Vincent’s words landed like heavy blows, each one thickening the air with tension.

Holden felt the man’s cold stare bearing down on him, a pressure that seemed to squeeze the breath from his lungs.

He took a deep breath, jaw set tight, trying to hold it together, even as his body betrayed his calm.

“You’re the one who needs to leave,” Holden said, his voice low and cutting. “I own shares in this company, and I have Dad’s letter of authorization. If there’s any question about who the rightful CEO is, we can settle it with a vote from the shareholders.”

Katelyn’s gaze shifted to the shareholders, who sat rigidly, as if frozen in place.

Fear was evident on their faces, eyes darting nervously, and Katelyn couldn’t shake the feeling that something sinister was brewing beneath the surface.

As she took in their anxious expressions, a troubling thought emerged—Holden must have leverage over them, something powerful enough to keep them compliant.

Then she heard it—a quiet, steady ticking, like the sound of a clock, its rhythm sending a chill creeping down her spine.

There was no clock in sight, yet the ticking sound echoed around them, louder than any watch should be.

What was this strange noise?

Before Katelyn could make sense of it, Holden suddenly stood up, his voice cutting through the room.

“I own thirty percent of the company shares,” he said, each word strong and clear. “And I have the letter of authorization. All the shareholders are present. If you want to vote on who should be the new CEO, raise your hands.”

T? g?ν.

Vincent held only forty-five percent of the shares.

In the two months he’d been away from Granville,

Holden had obviously spent a fortune gathering more shares from other stakeholders.

As Holden’s words hung in the air, a tense shift went through the shareholders. They stiffened, fully realizing the weight of what he had just declared.

Katelyn watched the shareholders closely, looking for any sign that might reveal what was really going on. An unsettling feeling lingered in the air, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.

Holden tapped his fingers on the table, and a charged tension filled the room, making the unease even more palpable.

With each calculated move he made, their fear seemed to grow.

His presence made them shrink back, trapped in a silent grip.

Katelyn remained quiet, her mind racing to piece together the situation. Chapters first released on find?novel.net

These shareholders had faced many challenges before; they were not easily rattled.

Even if they were being blackmailed, why did they look so completely panicked? It simply didn’t feel right.

Holden’s smile spread across his face, cold and unsettling, as he declared, “Every vote you cast will shape the future of the Adams Group. Think carefully. Don’t make a choice you might regret later.”

The room was wrapped in silence; the shareholders sat still, paralyzed by the moment.

Vincent approached Holden with slow, measured steps, his gaze fixed intently on him.

In an instant, he kicked Holden hard, the sound sharp and jarring.

The chair flew backward, and Holden crashed to the floor, his confident smile replaced by sheer anger.

“Vincent, how dare you hit me?” Holden yelled, disbelief trembling in his voice.

“You’ll understand soon,” Vincent replied coolly. “But first, if you’re calling a shareholders’ meeting, you still need to vacate my seat.”

Standing over Holden, Vincent scowled, as if he were looking down at someone already defeated.

The fierce determination in Vincent’s eyes drained the fight from Holden, fear washing over his features. Holden paused, uncertainty creeping in as Vincent’s intense gaze locked onto him. Could the information he had received be wrong?

Vincent didn’t appear weak or vulnerable like Holden had assumed; instead, he looked strong and composed, fully in charge of the moment.

But it was the cold, unyielding look in Vincent’s eyes that made Holden regret provoking him.

There was no way out now, though.

Katelyn stepped in quickly and put a new chair where the old one had fallen.

“Take this one. That chair isn’t good enough for you anymore,” she said firmly.

Holden sat on the floor, momentarily surprised by her quick action.

Vincent sat back in the chair, calm and confident, his presence dominating the room.

That kind of authority couldn’t be forced or faked.

It came from a lifetime of heritage and power, something that took years to build, not something that could be created in an instant.

For years, Holden had been kept out of sight by his father, protected from Vincent’s formidable grandfather. It was only after the old man’s death that he finally had the courage to come out.

Katelyn’s description of him as a rat rang disturbingly true.

With a grunt, Holden pushed himself up from the floor and glanced at the shareholders, none of whom offered assistance.

He glared at everyone in the room, his expression tight with sinking anger.

“Let the voting begin,” he announced, his voice strong. “It’s time to decide who will be the new CEO.” As soon as he finished, hands shot up in the room. Katelyn and the others stood in stunned silence, unable to process what was happening.

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