Chapter 247 Trickery III: Cecilia's Sharp Tongue
Theodore started to say something, but he decided to trust Cecilia completely. They walked into the grand hall together, their pace brisk.
Given that Genevieve was left alone to deal with the Lockhart family, it was clear that Ophelia had brought Vincent along, as expected. Cecilia and Theodore both feared that Genevieve might not handle the pressure well and could be mistreated.
As they entered, Genevieve's cold, clipped voice cut through the room. "Ophelia, if you're here to catch up, to see your son and granddaughter, or to reunite with us, I welcome you. But if you're here just to pick a fight, then I'll have to excuse myself."
"Genevieve, you've become bold haven't you? How dare you talk to me like this? What do you think you are? In our Lockhart family, you're just a tool for having children, and not even a useful one since you can't bear a son. What right do you have to talk to me?" Ophelia's voice was loud, full of disdain for Genevieve.
Vivienne added, "Yeah, you couldn't even give us a son. What's there to boast about? And now you're daring to act so high and mighty in front of Ophelia? If I were you, I'd have already dug a hole to bury myself. How dare you come here and embarrass yourself like this…"
"So, Vivienne, you think that just because you bore a son, you're an excellent tool?" Cecilia couldn't stand it anymore.
Cecilia's voice, dripping with sarcasm, echoed through the hall.
Genevieve had changed a lot; she was no longer afraid of Ophelia.
But with so many people against Genevieve alone, she was bound to suffer.
Of course, Cecilia had to come out and help!
Vivienne was rendered speechless by Cecilia's retort.
Her face turned red with anger.
"Vivienne, we're all women. How can you willingly see yourself as a mere tool for reproduction? Your mindset is a disgrace to all women!" Cecilia continued to mock.
Vivienne was so furious at that moment that she wanted to kill Cecilia.
She was so angry she could hardly breathe, "Cecilia, you have no respect for your elders..."
"It's not that I have no respect for my elders; it's just that the people in front of me are not worthy of respect." Cecilia even smiled as she said this.
That smile nearly made Vivienne faint with rage.
She thought, 'Cecilia, that little bitch.'
'When did she become so sharp-tongued?'
Vivienne couldn't gain any advantage and was left speechless by the sarcasm.
"Cecilia, that's enough!" Ophelia's face darkened, and she shouted at Cecilia.
She was clearly not pleased with Cecilia's sarcasm and disdain.
"Whether it's enough depends on your behavior. If you keep picking fights, it will never be enough. If you want to have a proper conversation, then it's enough." Cecilia said coldly.
Ophelia never expected that one day she would be threatened by Cecilia.
Vincent, understanding Ophelia well, quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Mom, don't waste your time with this her. Engaging with her only lowers your dignity and wastes our time."
"True enough," Ophelia agreed, taking the cue, "I'm too old for this petty arguing. I came here to discuss why Theodore was taken by the prosecutor's office today. What's their game?"
Cecilia had anticipated Ophelia's purpose.
Cecilia anticipated Ophelia's motive and didn't hide the truth. "Someone reported that my father was involved in bribery and tax evasion. But these are baseless accusations, and we'll resolve them properly."
"Is it still a fabrication even after all the whistleblowing? Cecilia, who are you trying to fool?" Ophelia was clearly not buying Cecilia's explanation.
Cecilia said, "Until the law has made a judgment, none of you have the right to say my dad has committed a crime."
"How dare you!" Ophelia's face was a picture of fury.
For a while now, she had been unable to counter Cecilia's arguments.
"I don't care if it's true or not. All I know is that Theodore's trouble has a significant impact on the Lockhart Group, and I won't accept such things happening in our Lockhart Group!" Ophelia said righteously.
"The incident has already happened, and the impact is there. All we can do now is try our best to minimize the impact. What else do you think we can do?" Cecilia asked.
"I agree with you on minimizing the impact." Ophelia was surprisingly agreeable.
Cecilia, of course, wouldn't be genuinely grateful.
Ophelia's intentions were worse than anyone's.
She said, "The best way to minimize the impact is for Theodore to temporarily resign from his position as chairman of the Lockhart Group."
Cecilia laughed.
She knew Ophelia would never pass up an opportunity to get her hands on the Lockhart Group's reins.
Cecilia remarked, "Grandma, you seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill. The situation with my dad and the company isn't dire enough to warrant his resignation just yet."
"This is about planning ahead," Ophelia retorted, "If things really go south and the Lockhart Group goes under, you'll regret not taking action sooner."
"So, what's your plan?" Cecilia asked.
Ophelia said, "Let Vincent temporarily take over as chairman of the Lockhart Group. Once Theodore's situation is resolved, we can make further plans based on the outcome. The most important thing now is for Vincent to take your dad's place so that your dad's issues don't affect the Lockhart Group."
Cecilia was silent for a few seconds.
She seemed to be thinking.
Theodore looked at Cecilia.
He really didn't want to argue with Ophelia, so he had remained silent throughout the process.
Seeing Cecilia's expression now, he couldn't help but worry.
He thought, 'Would Cecilia be persuaded just like that?'
It was obvious that Ophelia and Vincent had ulterior motives.
Cecilia spoke slowly, "Grandma, I'm guessing your next move is to make sure that once Vincent takes over as chairman, he's not stepping down anytime soon. And maybe, you'll use this chance to force my dad to relinquish his shares. You'll argue that if my dad retains shares, he'll still technically be chairman according to company rules, which means any scandal involving him could still affect the Lockhart Group. If my dad transfers his shares and makes it public, then his troubles become his alone, and the company won't be dragged down with him. Am I right, Grandma?"
Ophelia's face turned grim.
Cecilia had laid out her entire scheme.
Ophelia had indeed planned to first force Theodore out of the chairman role, then push him to give up his shares, and she had even thought about rallying board members to her side. But before she could even begin, Cecilia had already unraveled all her plans!
She thought, 'When does this little brat become so sharp?'
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