Chapter 166 FutureTech Group Shareholders' Meeting
Two hours later, the tension in FutureTech Group's top-floor conference room was thick enough to choke on. Lori sat opposite a dozen middle-aged men in expensive suits, their faces grim while their body language radiated impatience.
"Lori, dear girl," one of the shareholders finally spoke, his voice a practiced blend of sympathy and finality, "Since it's come to this, we've made our decision."
Lori's hand trembled, clutching a stack of documents so tightly her knuckles had turned white. The air crackled with her suppressed fury, her eyes flaming with threat to incinerate the very papers in her grasp.
'This. This was what they'd been building towards. A betrayal so calculated, so cold-blooded,' she thought, shivers going down her spine.
It wasn't until this moment she realized they wanted to sell the company.
Every last one of them, eager to unload their shares before the sinking ship that was FutureTech Group dragged them down with it.
"John," Lori said, her voice dangerously low, "Your shares, combined with the others here, represent a controlling stake – 52 percent of FutureTech. You're willing to hand over my father's company, his life's work, to VitaCure Labs? Our biggest competitor? At a bargain-basement price?"
The man she addressed, a portly fellow in his late 50s with a receding hairline and a carefully cultivated air of concern, sighed dramatically. "Lori, my dear, none of us could've foreseen this tragedy. However, the fact remains; your father's… condition… has impacted the company. Severely."
"We're not young men anymore," another shareholder chimed in, his voice desperate. "We have families to support, futures to secure. We can't just stand by and watch our investments evaporate."
Lori's eyes teared up, but she blinked them back, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her crumble. "FutureTech was my father's dream," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "He poured his heart and soul into this company. And you… you're going to dismantle it while he's lying in a hospital bed, unable to defend himself?"
"He treated you all like family!"
She drew a shaky breath, struggling to maintain her composure. "Please," she pleaded, her gaze sweeping across their faces, "I'm begging you; give me a chance. Let me lead FutureTech. I can salvage this, I know I can. Just… trust me."
A dismissive snort rippled through the room.
"You?" one of the shareholders scoffed. "A girl barely out of her 2-s, running a multi-billion dollar corporation? Don't be ridiculous."
"This entire crisis is a direct result of your incompetence!" another accused, his voice dripping with venom.
Her vision blurred, but she refused to back down.
"Enough," John interjected, silencing the others with a wave of his hand. "Our decision is final, Lori. We appreciate your enthusiasm, but we've already made arrangements to sell our shares."
He stood up, smiling smugly. "And now," he announced, clapping his hands together, "Let's welcome the individual who's going to make all this possible. The architect of our… salvation."
The room fell silent as the doors swung open. A tall, impeccably dressed man in a tailored British suit strode in, his gold-rimmed glasses glinting under the fluorescent lights. A predatory smile played on his lips.
Lori's blood ran cold.
Rex.
The very same Rex who'd harassed her sister and ended up receiving Elbert's wrath.
"Lori," he greeted, his voice dripping with faux-pleasantries. "Fancy meeting you here."
"You…" Lori stammered, her finger trembling as she pointed at him, her mind reeling. "How dare you show your face here?!"
He chuckled, unfazed by her outrage. "Why, as a matter of fact, I'm the newly appointed Head of Acquisitions for VitaCure Labs. And I'm here to oversee the acquisition of FutureTech Group."
"You… you ungrateful snake!" she spat, her voice trembling with fury. "We could've pressed charges against you for what you did to my sister, but we chose to be merciful! And this is how you repay us?"
"Press charges?" he scoffed, settling into a chair arrogantly. "My dear Lori, you overestimate your family's influence. No one in this room would dare lift a finger against me now."
He glanced at the head of FutureTech's legal team, a nervous man who quickly averted his gaze with a pale face.
"Your own legal counsel knows better than to challenge me," he continued, his smile widening. "Your father is incapacitated, and you… well, you're just a child acting like a CEO. You have no power here."
"These people," he gestured toward the shareholders, "they cling to me like life rafts. Without me, their precious shares are worthless; they know that."
Lori felt nausea incoming. He was right; they'd been completely outmaneuvered.
He announced triumphantly, "By this time tomorrow, controlling interest in FutureTech will be on the open market. And VitaCure Labs will be waiting to scoop it up."
He leaned forward, his eyes malicious. "And you know the first thing I'm going to do once I take over?"
A cold dread gripped Lori's heart.
"I'm going to purge this company of every last trace of the Browns," Rex stated, his voice cold and sharp. "You, your sister, even your precious father… you'll all be out on the streets, penniless and forgotten."
Lori's vision swam, her body trembling uncontrollably. "You wouldn't," she whispered, her voice hoarse with despair.
"Oh, but I would," he countered, his smile widening. "And I will."
He tossed a stack of documents onto the table. "Now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I believe we have some contracts to sign."
"Don't you dare!" she screamed, lunging for the papers. However, two burly men behind Rex moved with surprising speed, grabbing her arms and holding her back.
She struggled against their grip as her heart raced, but it was no use. She could only watch in helpless despair as the shareholders, with no remorse, eagerly signed their names on the dotted line; sealing FutureTech's fate.
By the time Rex and his entourage left the conference room, Lori was left a sobbing heap on the floor, her last hope evaporated and leaving behind a chilling emptiness.
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