Chapter 323 Lancelot is Waiting
"Mom, you can't do this!" Hearing Amanda order Mary's dismissal, Addison, who had been keeping her head down, immediately chimed in, "Mary was elected by the board and shareholders. You can't just dismiss her with a single word! Moreover, she's put in the work for this company, and she's had to deal with Joseph and Jesse gunning for her. You can't pin all this on her! James is the one who messed up—go after him, but leave Mary out of it!"
Even though Addison knew Amanda was just using this as an excuse, Mary's status and wealth were tied to her own. She couldn't just sit back and watch, especially if it meant letting Jane swoop in and take control.
Charles, Abigail, and Christopher were also panicked, never expecting Mary to be dismissed like this.
However, Mary and Kaitlyn remained calm, seemingly unsurprised by Amanda's actions.
Amanda jabbed Addison in the stomach with her cane. "Even you dare to question my decision? Am I not in charge here?"
Addison groaned and stepped back, clutching her stomach and speaking with difficulty, "Mom, of course, you're in charge. I just hope you can give Mary a chance."
"A chance? Haven't I given you all any chances?" Amanda stepped forward, glaring at Addison. "Yesterday, James broke my $30,000 cane. Did I make a big deal out of it? Do you seriously believe that cane's made of human bones? Do you really think Jane would mess with me? Use your head—who'd dare? It was just James showing off, but I let it slide for your sake! And yet, he still had the nerve to hit Jane. I didn't call the cops or have him roughed up—I just asked you to drag him here to apologize. And how did you act? Making excuses left and right to cover for him! Taking Mary down is just a wake-up call for all of you!"
She shouted, "Next time you defy me, don't blame me for using family rules to punish you!"
Addison didn't dare to speak again.
Kaitlyn squeezed out a sentence. "But my sister was elected."
"Shut up!" Amanda scolded, "Elected? You think those votes just showed up outta thin air? I handed them out to each family. I gave 'em, and I can take 'em back. Go ahead, ask around—if I want those votes back, you think anyone's gonna say no?"
She stomped her cane on the ground and shouted at the dozen members of the Smith Corporation. "I want Jane to be the president. Any problem?"
The room erupted in quick nods and murmurs of approval:
"No objections here..."
"Jane's got what it takes..."
"I've been backing Jane all along—James just had me fooled..."
Jane, standing coolly to the side, flashed a smug grin. "Appreciate it, everyone. I'll make sure this company thrives under my watch."
She was full of vigor, never expecting today's misfortune to turn into a blessing.
Charles wanted to speak, but Mary waved her hand and gave a sorrowful smile. "So be it, I'll soon handed my position to Jane."
Kaitlyn quickly became nervous. She instinctively whispered, "Mary..."
Mary shook her head, signaling her not to speak, then turned and walked out of the room.
Kaitlyn chased after her.
Charles and Addison also left, each with a grim expression.
"Damn James, damn James!" In the parking lot, seeing Mary and Kaitlyn sitting in the car in a daze, Addison finally exploded in anger. "If it weren't for that bastard causing trouble, injuring Gregory and Jane, Mary wouldn't have been dismissed today. Bastard, that trash, only causing trouble, and still thinking about remarrying Mary. Go to hell!"
She vented all her anger on James. "I'll never allow him to enter our place! I mean never!"
"Shut up!" Charles snapped, his temper flaring. "Mary only made it as president because of James. When you were drowning in problems, he's the one who bailed you out. And what did you do? Bitch about him nonstop. This mess with Mary? It's not about James. It's Amanda pulling the strings. She flew back just to prop up Jane. If it wasn't this, she'd have found another excuse. Face it—Mary was never gonna keep that seat. Now that she's out, at least the old lady's off our backs. Silver lining, right? And stop blaming James. It's pointless."
"What a load of crap—you're just as useless!" Addison smacked Charles, furious. "This whole mess is on James. If it weren't for him, Mary wouldn't have been fired. Our family's put up with enough for his sake—he owes us. When we get back, call him and tell him to hand over Peach Blossom Villa No. 1 as payback. If he doesn't, he can forget about seeing Mary again!"
Charles rubbed his stinging cheek, muttering, "You're out of your damn mind.
Then he got into the car, ignoring Addison.
While Addison was scheming for her own benefit, James was feeding Samantha porridge.
After some rest, Samantha's condition had improved and she slowly woke up, though still a bit frightened.
When she saw James feeding her, her eyelids fluttered. "James, I can do it myself."
"Open your mouth!" James was firm.
Samantha's body trembled, and she could only slightly open her mouth.
James fed her spoonful by spoonful.
"It's okay now, don't be afraid. No one will bully you again," James said softly after she finished the porridge. "Anyone who messed with you is gonna pay."
Samantha murmured, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."
"Don't talk like that," James cut her off, frowning. "And no work for the next couple days—just rest. Got it?"
Samantha nodded lightly, "Okay."
As she looked at James's commanding face, her mind wandered to the cheesy novels her phone kept pushing on her.
Before she could dive deeper into her thoughts, there was a soft but insistent knock at the door.
James's brow furrowed slightly as he stood and opened it, revealing Mia, with Richard and a few others hovering behind her.
"Richard, what's going on?" James asked, his tone curious but edged with impatience.
"It's Zachary," Richard replied in a hushed voice. "He's raising hell. Lancelot's waiting for you at Storm Pavilion."
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