Chapter 77 Digging His Own Grave
“I don’t care what Abigail promised you, but my dad is the chairman. If he says she’s fired, then she’s fired. None of you can save her.” Caroline’s words had barely landed when the room. fell silent.
Everyone looked at her like she had completely lost it, their expressions somewhere between pity and disbelief.
Samuel’s face turned icy. He had been patient enough, but Caroline kept flaunting James‘ position like it was a trump card that could intimidate him.
He thought, “Does she really think this is how corporate politics works? If idiots like her stay in the company, that would be the real disaster.”
With a darkened expression and a cutting edge to his voice, Samuel sneered, “It seems Ms. Yannis still has a lot to learn.” Caroline frowned in confusion.
“Yes, you carry the Winchester name now,” Samuel continued with an edge of mockery, “but clearly, you don’t understand that while this group bears the Winchester name, James doesn’t have the final say.”
Caroline’s face twisted in defiance. She thought, “My father is the chairman. The entire company revolves around him–how could he not have the final say?”
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The look on her face said it all, and Samuel’s disdain deepened. “James might hold 35% of the company shares,” Samuel stated coolly, “but I own 30%, and Ms. Winchester holds another 15%.”
He leaned in, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “If I stand with Ms. Winchester, the combined 45% is more than enough to call for a board meeting and vote James out as chairman.”
The shock hit Caroline like a freight train. She had never been involved in the deeper workings of the company and had no idea things could escalate this way. But what truly struck her was the revelation that Abigail held company shares.
She thought, “I, the real Winchester heiress, have nothing–just a generous monthly allowance and the bare minimum attention. I have no car, no property, and certainly no talk of shares. Even my current position has been the result of endless cajoling and groveling. How is this fair?”
Jealousy twisted Caroline’s already bruised and swollen face into something almost grotesque.
At that moment, James rushed into the room. He’d overheard Samuel’s threat to call for a board meeting, and panic was written all over his face. “Mr. White, this is all just a misunderstanding,” James blurted out, clearly flustered.
He wasn’t thrilled about Samuel’s audacity to suggest his removal, but he wasn’t stupid either. His position as chairman relied entirely on Abigail’s 15% shareholding. If he insisted on firing her now, Samuel would undoubtedly align with Abigail,
Chapter 77 Digging His Own Grave and James would be finished.
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Gritting his teeth, James forced a strained smile. “Abigail is such a talented employee. How could I ever bear to lose her? The firing thing was just a misunderstanding–Caroline must’ve misheard.”
Caroline froze, stunned. She thought, “My father, who has just promised to back me up, is now shoving me under the bus?”
Before she could react, James marched over, his tone harsh and commanding. “What are you standing there for? Apologize to Abigail right now.”
“Dad. I…”
“No excuses,” James snapped, cutting her off. “Apologize immediately, or I’ll have to deal with you according to company regulations.”
Caroline’s face burned with humiliation. She wanted to scream, to protest, but she couldn’t risk falling out of James‘ favor. Her luxurious, high–flying life had only just begun–she wasn’t ready to lose it all now.
In the end, she swallowed her pride and bitterness. Today, whether she liked it or not, this humiliation was hers to bear.
Caroline had no choice but to swallow her anger and force out the words. “I’m sorry, Ms. Winchester. It was my mistake.”
Abigail didn’t even flinch. She just stared at Caroline coldly, her
Chapter 77 Digging His Own Grave
silence more cutting than any words.
Caroline’s humiliation was like fuel on the fire of her
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resentment, and she could feel her hatred for Abigail deepening with every passing second.
Sensing the tension, James stepped in awkwardly to smooth things over. “Alright, the misunderstanding is resolved. Let’s all get back to work now.” And just like that, the fiasco came to an anticlimactic end.
Caroline, utterly mortified, burst into tears and ran out of the room. James, clearly embarrassed by the whole scene, quickly made himself scarce as well.
Once the father–daughter duo had left, Abigail turned to Samuel with genuine gratitude. “Mr. White, thank you so much for standing up for me today.”
Samuel gave her an easy smile, waving it off like it was nothing. “No need to thank me. I’ve seen how much you’ve done for this company over the years. Letting you be dismissed unjustly would’ve been a failure on my part.”
He paused, his voice steady and encouraging. “From now on, do what you think is right. Don’t worry about James–I’ll handle him.”
Samuel’s gaze was warm, like that of a proud elder looking at a younger family member who had exceeded all expectations. “Thank you,” Abigail replied, bowing deeply.
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While she didn’t particularly care about whether she stayed or left the company, Samuel’s unwavering support still moved her. Before leaving, Samuel offered Abigail a few more words of encouragement and even arranged for someone to tidy up her
office.
It wasn’t until he was gone that one of the smaller shareholders spoke up, his tone tinged with curiosity. “Mr. White, why were you so protective of Abigail today?”
Though Abigail had undeniably contributed a lot to the company, Samuel had never shown this level of regard for her before.
Samuel adjusted his glasses, a faint smile on his lips as he replied meaningfully, “It’s not so much about protecting Abigail. It’s about protecting the Winchester Group. We’re getting older. It’s time to let the younger generation take the reins.”
Hearing this, the shareholders exchanged uneasy looks, their expressions growing serious. It seemed the winds of change were about to sweep through the Winchester Group.
*****
Meanwhile, in a private coffee room, Anthony strode in, tossing a folder onto the table in front of the man seated inside.
“It’s all taken care of. Samuel from the Winchester Group knows when to fold. With the group declining in recent years, he’s been afraid of those shares turning into dead weight. The moment he found out it was you buying, he couldn’t hand them over fast
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enough.”
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Anthony pulled out a chair and sat down, pouring himself a cup of coffee before continuing.
“On top of that, I’ve also scooped up a decent number of scattered shares. Between what you have now and what your wife’s holding, you’ve already surpassed James. He’s as good as
out.”
The room was quiet except for the soft clink of a cup. Marcus lounged lazily in a carved armchair, absently twirling a cup in his hand.
Anthony’s update barely elicited a reaction. Marcus‘ voice was calm, almost indifferent. “Keep buying. Take James‘ shares too, if you can.”
Anthony wasn’t surprised by the instruction. He had expected it. He pondered, “After all, crossing Marcus and targeting the person he cherishes most? James is digging his own grave.”
