After Carter finished speaking, the room remained unchanged. No one’s expression shifted, and if anything, there was a hint of disapproval in their eyes.
Marina’s lips curved into a faint smile as she opened the proposal on the table and said lightly. “Mr. Chauvin, please continue.”
Emeric nodded, glanced at Carter standing off to the side, and asked, “Mr. Finley, are you still planning to stay for the rest of the meeting?”
Carter frowned, noticing that none of the shareholders looked the least bit surprised. He took a deep breath, refusing to back down.
“Did none of you hear what I just said?” Carter insisted.
“Elnora has cancer… stomach cancer. And it’s already advanced stage!”
The shareholder sitting across from Marina gave Carter a frosty glance and said coldly, “We heard you. So what?”
This shareholder was the biggest one in the Finley Group besides Elnora.
He was Cole’s half–brother, Chris Jaklin. They shared the same mother but had different fathers.
Back then, after Cole passed away, their mother remarried and had Chris.
All these years, the Finley family had been barely hanging on, not just because of Elnora’s skills, but also thanks to Chris’s connections.
Chris was a loyal supporter of Elnora, so he was especially unhappy with Carter’s remarks.
Carter took a deep breath, his eyes landing on Chris with a hint of flattery and respect.
“Uncle Chris, Elnora has a terminal illness. Cancer can’t be cured. I’ve seen her test results. She’s beyond saving now,” Carter said.
As he spoke, Carter walked over to Chris, putting on his most earnest, persuasive face,
“Uncle Chris, I know the Finley Group inside out. I think now’s the time to find someone who can step into Elnora’s shoes. What do you think?”
Chris snatched Carter by the collar, his grip fierce and unyielding.
Despite being sixty, all those years of working out meant he still packed a punch.
Carter staggered from the force, nearly losing his footing.
“Uncle Chris…” Carter gasped, panic flashing in his eyes.
But Chris’s glare cut him off before he could say another word.
“Are you actually glad Elnora’s sick?”
Carter shook his head quickly.
“Of course not. I’m just thinking about what’s best for the company.”
1/4
11:15 am
Chapter 339
Chris let out a cold laugh and gave Carter a firm pat on the cheek.
“I’ve watched you since you were a kid. You really think I don’t know what you’re like?” Chris said.
55 vouchers
“What does the big picture for the Finley Group have to do with you? Whether it’s the Finley family or the Finley Group, you’re still an outsider. Have you forgotten?”
Carter took a deep breath, but under Chris’s icy stare, he didn’t dare say another word.
Chris bore a striking resemblance to Cole, especially when he was stern. Seeing that look, Carter couldn’t help but remember the day his own father cut ties with him and announced it to all the families close to the Finleys.
“Did you already squander all the funds my sister–in–law left you? So now you’ve set your sights on your own daughter’s
assets?”
Carter shook his head quickly.
“Uncle Chris, no, that’s not what I meant. Seriously, I’m part of the Finley family too, and I just want to help out, do my bit for the family and the company. I…”
Chris snorted coldly and let go of Carter’s collar, his voice frosty.
“Forget it.”
“My brother gave you a shot before, and you almost wrecked the whole company.”
“Now, thanks to Elnora, the Finley Group has barely gotten back on its feet, and you want to jump back in and ‘help‘? Honestly, if you keep ‘helping,‘ this company will never recover from the mess you’d make.”
Carter clenched his jaw. “Uncle Chris, I was young and messed up back then. I’m older now, I’m not going to do anything stupid anymore. I…”
“It’s not about being reckless. The truth is, you were never cut out for this,” Chris said, his voice cold and merciless. “Now, you’ve got two choices.”
Carter’s eyes lit up, a flicker of hope in his gaze as he looked at Chris.
Chris looked away from him, his voice chilly.
“One, go back to your seat.”
“Two, get out of this meeting room right now.”
Carter froze for a moment, then quickly blurted out,
“Uncle Chris, this is about the future of the Finley Group. Aren’t you even going to pick someone to take charge now that Elnora can’t?
Carter was dead set on getting this sorted today, so no matter what Chris said, he just wouldn’t drop the subject.
Chris wasn’t about to waste any more words on Carter. He rapped his knuckles on the table and said in a cold, commanding voice, “Anya, call security.”
The assistant was waiting just outside the meeting room. Hearing Chris’s order, she immediately stepped inside.
Carter’s face went pale, his expression shifting in an instant.
2/4
11:16 am DDDD
Chapter 339
“Uncle Chris, aren’t you afraid I’ll leak the news about Elnora’s stomach cancer?”
55 vouchers
“If I spill the beans about this, it’ll cause a lot of problems for both the Campbell family and the Finley Group,” Carter
warned.
Chris shot him a cold look and snickered.
“Carter, since you’re my brother’s kin, I’ll give you a word of advice. Don’t burn all your bridges. Otherwise, you’ll end up with nowhere to run, and when you’re a rat on the street, it won’t be pretty,” Chris said.
Carter clenched his jaw and shot a sideways glance at Marina.
“Marina, don’t you have anything to say?” he asked.
When Carter called her out, Marina looked up at him, her face calm and emotionless.
I’ll follow whatever Uncle Chris decides,” she replied.
In the end, Carter was escorted out of the meeting room by security.
The meeting resumed.
But Carter didn’t leave the Finley Group right away. Instead, he waited for Marina in the lobby downstairs.
When Marina finished the meeting and came downstairs, Carter approached her.
‘Marina, why don’t you work with me? If we join forces, we can take control of all the Finley Group’s shares and push everyone else out of the picture. What do you think?” Carter said, trying to sound persuasive.
Marina gave a chilly laugh at his proposal.
Why would I ever work with you?”
Carter took a deep breath and leaned in, speaking quietly,
Marina, did it ever cross your mind why I exposed everything today, but none of the shareholders even reacted? Doesn’t that tell you something?”
Marina didn’t bother answering.
Honestly, she thought Carter was being an idiot.
Obviously, Elnora had already talked to the shareholders.
Now that the Finley Group had the Campbell family backing them, the shareholders were just looking out for themselves
They didn’t react to Carter’s words because he’d already screwed them over once before. The Finley Group had barely clawed its way back from that disaster, and they’d have to be crazy to let him rile them up again
Now that Carter couldn’t rile up the shareholders, he turned his attention to convincing Marina instead
‘Did he seriously forget I was the biggest victim of his and Mom’s messy divorcer Marina thought, her heart cold
Carter glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then leaned in and whispered, “Don’t you see? Chris’s got the whole company wrapped around his finger. He’s a Jaklin, not a Finley. He’s not one of us, never has been
3/4
11:16 am DDO
Chapter 339
55 vouchers
“If something happens to your sister, there’s no way you’ll ever get control of the company. The only way you’ll ever get your hands on the Finley Group is if you team up with me.”
4/4
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.
