Chapter 126
126 She Gets to Decide
“What sort of upbringing is that?”
Alice let out a cold laugh.
“Did your family teach you to slam tables when you speak?”
The shareholder’s face turned red with rage, a vein twitching at his temple.
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“You’re just a country girl! It’s already a privilege that the Nolans let you set your foot here. Now you’ve got the nerve to step over Mrs. Nolan’s authority? Unbelievable! Even here, you still don’t know how to keep your mouth shut?
“With this attitude, are you trying to make us shareholders walk away from the Nolan Group as well?”
Alice smiled and responded calmly,
“Whether you want to pull your investment or buy more shares, that’s not something you should be telling me. But since you brought it up like that, I suppose…
Her smile deepened.
“You’ve been holding a grudge against Mrs. Nolan and now you’re just using me as an excuse to stir things up, and shift the blame for leaving the company onto me?”
The shareholder’s expression changed instantly.
Alice’s tone grew colder.
“If anyone else is planning to dump their responsibilities on me, I suggest you speak up now. I don’t have time to waste.”
Everyone around them froze.
The room went ice–cold, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Even the air felt heavy.
“Shareholder …” Alice lowered her gaze and looked at the name tag. “Victor Ashford? Mr. Ashford, your silence is that your way of agreeing?
“If so, maybe you should go start processing the handover?”
Victor finally snapped out of it.
There was no way he could admit to quitting now.
Doing that in front of everyone would be like betraying the Nolan Group out loud.
Even if Irene let him go, his reputation would be ruined.
He slammed the table again.
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126 She Gets to Decide
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“Eric, your wife sure is something! I scolded her a little for disrespecting Mrs. Nolan, and now she wants to throw me out?
“I’m a shareholder. I’ve invested real money into the Nolan Group. Since when does she get to decide if I stay or leave?
“Eric. you better give us shareholders a clear answer today, or else…
The last two words dripped with threat.
Tension gripped the room once more.
All eyes turned to Eric.
Years ago, he had taken over the Nolan Group during a crisis.
Nobody had believed in him back then, but he proved himself within a month.
He pushed out several disruptive shareholders and elevated the company to a new level.
Since then, no one dared go against him.
But now, three years had passed.
The company wasn’t the same.
Some shareholders had started working with outside interests for personal gain.
Everyone knew, but no one talked.
But now, Victor had dragged the whole thing into the light.
They were all in this together.
If Eric dared remove one of them, the others might all follow.
Nolan Group could afford to lose one shareholder, but not all of them.
This was a full–on power play.
No one dared speak up. No one wanted to be the one making that call for Eric.
Just when everyone thought he would compromise, maybe even let the old madam deal with Alice.
He finally spoke with calm and cold tone, “She gets to decide.”
There was a beat of silence.
Then everyone realized he was answering the question from earlier.
“I’m a Nolan Group shareholder. I’ve invested real money. Since when does she get to decide?”
She gets to decide.
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126 She Gets to Decide
That was his answer.
Alice was the first to fully understand what he meant.
Her eyes flickered with surprise.
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If he wanted to play safe, or do the classic good cop/bad cop act with her, that would’ve made sense.
But, he was standing so firmly behind her.
No hesitation and no backup plan.
Was he overly confident, or did he just not care what happened to the company?
Maybe sensing her eyes on him, Eric turned to meet her gaze.
He looked as calm as ever, unreadable.
But if you looked more closely, his eyes revealed a warm gaze.
Victor’s expression turned dark.
He felt the blood rushing to his head, dizzy with anger.
“You…”
He pointed at Eric, completely speechless.
Then Irene finally spoke up.
“Eric, this is too much.”
Alice shifted her gaze.
She pushed aside the thoughts in her head and focused again.
Her voice, now cool and sharp, landed directly on Irene.
“Eric simply answered a question. Isn’t that honesty? How is that too much? Or perhaps …”
She smiled, but it was icy.
“Do you think he was wrong?
“For people who disrespect the company’s culture, who threaten others at every turn, are we supposed to stay silent and play nice?”
Irene slammed the table. “Watch your mouth!”
“Oh, you’re upset now? That must mean I hit a nerve.”
Alice’s tone carried a biting edge of mockery.
III
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