Marina kept her gaze serene as she casually pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked up at Basil and spoke in a cool tone. “Basil, you may begin.”
Basil nodded and strode over to where Lavern was sitting.
Lavern was still sitting at the head of the table, his brows tightly knit, a hint of anger in his eyes as he looked at Marina.
He said, “Marina! This isn’t the time to be upset with me.
“Are you really just going to stand by and watch Ross Group get swallowed up by Zamora Group?”
Marina found Lavern’s flustered state almost amusing.
She parted her lips and spoke in a nonchalant, almost careless tone, “Are you really that afraid of losing Ross Group?
“I guess that makes sense. For you, Ross Group is just a money tree that never withers.”
As long as Lavern still held onto his shares in Ross Group and kept his position as CEO, the company would keep providing him with endless resources and money.
Lavern frowned, his eyes dark with emotion as he looked at Marina.
“Marina, Ross Group is a company we started back when we were still students. We built it from the ground up together…” he said.
Marina raised her hand, cutting him off.
“Not us. There’s only me,” her tone frosty.
“The seed money for Ross Group came from my mom’s inheritance. You didn’t put in a single dime, Mr. Ross,” she added.
With Marina airing all that old history right in front of the shareholders, Lavern looked like he couldn’t keep his cool.
His face went rigid.
Basil walked over and gestured for him to move.
“Mr. Ross, please step aside,” he said.
Lavern’s face darkened, and he shot Basil a furious glare.
He said, “None of the shareholders here ever agreed to let Zamora Group’s audit team come poking their noses into Ross Group’s business.
“Mr. Zamora only owns 20% of Ross Group. It’s less than mine. He has no right to meddle in our affairs.”
Basil ignored Lavern and turned his attention to the conference room door.
“Bruno, please come in and help clarify things for Mr. Ross,” he said.
Lavern looked puzzled, glancing toward the door.
Bruno entered, carrying the notarization papers stamped with the notary’s seal, and set it down in front of Lavern.
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Chapter 207
“Mr. Ross, please take a look,” he said.
Lavern’s eyes widened as he saw the notarization papers, a wave of unease rising in his chest.
He instinctively looked over at Marina, but she just sat there across the table, cool and unbothered
Seeing that Lavern didn’t even bother to open the notarization papers, Bruno spoke up quietly. “Ms. Finley sold all her shares to Mr. Zamora on the eve of your wedding, and the transaction was fully notarized. Now, Mr. Zamora holds 70% of Ross Group and has absolute control over the company.”
Lavern’s face went rigid as he flipped through the notarization papers, his eyes filled with disbelief.
When he reached the signature line, he saw Marina’s familiar signature.
After all these years together, he could recognize her handwriting anywhere.
He looked up at Marina, eyes rimmed with red, completely stunned.
“Marina, why didn’t you even talk to me before selling your shares?” he choked out, his voice trembling.
‘Does she hate me this much? She hates me enough to give up the company?‘ he wondered, a wave of despair washing over him.
All the shareholders turned to Marina, their expressions unreadable.
Abel’s earlier swagger disappeared the instant she heard Daron now had absolute control over Ross Group. He collapsed into his seat, completely deflated.
‘Damn, we’re finished,‘ he thought, panic rising in her chest.
The Zamora Group’s audit team doesn’t mess around, and they definitely won’t cut anyone any slack.
Marina didn’t rush to respond to Lavern. She simply took the cup of coffee Robert had just brewed for her.
She’d had too much to drink last night, and her head was still pounding.
She took a slow sip of her coffee, then looked up at Lavern.
“I sold my own shares. What does that have to do with you? Why do you act like you own things that were never yours to begin with, Mr. Ross?” she said coldly.
Lavern shot up from his seat, his eyes dark and stormy as he glared at Marina.
“You don’t even own any shares in Ross Group anymore. What gives you the right to be here?” he snapped.
Marina met his gaze calmly, a cold smirk tugging at her lips.
“I’m sitting here under Mr. Zamora’s authority. I’m here as his representative now,” she replied coolly.
As Marina spoke, she rose from her seat, planting her hands firmly on the table. Her eyes swept over the Ross Group executives with icy detachment, and she picked up the authorization agreement as if it were the most natural thing in the
world.
“Does anyone have any questions?” she added.
No one dared to meet her gaze. Everyone kept their heads down, busy figuring out how to cover their own backs.
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Chapter 207
Lavern watched as all the executives he’d personally brought up kept their heads down, refusing to speak up for him. His jaw was clenched so tight it felt like it might crack.
Abel sat there, his face drained of color, not daring to stand up for Lavern now.
Lavern’s face was grim, his fists clenched at his sides as he shot Marina a venomous glare.
“Marina, you’re ruthless!” he spat.
I only cheated on her, and now she wants me finished, he thought, bitterness burning in his chest.
Marina set the authorization agreement down, didn’t even bother to look at Lavern.
“If no one has any more questions, go ahead, Basil,” she said in a cold and detached tone.
Basil nodded, shot Lavern a glance, and motioned for him to move.
Lavern closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. He finally tore his gaze away from Marina and stepped aside.
Basil stepped up to the seat Lavern had just left, and his assistant came over and swapped out Lavern’s chair without a second thought.
The assistant didn’t bother to hide his contempt for Lavern. His actions said it all.
“Now that everyone’s calmed down, let’s get this meeting started,” Basil said.
As soon as he finished speaking, the projector screen lit up with all the contracts and documents with errors during Lavern’s time in charge.
The very first company on the list was the Slav family’s company.
Unease churned in Lavern’s eyes. Under the table, his hands shook just a little.
Still, he forced himself to look calm, staring at the projection screen like he was just an innocent bystander.
‘Looks like Marina’s already got her eye on the Slav family, he thought, which sent a cold shiver down his back.
‘Good thing I’ve got a card up my sleeve, he thought confidently.
Once Lavern steadied himself, he turned his gaze to Marina and asked, “What’s the meaning of this?”
Marina was no stranger to Lavern’s shamelessness, so his behavior now didn’t faze her at all.
“Isn’t it obvious? Just let Basil lay it all out for you, Mr. Ross,” she replied coolly.
Over the years, Basil had rooted out plenty of bad guys in the Zamora Group, including some veterans who’d once helped Harris build the company from scratch.
He knew better than anyone that beneath their calm, collected fronts, they were all eaten up with fear.
Just like Lavern at this very moment. His face was a mirror image of theirs.
He looked enough to make anyone disgusted.
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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.
