Chapter 283 Are You Going to Join Them or to See Ms. Grey
Ryan said, "Hey, Mr. Forbes, Travis called for a shareholders' meeting. He's saying you risked your life for a woman and can't handle running Synergy Global Corporation. He wants a vote to have Eudora take over the big projects."
If Travis pulled this off, it meant he had planted someone loyal to him inside Synergy Global, messing with Tristan's grip on the company.
Tristan just shrugged and smiled. "Let him try if he thinks he's got what it takes."
"Mr. Forbes," Ryan said, clearly worried, "Have you thought about what this means? Synergy Global is your baby, and Travis can't run it. This is your leverage. If you back down now, won't you be at his mercy later?"
Sunlight spilled over Tristan's chest, casting a slight shadow on his face, but his eyes were sharp as ever.
He glanced out the window, not really bothered by Ryan's words, as a cold glint in his eyes started to form.
Ryan was freaking out. Tristan's current situation was a well-kept secret, and no one knew why the wedding was called off.
But rumors were flying that Tristan was depressed and willing to risk everything for Katniss.
This had everyone at Synergy Global on edge, and with Travis stirring the pot, many were turning against Tristan.
Ryan had even gone to see Adelaide a few times, desperate for help, but she said she had pushed Tristan into this mess and couldn't save him.
It was all up to fate now.
A lot of people were betting that the Forbes family was about to change hands, and Tristan was done for.
Just then, Nicholas walked in with a fancy lunch and, seeing Ryan, raised an eyebrow. "What now? That troublemaker from the Forbes family causing issues again?"
Ryan hesitated, then spilled everything to Nicholas. "Mr. Kennedy, please help me talk some sense into Mr. Forbes."
"Alright, you head out," Nicholas said, putting the lunch on the table. Once Ryan left, he turned to Tristan. "So, you planning to stay like this forever? If Travis takes over the Forbes family, who knows what'll happen to you?"
Tristan didn't say a word, just turned slightly and started eating.
Nicholas thought, if Tristan was really depressed, he sure was eating his meals on time.
But if he was trying to live, he was ignoring the chaos at Synergy Global.
"Since you don't care about what's going on, I won't bother telling you I found out who was behind the chandelier incident that night." With that, Nicholas plopped down on the sofa and pulled out his phone.
Before he could unlock it, Tristan snatched the phone away. Barefoot, Tristan stood over Nicholas, glaring down at him. "Cut the crap."Nicholas cut to the chase, "Alright, here's the deal. It was Michael." This whole thing was a nightmare to dig into, with hotel staff being paid off and layers of dead ends, but he finally got a break.
He ran into Samuel, who mentioned Michael had asked him to transfer money to someone. After some serious digging, they found out that person was related to the bribed hotel staff.
Hearing this, Tristan tossed the phone aside, his eyes icy, and went back to his meal. He finished quickly, wiped his mouth, and said, "Get Ryan back here."
"What are you planning? I'll handle Michael for screwing up your wedding, but you..." Nicholas didn't want Tristan getting more involved.
Synergy Global was already a mess, and a lot of people were pissed at Tristan. At this point, pissing off the Astor family would just make things worse.
But Tristan didn't budge, casually rotating his wrist, not even looking at Nicholas. "Get Ryan back here."
"Alright." Nicholas couldn't argue and went to fetch Ryan. He didn't leave, curious about what Tristan was up to.
But Tristan just told Ryan to see Nicholas out, practically kicking him out of the hospital room.
"Move forward with the plan against the Astor family," Tristan said, his voice ice-cold.
Ryan pressed his lips together and nodded. "Got it. And for Synergy Global, on the day of the shareholders' meeting, I'll set up a video call for you, okay?"
He still hoped Tristan would do his best to stop the disaster the shareholders' meeting could bring.
"Fine, you handle it." This time, Tristan didn't argue. After Ryan left, he was quiet for a bit, then started making phone calls.
It wasn't clear who he was talking to, but the person on the other end called him 'Mr. Forbes' and listened to his instructions.
Tristan said, "Follow my lead for the shareholders' meeting..."
The shareholders' meeting at Synergy Global was the talk of the town, and the day came quickly.
Tristan joined via video, looking pale and cold, with a hint of illness and despair.
Travis didn't expect Tristan to show up this way. He looked annoyed but didn't let it bother him.
Travis said, "As the head of a conglomerate, you need to be responsible. But here he is, risking his life for a woman and then moping around. Not pushing to remove him as CEO is already a sign of my patience. How many duties have been neglected while he's been away? Without a leader, Synergy Global will fall apart!"
He sat in Tristan's usual seat, not even glancing at the big screen behind him. After his fiery speech, many shareholders murmured in agreement.Seeing the murmurs of agreement, Travis felt a wave of relief. He had already secured the support he needed, and he was confident the rest would fall in line.
He hadn't ousted Tristan yet because Tristan's authority still held weight. Neither Eudora nor Travis could fully take over Synergy Global Corporation without it.
The main goal of this shareholders' meeting was to give Eudora real power and gradually push Tristan to the sidelines. Replacing Tristan was just a matter of time.
"Eudora has studied abroad for years and is highly capable. She can definitely turn things around for Synergy Global. I don't need to spell out the benefits for you. Let's start the voting." Travis signaled Ivy, who handed out paper and pens to everyone.
"Don't worry, folks. It's an anonymous vote, so no one will know how you voted," he added.
Some people sighed in relief. In such a volatile situation, no one wanted to make enemies, and anonymity was a safe bet.
Everyone began voting on whether Eudora should take over the major projects at Synergy Global, but Eudora herself wasn't thrilled.
Things weren't going as she had planned. She thought that after getting rid of Katniss and confessing her feelings to Adelaide, Adelaide would pair her with Tristan for the sake of benefits.
And Tristan, thinking of the bigger picture, would marry her. She would then turn against Travis and Ivy to help Tristan, and Tristan would surely see her in a new light.
Maybe, over time, Tristan would develop feelings for her or at least be grateful. It didn't matter; what mattered was that Tristan wouldn't divorce her.
Her goal would be achieved!
But Adelaide didn't match them, and Tristan hated Eudora. Now, with Tristan injured, Ivy and Travis had changed their strategy.
They were no longer pushing for a marriage but were eager to take over Synergy Global.
If this continued, they might abandon the marriage idea altogether and let Eudora directly control Synergy Global to benefit Sam.
Eudora clenched her hand under the table, glancing at Tristan, who seemed indifferent on the big screen.
She had no power to resist Travis and Ivy; Tristan was her only hope for a comeback.
She was anxious but clueless about what to do.
The voting wrapped up in less than five minutes. Eudora collected the votes and asked a senior executive to read them.
As the votes were tallied, the results seesawed between "agree" and "disagree," with both counts rising rapidly and staying neck and neck.
Out of thirty-nine people, it was still tied at thirty-eight votes.For the last vote, Eudora secretly hoped for a "disagree," thinking it would push Travis and the others back to their old plan of forcing her to marry Tristan.
But the paper said "agree," and Travis won by a single vote.
Travis exchanged a pleased look with Ivy, then stood up and turned to Tristan with a smug grin.
"Majority rules," he said. "You see the shareholders' opinions. Don't bother fighting it. Some projects need your team to hand over to Eudora. Get it done quickly."
Tristan stayed silent, just lifting his eyelids slightly to look at the shareholders, who avoided his gaze.
After a moment, he said coldly, "Let me make one thing clear. From now on, Synergy Global's fate is in Eudora's hands, and I have nothing to do with it. If anything goes wrong and accountability is necessary, Travis will hand over your shares of Synergy Global as compensation to the shareholders."
He was demanding Travis's shares right then and there!
Travis looked like he'd been punched in the gut, not daring to agree easily.
"What if Eudora manages Synergy Global well?" Ivy shot back. "Will you then explain your dereliction of duty to the shareholders?"
Tristan's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Then let's bet. If she stabilizes Synergy Global, I'll hand over my shares and resign as CEO. If she can't, you hand over your shares and never step foot in Synergy Global again."
Eudora suddenly felt immense pressure. She never thought she'd become the pivotal point in Tristan and Travis's power struggle.
She sensed something was off but couldn't put her finger on it.
"I..." Before Travis could respond, Ivy quickly cut in, "There's no need to decide this now. Let's think about it and give you an answer within three days. We'll also inform the shareholders of our decision, okay?"
"Coward," Tristan muttered, then ended the video call.
On the other end, Travis's face turned red with anger. He glared at the blank screen, grabbed an object, and smashed it to pieces.
Tristan's wound was deep, and the doctor recommended at least half a month of hospitalization, but after just a week, he couldn't stay still.
He tossed the computer aside and called Ryan to handle the discharge papers.
"Mr. Forbes, your wound hasn't healed yet," Ryan said, clearly disapproving.
But Tristan was already out of bed, changing clothes. His chest was wrapped in thick bandages, with faint traces of red blood.
Unfazed, he said in a low voice, "Nicholas is having dinner with some friends tonight. I'm going to join them."
Ryan blurted out, "Are you going to join them, or are you going to see Ms. Grey?"
Tristan was the kind of person who held the fort, not just joined the party.
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