Chapter 374 You Know My Husband?
Fiona stood up.
"As for any nitpicking at today's meeting, the choice is yours," Fiona said with a mirthful smile tinged with an apologetic note. "But I need to make things clear. No matter your status, if I hear something unreasonable, I won't hesitate to point it out in front of shareholders and the board."
After those words, Fiona nodded slightly. She grabbed her briefcase, clacked away confidently in her heels, and left the CEO's office with poise.
Roy was right outside.
When he saw Fiona step out, he quickly approached her. "Is everything okay? Don't take her harsh words to heart. It shouldn't affect our partnership."
Fiona just smiled. "It's time, we should hurry to the conference room."
"Hmm..."
When Roy didn't hear a clear commitment to working together from Fiona, he grew increasingly anxious. He really wanted to hitch a ride on Ms. Chelsea's ship. The Rhoads and the Darwins were under her thumb! If he had her as a backer, all kinds of opportunities would open for him!
Roy followed Fiona to the meeting room, which fell silent as they entered. Several shareholders and directors who admired Fiona greeted her warmly, including James.
"Glad you could make it, Ms. Rhoads. Your family's been all over the tabloids lately. How are you? All healed up? And how's Mr. Solomon?"
In this industry, if a man is successful, no one really asks about his domestic life or how his wife is. But success as a woman often invites condescending inquiries like that.
"And you are?" Fiona turned to Roy beside her.
James' face stiffened. He expected a warm response, but had instead received a dismissal.
"That’s our Finance Director, Mr. James," Roy answered.
Fiona replied with an enlightened smile, "So, you know my husband? I'll be sure to pass on your concern when I get home."
James was flustered. "No... no... I don't know Mr. Solomon. It was just a... just expressing concern," he stammered.
Fiona's words were an implicit censure. Pretending to be close to someone without even knowing them is downright insincere.
“Oh, I see”…" Fiona’s face mirrored the awkwardness of the situation.
The onlookers' glances towards James were now tinged with a different hue.
Roy was a crafty old fox. He could see that Fiona had made James uncomfortable on purpose. That guy wasn’t someone he was particularly fond of either, so to say he was feeling ecstatic would be an understatement.
"That's enough, Mr. Chelsea, let's take our seats," said Roy. He led Fiona toward the front of the room.
Once they were far away from James, Roy discreetly gave Fiona a thumbs-up.
As soon as they took their seats, Susan walked in.
James lit up as though he'd seen his own mother, beaming at her arrival. "Miss Susan, it’s good to see you!"
He gestured toward the CEO's chair, where Roy was currently sitting. That was Susan’s usual seat in previous meetings. Roy got the picture, started to rise, but...
With a scowl fixed on her face, Susan plopped down next to Roy, across from Fiona.
"Aunt Susan?" Roy blinked in confusion.
"That's the boss's chair. You stay put," Susan snapped, her patience wearing thin.
James's complexion turned awkwardly rigid. Since Susan had walked in, she'd hardly given him a second glance...
Something felt off to him.
Once everyone arrived, the meeting kicked off. Susan sat with a troubled look on her face, as Fiona's designer began to unveil the overarching design concept. Usually, Susan would interrupt at this point, but today...
She was fixated on the presentation, silent, showing no signs of dissent. James was dumbfounded and barely restrained the urge to stand up.
The designer Fiona had recruited was exceptionally skilled in traditional American styles and packaging. The redesign of RH Company's classic product packaging involved an upgrade that injected a youthful twist to the original. The adjustment visibly elevated the prestige of the product line.
Susan, shedding her biases, listened and watched with due diligence. The very ideas she had dismissed without a second thought before were slowly beginning to win her over.
Halfway through the meeting, Susan's phone buzzed in her pocket. She didn't even glance at it but shot a sidelong look at James.
He was gesturing frantically, trying to signal her to derail the meeting. Susan's heart wrenched painfully. How had the person she had groomed like a son turned into such a snake?
She looked away.
The meeting was ending. Roy, who was nervous as hell, piped up, "I think those designs are solid. Let's vote on them."
The room was equipped with electronic voting. Soon, the screen showed the tallies for approval and rejection. As the voting commenced, numbers started to change. Out of the 47 attendees, the approval count soared swiftly to 42. But Roy's relief was short-lived...
Because Aunt Sue had the veto vote.
The voting ended.
James couldn't wait. "Miss Susan still has her vote."
As he spoke, he shot looks at Susan, signaling non-stop. But Susan wasn't even looking at him.
She stood up, her displeasure with the world evident in her demeanor, "You youngsters have something going for you."
Roy stared at his aunt, his breath nearly stopping.
Susan remarked in a tone that was neither warm nor cold, "The design for the packaging is definitely charming and meaningful. You've got my vote."
"Godmother!"
James leapt to his feet. He had been so startled he forgot where he was and blurted it out loud.
Roy barely had time to feel elated before being chilled by James's outburst. "What's gotten into you?"
"James?" Susan slowly approached him and fixed her gaze on James's face. "Are you feeling the heat? It’s a a brilliant proposal, and you can't take it to your new venture. Getting desperate, are we?"
James froze in shock.
The rest of the shareholders and board members were equally baffled, exchanging puzzled glances. No one dared speak up.
"Godmother, what are you saying? I—I don't understand," James said, his voice dry.
Susan continued to scrutinize him, as if she was searching for a glimpse of the teenager she once knew. But...
The innocence was gone. His face was now chubby and lined with wrinkles, and his once-clear eyes that were clouded with cunning bore no trace of his youthful self.
"Godmother..." James started again, his voice hoarse.
But Susan raised her hand and delivered a hard stinging slap across James's face.
James's cheek swelled visibly immediately after the impact.
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