Chapter 375 Desperate Measures
Even Roy was astounded.
Everyone knew that Susan favored James over her own nephew Roy.
James, who came from poverty, had risen high thanks to Susan's support. His high-society wife, executive position, first luxury car, and mansion—hadn't Susan orchestrated it all?
She had always used James's abilities to mock Roy. She would say that if he wasn’t heir to the family business, Roy's dull wit meant that in another life, he'd be lucky to manage a small business.
If he was half as smart as James, RH Company wouldn't be in its current dire straits.
But she had just slapped James, who she held in high regard, in public!
Roy turned to Fiona, who was calmly gathering her things as if nothing had happened.
The legendary Miss Chelsea must have descended from the heavens!
She had spoken to Susan for less than ten minutes, but after that, Susan had treated James—who she had spoiled as if he were her own son—like a stranger.
From this day onward, Chelsea would be Jacob's eternal idol!
Roy was thrilled internally, but kept his composure.
Of course, his main goal was to pour salt in James's wound.
"Ah, Aunt, what on earth happened? Why did you lash out at James?" Roy looked at James, his face etched with concern. "Aunt has been your patron saint since your teenage years. She’s helped you rise to where you are today. You can't betray her, James. That would be inviting disaster!"
Fiona was busy packing things away and nearly chuckled.
That Roy was quite the actor.
James was still taken aback by Susan’s earlier comment about his new company. How did she know about that?
The company wasn't registered in his name, and using a front was too risky, so he had arranged for someone from a small town to stand in. Even if Susan got suspicious and dug around, there would be no food-related businesses linked to him or his family.
He snapped back to reality as he heard Roy's question and glanced around at all the eyes fixed on him, scrambling for an explanation. But Roy didn't give him a chance and turned his puzzled gaze toward his aunt. "Aunt, did you say James's new company is using Ms. Chelsea's plan? James, did you start a company? Is it in the food industry too?"
Susan was furious but deeply ashamed before her nephew. She had only seen James's bright side and missed his dark heart. Her nephew might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was willing to recruit a top team to save their company from decline.
"Roy, Susan, since the design proposal has been approved, I'm going to head back with my team and work on our next marketing strategy," Fiona interjected, approaching with her colleagues.
Susan didn't look at her, but the disdain she had initially felt for Fiona had faded. Here she was, an elder who fancied herself someone important, but she had been used by someone else. It was a misstep that chafed at her pride.
"Mr. Chelsea, please don't rush off. Join us for a quick meal," Jacob hurriedly suggested. "I might need to deal with some personal affairs first, so please excuse me for a moment."
Fiona shook her head apologetically. "I've been putting in extra hours these past few days, and I’ve got some free time this afternoon to spend with my kids."
Jacob was surprised. "I thought you just got married..."
He blurted out his words before he could stop them, and quickly tried to make amends as he realized his mistake. "Well, we can do it next time. I owe you a few meals!"
Fiona smiled in acknowledgment and took her leave, not bothering herself with the dispute unfolding between Susan and James.
Susan's temperament and modus operandi hadn't changed since her younger days at RH Company. She was vengeful to the core. And now, the way she tore into James without sparing him any mercy, in full view of the shareholders and board members, was all too revealing.
James certainly wasn't in for any good times ahead.
After leaving the boardroom, Fiona and her crew walked out without a word, radiating cool confidence. They were in formation, with Fiona at the helm, as they left under the admiring gaze of many RH Company employees.
They descended in the elevator to the parking garage and got into the car. As they closed the car doors, cheers erupted from inside Fiona's car and the one parked next to them.
Soon after, Laura's phone buzzed with a video call request from a colleague in the neighboring vehicle. Laura answered, and the voice on the other end exclaimed, "Chelsea is the real deal! We’ve tried to crack that tough nut twice with no success, and she nailed it in less than ten minutes!"
"Do you think I'd be your formidable boss if I couldn’t do that?" Fiona responded, showing no modesty whatsoever. "As per usual, take the afternoon and evening off. Expenses for your outing are on me, but watch the alcohol. No excuses for being late tomorrow."
"Got it!"
The video call ended, and Laura leaned in toward Fiona. "Boss, how did you manage to convince Susan? Her temper is legendary. She’s arrogant and never seems to listen to reason."
Fiona's eyes lingered on the iPad, looking at a photo of a young, vibrant Susan. "She's just trying to protect the legacy her ancestors left behind." Fiona paused. "Once she realized we were genuinely here to help RH Company, the problem was basically solved."
The world and its unfairness towards women had shadowed Susan's life with frustration. What kind of temperament could one expect from someone constantly crushed by those burdens?
"James was stirring the pot, wasn't he?" Laura asked.
After the initial difficulties with Susan, Laura had started to dig for the source and found that Susan and James were close associates. It was James who had brought her to their first meeting. From her research, Laura knew that James was like a son to Susan.
"Yes," Fiona nodded.
Remembering the way Susan had confronted James earlier and recalling from her investigation how Susan had cared for him, Laura mused, "No wonder the old lady slapped James right in front of everyone. She must have been furious at being betrayed like that by someone she treated like a son, considering her strong character,!"
Fiona didn't reply.
She closed her iPad then said to Laura, "During the implementation of the plan with RH Company, I intend to keep Miss Susan involved."
"What?" Laura was surprised, "Aren't you worried she'll keep causing trouble?"
"She was looking for an excuse to use her veto today, but she won't need it," Fiona said with a casual yet resolute tone as she looked at Laura. "Once she reviews our proposal and sees our past successes with family business transformations, she'll be fully on board."
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