Chapter 80 What Are You Up To?
Sharon smiled wryly; she wouldn't be able to return tonight.
She said, "No need, the party is closer to Sophie's place. I'll stay at her place tonight."
The other line went silent. After a while, Alex's deep voice came through. "Sharon, are you still mad about last night?"
"No, it's just that Sophie and I haven't had a good chat in a long time, so I plan to stay at her place tonight."
Another long silence ensued before he replied again, "Alright. If anything happens, give me a call."
"Okay, got it."
After hanging up, her phone suddenly displayed a notification, indicating the battery was down to twenty percent and needed charging.
She frowned, realizing she went straight to bed after a shower last night and had been too busy today to check her phone or charge it.
She sighed, turning it off. She didn't dare use it again.
On the other line, after hanging up, Alex felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint it.
As he was about to ponder, Joseph opened the office door and walked in. "Mr. Smith, BioTech Innovations Group and Young Group are refusing to meet, and some smaller companies closely collaborating with them are also terminating contracts."
Hearing this, Alex became furious and sneered, "If they want to terminate it, let them! But they'd better not think they can get away without paying the penalty!"
Joseph looked troubled. It wasn't just the contract terminations; the key issue was that shareholders were now discussing whether to demote Alex.
He said, "Mr. Smith, maybe you could ask your wife if she's willing to apologize to Ms. Young?"
After all, all problems would be resolved if Sharon apologized.
Alex's expression turned icy, replying, "No way. She won't agree, and apologizing now would indirectly admit that Smith Group is afraid of BioTech Innovations Group and Young Group. Other partners wouldn't take us seriously anymore."
It wasn't just about Sharon apologizing or not; Emily was initially at fault. If it blew up, the Youngs would be more embarrassed.
"So, are we just going to sit and wait, doing nothing?"
"Yes, you can go home now."
Joseph didn't dare go home. If Alex was demoted, he'd be in trouble too.
He said, "I have nothing to do at home. I'll stay here and wait with you."
The atmosphere in the conference room was tense. Tyler sat at the head, and the shareholders below all looked disgruntled.
"Mr. Tyler, this whole issue started because of Mr. Alex, so he should take responsibility. Are we supposed to bear these losses together?"
"Exactly, he managed to offend two partners at a party. If he can't even manage his wife, how can he manage the entire company?"
"Moreover, he's too young and needs more experience. He can return to the CEO position once he's more capable."
As the shareholders babbled on, Tyler remained silent with a stern face.
Seeing his silence, everyone gradually quieted down.
When the room was silent, he finally spoke, "This issue was initially BioTech Innovations Group and Young Group's fault. If we remove him now, it would seem like we're afraid of them."
"Moreover, your annual dividends have increased by billions under his management. Now, you all want him gone over a few contract terminations. What's your real motive?"
"Or do you just want him down so your people can take his place?"
As Tyler finished, the room fell into a dead silence. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
After a long while, a shareholder couldn't stand the oppressive atmosphere and spoke up, "Mr. Tyler, we're just anxious. Smith Group lost billions of dollars in just one morning."
Tyler snorted coldly, "Billions of dollars? He can earn that back in less than a year. If anyone wants the CEO position, then show results!"
With that, regardless of their reactions, he stood up and left.
Leaving the conference room, he went straight to Alex's office.
Alex greeted, "Grandpa."
"Shut up! If this happens again, I won't save you anymore!" Facing Tyler's angry gaze, Alex lowered his head with clenched fists.
"I understand."
"By the way, your cousin is coming back soon. Arrange a job for him at the company; one that will really challenge him, not some cushy position."
Hostility crossed Alex's eyes. It seemed Tyler was preparing to groom Randy, choosing between him and Randy as the successor.
"Alright, I'll arrange it."
Tyler snorted coldly and left.
The crisis was averted, but Alex felt a heavy weight. With Randy entering Smith Group, his position was precarious.
He needed to find a way to ensure he remained the sole heir.
When Alex returned to the mansion, it was past midnight. He went to Sharon's bedroom and found she hadn't returned, frowning.
After hesitating, he called her, but her phone was off.
His eyes darkened, asking Joseph to find Sophie's number and send it to him.
He immediately called Sophie. After a long while, Sophie answered, sounding extremely annoyed. "Who is it? It's the middle of the night; this better be important!"
"It's Alex. Is Sharon with you?"
Still groggy, Sophie snapped, "Do you even know what time it is? How could she be here at this hour?"
Realizing something was wrong, she was about to speak, but Alex hung up.
Feeling uneasy, she called back, but he was already on another call.
Alex was on the phone with Joseph. "Find out where Sharon went after work. I need the answer in half an hour!"
Sensing his cold tone, Joseph hurried to investigate.
Meanwhile, Sharon was shivering in a corner, freezing.
It was early fall, and the temperature difference between day and night was significant. Having rushed to the Smith mansion and forgetting her coat, she was only wearing a short-sleeve shirt and pants. She was freezing to the point of turning pale.
Her phone battery had drained quickly from twenty percent, eventually dying. She had no idea what time it was, only struggling to endure from the coldness and hunger.
As time passed, Sharon felt increasingly cold, and her consciousness began to fade.
Her head was spinning.
Finally, unable to hold on, she blacked out.
After an unknown amount of time, the chapel door was kicked open.