Chapter 880
Nathaniel only held 2% of the shares, while most of the Lawson family's shares were held by Ronan. Nathaniel's face twisted in frustration.
"Even though I don't have many shares, my dad..."
Nathaniel started, but Marcella cut him off.
"Still clinging to your dad, huh? Always bringing him up in meetings. Honestly, you're not much better than a housewife like me."
Nathaniel's face fell, his chest heaving as if he was about to slam the table. Ronan shot him a warning look.
Feeling embarrassed, Ronan said quietly, "Sit down. Since Ms. Shaw has concerns, we can wait a couple more minutes. Mr. Ambrose Kelly has potential, but he's still young. It's understandable if he's occasionally late. As a senior member of the company, you should show some patience."
"Yes, Mr. Lawson," Nathaniel quickly nodded and sat down, relieved by the intervention.
Ronan then turned to Marcella, "There's less than two minutes left. Ms. Shaw, would you like to step out and call Mr. Ambrose Kelly?"
Marcella had already tried calling Ambrose today, but he hadn't answered. Her expression was grim as she replied, "When my husband died, if it weren't for Mr. Kelly's support, we wouldn't have these shares. I believe in loyalty. Many of you here have been helped by Mr. Kelly. Atlas, if I remember correctly, two years ago, when your mother was seriously ill, it was Mr. Kelly who arranged for the specialist. Now that he's in the hospital, you've found a new backer. Is that right?"
Atlas, the young board member standing next to Ronan, looked uncomfortable but quickly frowned and replied, "Marcella, let's keep things separate. I respect Mr. Kelly and have been trying to find a good doctor for him. If he needs my help, I'll be there. But the company can't be leaderless forever."
Ronan nodded slightly, "I've been with Mr. Kelly for fifty years and have great respect for him. But Atlas is right. Mr. Kelly is down, but the Kelly Group can't fall with him. I'm sure you don't want Mr. Kelly to wake up and find the Kelly Group in ruins, do you?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. The Kelly Group's stock had been plummeting, and several major projects were on hold, affecting everyone's interests. Everyone was anxious.
"Alright, Ms. Shaw, it's time. Let's not waste any more time and start the vote."
Marcella had no choice but to stay silent.
Nathaniel stood up again and announced, "We will now vote on whether to support Mr. Lawson as the new chairman of the Kelly Group."
Several board members immediately raised their hands, and those who were hesitant soon followed suit.
Ronan couldn't hide his smile, but just then, a familiar voice with a hint of amusement rang out.
"Quite the lively scene. Looks like we're late."
It was Ambrose.
Ronan's smile faded as he turned to see not only Ambrose but also Flora, who, despite her confused state, looked dignified.
Even though she was ill, Flora's noble upbringing and years of comfort gave her an inherent grace and presence.
The large conference room fell silent. Marcella stood up and called out, "Mrs. Kelly, you're here."
She went to greet Flora, while Kenneth, who had been one of the first to raise his hand, frowned but quickly followed suit, pulling Ruby along.
"Mom, why are you here? You're not well. You shouldn't be in such a chaotic place."
Kenneth reached to support Flora's other hand.
Ruby also stepped forward, disapprovingly saying, "Ambrose, I know you're ambitious, but you shouldn't have brought Mrs. Kelly here. She's ill. When Mr. Kelly was around, she never had to worry about the company. Now that he's down, you're putting her through this? It's not right."
She tried to help Flora, "Mrs. Kelly, let me take you back to rest. Or maybe you haven't seen Mr. Kelly in a while? How about I take you to the hospital to see him?"
Ruby knew Flora was most attached to Oberon.
She was trying to provoke Flora into a breakdown.
But Flora video-called Oberon every day.
Ruby was destined to be disappointed. Flora didn't break down. Instead, she coldly looked at Ruby and Kenneth and said, "I don't know you. Move aside!"
She then turned to Ambrose and asked, "Ambrose, who are they? Why are they here, pointing fingers? This is the Kelly Group. Can't I be here?"
Kenneth and Ruby's expressions froze.
Ronan stood up and approached, "Flora, it's not that you can't be here, but we have an important meeting today. How about I have someone take you to Oberon's office for some coffee? There are many photos of you and Oberon there."
Flora's eyes lit up at this.
She almost agreed but remembered Oberon's instructions before coming up. He had told her to listen only to Ambrose.
So, Flora turned to Ambrose and asked, "Ambrose, can I go?"
Ambrose smiled, "Grandma, don't rush. I'll take you there after the meeting, okay?"
This meant she couldn't go.
Realizing this, Flora turned to Ronan and said, "You're lying to me too, you old, ugly thief!"
Ronan was indeed a thief, trying to seize everything from the Kelly family while Oberon was ill.
Flora's words hit Ronan's sore spot, making him wonder if she was pretending to be confused.
His expression turned cold, and he sneered, no longer stopping her.
Even if Flora were here, her shares combined with Ambrose's weren't enough to change anything.
With Oberon in a coma, even a will couldn't take effect.
What was there to worry about?
Once he became the chairman of the Kelly Group, he would immediately remove all of the Kelly family's loyalists and those who wouldn't submit to him.
Then, he would find a way to acquire the Kelly family's shares at a low price, and the Kelly Group would soon be renamed the Lawson Group.
"Get a chair for Flora," Ronan ordered Ruby, pretending to be magnanimous.
Ruby, understanding his signal, arranged a seat for Flora.
Ambrose helped Flora sit down and signaled for the lawyer who had followed them to present the legal documents showing Flora had authorized Ambrose to manage her shares.
This gave Ambrose 15% of the shares, and with Marcella's support, they had 18%.
The Lawson family had 22% of the shares, and they had recently acquired 3% from two small shareholders and 1% in scattered shares, totaling 26%.
Ambrose looked at Kenneth and said firmly, "Let's vote again."
"Mr. Castillo, you're the son-in-law of the Kelly family. You hold 8% of the shares, but 6% of which were left to you by Aunt Ophelia when she passed away. Aunt Ophelia wanted you to use those shares to live well and take care of the elders. So, before we proceed with the vote, shouldn't you say a few words and clarify your stance?"
Kenneth hadn't expected Ambrose to call him out at this moment.
He had come with the Lawson family today, making his allegiance clear.
Ambrose was forcing Kenneth to declare his position, making everyone condemn and despise him. As Ambrose intended, all eyes in the conference room turned to Kenneth.
Marcella scoffed, "Mr. Castillo was one of the first to raise his hand in support of the Lawson family. Mr. Castillo must be the Lawson family's son-in-law now. If you've aligned yourself with the Lawson family, then return the shares Ms. Kelly gave you. Eating from the Kelly family's plate while betraying them—how shameless."
"You!" Kenneth's chest heaved, wanting to tear Marcella's mouth apart.
Marcella laughed, "What? Can't handle a bit of truth? Everyone, am I right? If the Kelly Group falls into the hands of people like this, bankruptcy is inevitable."
"Actually, Ms. Shaw has a point."
"Yeah, Mr. Castillo's shares came from the Kelly family."
"If I were Ophelia, I'd come back from the dead to confront him."
Low murmurs of agreement echoed from different corners of the office.
Kenneth's face burned with shame, his body stiff, unable to lift his head.
Kenneth had been one of the largest shareholders in the Kelly Group, aside from Ophelia, Flora, and Ronan.
This gave him a sense of being second only to the top, a feeling he enjoyed. But today, if not for Ambrose's reminder, everyone had forgotten that Kenneth's shares were mostly inherited from his late wife, Ophelia.
"Mr. Castillo, if you prefer being the Lawson family's son-in-law, return the Kelly family's shares. Then I'll respect you as a man," Ambrose said firmly.
Kenneth gritted his teeth. There was no way he would return the shares he had acquired.
"Ambrose, your words are strange. Mr. Castillo holds these shares because Ophelia loved him and because he's Lillian's father. Mr. Castillo has never forgotten Ophelia. Since these facts haven't changed, why should he return the shares to the Kelly family? You can't manipulate elders just because you want power," Ruby retorted loudly.
Ambrose looked at her with disdain, "For these shares, you publicly admit your husband loves another woman. The Lawson family truly prioritizes profit."
Ruby's heart ached. She hated admitting she was inferior to Ophelia.
She was about to speak again when Ambrose turned to Kenneth, "Lillian still has a chance to wake up. She's your only daughter. As her father, don't you want to protect the Kelly Group for her? If Lillian wakes up, how will you face her?"
Ambrose's question made Kenneth's face pale, showing his inner conflict.
He remembered that when Lillian returned to the Kelly family, Oberon immediately transferred 10% of the shares to her name.
Oberon often took Lillian around the company, making it clear to everyone that Lillian was the future leader.
Kenneth was often ridiculed because he had fewer shares than his daughter. Since Ophelia's death and his marriage to Ruby, people had stopped mentioning him as the Kelly family's son-in-law.
But Lillian's return and the scandal of the real and fake heiress had shaken Seaspring Valley City.
Not only within the company but also in the city's social circles, people speculated that Kenneth had deliberately swapped his daughter or conspired with Ruby.
Because of this, Kenneth's attempts to bond with Lillian were thwarted by Ruby and Anouk's interference, leading to unpleasant encounters.
In public, Lillian didn't show enough respect and obedience to Kenneth, often clashing with him, diminishing his guilt towards her.
Now, facing Ambrose's questioning and the disdainful, mocking eyes of everyone, Kenneth clenched his fists tightly.
He thought he still loved Ophelia, but Ophelia had been dead for years. He had to move on. He wasn't wrong, and he believed Ophelia's spirit would understand.
With Oberon gone, the Kelly family only had Flora and Lillian left. Even if the Lawson family took over the company, according to his agreement with Ronan, he would receive another 10% of the shares once the Kelly family's shares were reclaimed.
He would ensure Flora's comfortable life and provide the best medical care for Lillian.
With this in mind, Kenneth's expression grew resolute. He looked at Ambrose and said, "Ophelia and Lillian wouldn't want the Kelly Group to remain in chaos. Mr. Lawson has the highest prestige and experience. Electing him as the new chairman is for the greater good. No need to say more. Since everyone is here, let's proceed with the vote."
He sat down with a stern face, Ruby beside him, holding his hand reassuringly.
Kenneth looked at her, and Ruby gave him a supportive, understanding smile, saying, "Honey, I know you're not that kind of person. The truth will come out eventually. Everyone will see that you're doing this for the Kelly Group. We'll face this together."
Ruby's voice was loud enough for many to hear.
Kenneth squeezed her hand, and they exchanged smiles.
A few small shareholders aligned with the Lawson family echoed their support, restoring some of Kenneth's dignity.
With a glance from Ronan, Atlas resumed the voting process.
As expected, the majority supported Ronan. Even Ambrose bringing Flora made no difference.
Ronan felt he was more respected than Oberon ever was, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the few shareholders like Marcella who refused to submit.
He remembered them well, planning to remove these uncooperative members once he took control.
"Alright, I now announce that if there are no objections, Mr. Lawson will be the new chairman of the Kelly Group. Mr. Lawson, please say a few words."
Atlas bowed with a smile, and Ronan, glowing with pride, was about to stand.
He had waited for this moment for years, unable to contain his excitement.
But just as he lifted himself from the chair, a clear, melodious female voice rang out from outside.
"Who said there are no objections? There are plenty of people with objections!"
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