggest share in Ross Group. If he hadn’t, the Finley Group wouldn’t be stuck in this mess,” someone else added.
Marina and Robert were approaching the
conference room door when they overheard the chatter inside.
Marina raised her hand and knocked with a steady, confident rhythm.
The room fell silent in an instant.
“Mr. Chapman, you know the saying: don’t forget who’s shoveling the shit you’re eating. You’re scarfing it down and still think you can boss around the one serving it?” Marina sneered.
Her voice was just loud enough, laced with sarcasm and mockery. The words were so crude that the crowd couldn’t help but grimace.
Seeing Marina’s cocky attitude, Javis Chapman- Lavern’s top bootlicker–was about to retort, but Lavern’s death glare shut him right up.
“Cut it out, all of you,” Lavern said.
He rose from his seat and pulled out a chair for Marina, acting every bit the considerate gentleman.
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“Marina, take a seat,” Lavern said, his tone gentle yet
deliberate.
But Marina ignored the seat Lavern offered and walked right up to the head of the table like she owned the place.
Lavern’s face fell instantly.
Some of the execs looked surprised, but managed to keep their cool.
Lavern reached out and grabbed Marina’s wrist, speaking under his breath, “Marina, come on, sit down. Don’t stir things up.”
Marina glanced down at her wrist in his grip, then yanked her hand free with a cold flick. “What are you so nervous about, Mr. Ross? You really think I’m here to steal your throne?”
Lavern’s face went rigid, but he held back his temper.
“Whatever’s mine is yours. If you want the big chair, just say the word—I’ll hand it over anytime,” he replied, playing the generous boss.
Marina let out a cold laugh. “You want me to clean up your mess? No way in hell.”
With that, she grabbed a file from the table in front of Daron, strolled past the others, and sat down
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directly opposite Lavern, leafing through the file with an air of indifference.
“Let’s begin,” Marina said.
Daron took in her couldn’t–care–less look, heaved a silent sigh, and sat down, pulling his suit jacket tighter around himself.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s figure out how we’re going to get Ross Group out of this mess. Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts and work out the best way forward together,” Daron said.
After he finished, Daron glanced over at Javis on his right.
Javis cleared his throat and spoke up in a serious
tone.
“Honestly, solving Ross Group’s cash crunch is pretty simple. Ms. Finley has the biggest stake out of all of us. If she’s willing to convert 20% of her shares into cash and inject it into the company, our money problems would be sorted, just like that,” Javis said.
The moment Javis finished, everyone started sneaking nervous looks at Marina, trying to gauge her reaction.
Marina didn’t even bat an eye–she just kept skimming through her papers like nothing had
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Lavern frowned, gave Marina a pointed look, and tapped the table, speaking louder.
“Any thoughts on Mr. Chapman’s proposal?” Lavern prompted.
Everyone stayed silent, not a single objection.
Marina snapped her file shut and tossed it onto the table, her piercing gaze cold as ice as she stared Javis down.
“If it’s really that simple, Mr. Chapman, why don’t you put up your own shares and bail Ross Group out?” Marina shot back, her voice dripping with
sarcasm.
Javis gritted his teeth. “Ms. Finley, you own the biggest chunk of shares here. Ross Group’s in crisis -if you won’t step up, who will? Besides, this whole mess started because of you.”
Marina shot back, “Sure, you don’t have as many shares as I do, but you’ve got a house, don’t you? Why not sell your house, your car–whatever you’ve got–and bail Ross Group out yourself?”
Javis’s face darkened, and he could only look to his allies for backup.
After all, if throwing Marina under the bus meant
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everyone else got a piece of the pie, no one was about to say no to that deal.
“Ms. Finley, you and Mr. Ross built Ross Group from the ground up. Now that things are falling apart, we’re all in the same boat. You wouldn’t just stand by and watch Ross Group sink, would you?” someone pressed, laying the guilt on thick.
Marina shot a look at the guy, cutting off his guilt trip. “Wrong. I’d love to see it sink. After all, I won’t be the only one going down with the ship.”
Lavern cut in, his voice cold and sharp.
“That’s enough, Marina. I know you’re angry, but you need to know when to stop. When the stakes are this high, why are you saying things just to spite me?”
Lavern believed there was no way Marina didn’t care about Ross Group. Her pride and the future of Ross Group meant everything to her. She’d never just stand by and watch it crash and burn.
“I think Mr. Chapman’s suggestion makes sense. Marina, just treat it like a loan–let the company use 20% of your shares for now. Once Ross Group bounces back, you’ll get them back,” Lavern said, trying to sound reasonable.
Marina replied coldly, “Not happening. I’m not giving up my shares.”
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Lavern’s expression turned rigid, frustration written all over his face. “Marina, this really isn’t the time for a standoff. You think I wouldn’t sell my own shares if I could? As long as we stick together, Ross Group can weather this storm–just trust me on this.”
After splitting up his shares among the senior execs, Lavern’s stake shrank from 49% to 32%, making him the second–biggest shareholder–right after Marina.
If he gave up another 20%, he’d slip down to third place.
Besides Marina, there were others lined up ahead of him, ready to pounce and threaten his grip on power at Ross Group.
Marina currently held 51% of the shares. Even if she sold off 20%, she’d still have 31%-just 1% less than Lavern. No one else could ever overtake either of
them.
They were still the ones calling the shots at Ross Group.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
