Chapter 104
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The Cole Group headquarters had never been this noisy.
Ever since rumors started spreading that Director Reyes was secretly reporting to an unknown chairman, the entire company had been in a state of quiet panic. Meetings felt tense. Conversations stopped the moment certain people walked by. Even the elevators seemed to move more slowly, as if they, too, were carrying secrets.
On this morning, however, something was different.
An internal notice had gone out just after eight.
> All board members and department heads are to attend an emergency general meeting at ten a.m. Attendance is mandatory.
No explanation. No agenda.
That alone was enough to make everyone uneasy.
By nine–thirty, the large conference hall was already half full. Executives, shareholders, department heads, and several influential managers took their seats, whispering to one another in low voices.
“What’s going on?”
“Is it about the funds?”
“I heard the board is going to question Director Reyes.”
“Didn’t Evan say she was moving money to some unknown account?”
“Maybe they’re finally going to impeach her.”
Evan sat near the front, his posture straight, his expression calm, but inside, his heart was beating with excitement.
Today, he thought, this finally ends.
He had worked too hard to let Reyes keep controlling the company. As long as she was there, he and his father’s faction would never truly have power. And now, with the evidence he had gathered and the pressure from several shareholders, this was the perfect chance to push her down.
At exactly ten o’clock, the side door opened.
Director Reyes walked in.
She was wearing a simple but elegant dark suit, her hair neatly tied back, her expression calm and unreadable. There was no sign of nervousness, no sign of pressure. If anything, she looked… composed.
Too composed.
The murmurs in the hall grew louder for a moment, then slowly quieted as she walked to the front.
She did not sit.
Instead, she stood at the head of the table, placed her tablet down, and looked around the room.
“Good morning,” she said calmly. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice.”
No one responded.
Several board members exchanged glances.
One of the older directors cleared his throat. “Director Reyes, before we begin, I believe you know why we are here.”
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Reyes nodded. “I do.”
Evan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Then let’s not waste time,” another board member said. “We have received multiple reports that, without board approval, you have been transferring large sums of company funds to an unknown account. Can you explain this?”
The room went silent.
All eyes turned to Reyes.
She did not look surprised.
Instead, she simply said, “Yes, I can.”
Evan leaned back slightly, crossing his arms.
“Those funds,” Reyes continued, “were not transferred to an unknown party. They were transferred to the rightful owner of this company.”
For a second, the room didn’t react.
Then-
“What?”
“The rightful owner?”
“Director Reyes, what are you talking about?”
“Are you implying the company doesn’t belong to the board?”
A wave of confusion spread.
Evan frowned. “Director Reyes, the Cole Group is a public company with a clear ownership structure. What do you mean by‘ rightful owner‘?”
Reyes finally looked at him.
Her gaze was calm, but there was something sharp underneath it.
“I mean exactly what I said,” she replied. “The real chairman.”
The words landed like a stone thrown into still water.
“The… real chairman?”
But the chairman has been dead for years!”
“The position has been vacant this whole time!”
“Are you saying?”
Several people started talking at once.
Evan’s face darkened. “This is ridiculous. Everyone knows the former chairman passed away. That’s why the board has been jointly managing the company.”
Reyes tapped her tablet once, and the large screen behind her lit up.
“I think,” she said, “it’s time to end that misunderstanding ”
On the screen appeared a series of documents.
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Legal documents.
Ownership records.
Shareholding certificates.
Transfer agreements.
The room grew quiet again as people leaned forward to look
“This,” Reyes said, pointing at the screen, “is the original ownership structure of the Cole Group. And this-“she changed the page “is the latest verification from the legal and financial authorities.”
One of the finance directors stood up halfway from his seat. That’s that’s impossible. These shares… they’re still active?”
“Yes,” Reyes said calmly. “They have always been active.”
Evan’s heart skipped a beat.
He stood up. “Whose name is on them?”
Reyes looked straight at him.
“Ryan Cole.”
The name echoed through the hall.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then
“That’s impossible!”
“He’s dead!”
“This must be fake!”
“Director Reyes, are you trying to fool us?”
Evan slammed his hand on the table. “This is absurd! RyanCole died years ago! Everyone knows that!”
Reyes didn’t raise her voice.
She didn’t get angry.
She simply said, “No. He didn’t.”
The room exploded.
“What do you mean he didn’t?”
“Are you saying he’s alive?”
“Then where has he been all this time?”
“Why would he hide?”
Evan stared at Reyes, his mind racing. “If he’s alive,” he said coldly, “why hasn’t he shown himself? Why let you run the company? Why now?”
Reyes smiled faintly.
“Because he didn’t want to,” she said. “And because now… he’s ready.”
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Ch 104
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The words sent another wave of shock through the room.
One of the older shareholders swallowed. “Director Reyes… are you saying…?”
“Yes,” Reyes said. “The chairman will soon take over personally.”
The room went dead silent.
Then-
“When?”
“Soon means when?”
“Are we supposed to just accept this?”
“What about the board’s authority?”
Reyes looked around the room, her gaze steady and confident.
“You don’t have to accept it,” she said. “The law already has.”
She tapped the screen again, and a new set of documents appeared–official confirmations, legal stamps, notarized statements.
“These are already filed,” she said. “From a legal standpoint, the Cole Group has always had an owner. He simply chose not to appear.”
Evan felt a chill run down his spine.
No.
This can’t be happening.
He forced himself to stay calm. “Even if what you’re saying is true,” he said, “why announce it now? And why should we believe you?”
Reyes looked at him quietly. “Because,” she said, “some people have started forgetting their place.”
The words were gentle.
But the meaning behind them was sharp.
Several people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Reyes continued, “Over the years, some of you have grown very comfortable. You’ve treated this company as if it had no owner. As if you could do whatever you wanted.”
Her eyes briefly swept across Evan and a few others.
“But that era is over.”
Evan clenched his fists. “So what? You expect us to just wait and welcome a man who’s been ‘dead‘ for years?”
Reyes met his gaze. “You won’t have to wait long.”
She paused, then added, “And I suggest you all prepare yourselves,”
“Prepare for what?” someone asked.
“For a real audit,” Reyes said. “For a real restructuring. And for a real chairman.”
A cold silence filled the hall.
Chapter 104
Some people felt nervous.
Some felt excited.
And some–like Evan–felt something much worse.
Fear.
The meeting ended in chaos.
People left in groups, whispering, arguing, making phone calls.
Evan stayed behind, his face dark.
So he’s alive…
And he’s coming back…
He looked at the screen one last time before it went dark.
If Ryan Cole really returns…
Then everything I’ve been planning…
….will be in danger.
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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.
