Chapter 593 The Show Begins
"As the situation reached a boiling point, Martha found herself reaching for her phone, dialing Dorian's number with a sense of urgency.
""Everything on my side is proceeding without a hitch,"" she informed him. ""What about you? Is everything going according to plan?""
Dorian's voice, brimming with pride, echoed from the other end of the line. ""Rest assured, Martha. All is set on my end. Events are unfolding just as we predicted.""
Martha pressed on, ""When do we call for the board meeting to unseat her?""
Dorian's response was immediate, ""Straight away! We can't afford to give them any breathing room. If they find a solution, we risk squandering our golden opportunity.""
Martha nodded, her agreement a mere whisper, ""Understood.""
She couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. By toppling Patricia and subsequently sabotaging Dorian's son, her own son could effortlessly ascend to the CEO's position.
""Understood,"" she repeated.
As soon as their call concluded, Dorian wasted no time in discussing the timing with several board directors.
Simultaneously, Alan and Charles were confronted with the news for the first time, their screens lighting up with the latest updates.
Charles was on the verge of eradicating the news and trends when Patricia's words from the morning echoed in his mind. He quickly dialed Patricia's number on the teacher's phone.
""Mom, I just saw the news online! Do you need my help? I can make it disappear without a trace,"" he offered.
Seated in the CEO's office, Patricia held her phone in one hand while scrolling through the news with the other, reading the slanderous articles about herself.
It was clear that Martha and Dorian knew how to play their cards. With their influence, Patricia was painted as a lonely widow attempting to seduce other men shortly after her husband's demise.
Such a woman would undoubtedly face harsh criticism.
Furthermore, the idea of her using her late husband's wealth to fund her lover was simply unacceptable to the public.
The situation was spiraling out of control.
Patricia couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Hearing her laughter, Charles paused, curiosity piqued. ""So, are you going to delete it or not?""
Patricia set down the mouse, leaning back into the plush leather chair. She took a deep breath, a smile playing on her lips as she responded, ""Of course not. I don't have a secret lover. If I delete it, people will assume I'm guilty.""
Charles raised an eyebrow, ""Is this the plan Dad mentioned this morning?""
Patricia offered no further explanation, simply advising, ""Focus on your studies, don't worry.""
Relieved, Charles ended the call and returned the phone to his teacher.
An hour later, both Alan and Patricia received a message from Dorian.
Dorian: [Emergency meeting in Conference Room 1 in half an hour! All shareholders must attend! Otherwise, you will be dismissed.]
Patricia sneered at the message, ""He's quite impatient, not willing to wait even a second.""
Alan chimed in, ""If I were in his shoes, I'd seize this opportunity to oust you while public opinion is against you! What if you find a solution? All their efforts would be for naught.""
Patricia scoffed, rising from her chair and smoothing her attire.
""Well then, let's not keep him waiting.""
With that, she strode towards the door.
Alan quickly forwarded the meeting details Dorian had sent to Martin.
Dorian: [Boss, are you coming over now?]
Martin: [I'll leave immediately. I'll be there in half an hour at most.]
Alan: [Okay, I'll have the secretary waiting for you downstairs!]
After sending the message, Alan hurried to catch up with Patricia.
The first meeting room was located within the CEO's office.
The day's assembly was set to be the grandest yet, with the senior executives of the Langley Group and all shareholders present. The sheer number of attendees necessitated the use of the largest meeting room.
One by one, the senior executives of the Langley Group began to trickle in.
As Patricia approached the door, the murmur of conversation from within reached her ears. The subject of their discussion? Her.
""Did you catch the news online?""
""Of course, it's the top search result. How could we miss it?""
""That man, the one always seen with Patricia... His name is James, isn't it? Yes, James.""
""Isn't he Patricia's assistant, just like Alan?""
""The female CEO and her assistant... Isn't that akin to a male CEO and his secretary? They spend every day together. It would be odd if there weren't some feelings involved!""
""But in my opinion, Alan is more handsome than James! I need to get a better look at James. He has such long hair and always wears a mask.""
""Is that the crux of the matter?""
""The real issue here is that Mr. Langley has barely been gone, and Patricia already has a new lover. It's a pity for Mr. Langley. Not even three months have passed, and his wife has moved on.""
""Indeed! Mr. Langley poured his heart and soul into building this company, and now another man is set to take it over.""
""I wonder if the child will change their surname!""
""Mr. Langley truly got the short end of the stick.""
""Such a tragic tale.""
Outside the door, Patricia couldn't help but chuckle.
One hand resting on her hip, she lightly patted her chest.
""Their imaginations are so vivid, they should consider writing novels,"" she murmured, careful to keep her voice low enough to avoid detection by those inside the meeting room.
Alan, about to offer some words of comfort, was interrupted by a voice from behind them. ""Patricia, Alan, you've arrived.""
The meeting room fell into an immediate hush. Patricia turned to find Dorian. A cold laugh tugged at her lips. ""Dorian, your timing is impeccable.""
Dorian, with a sly twinkle in his eye, laughed in response. ""Naturally! I called this meeting, so I arrived early. Wouldn't want to keep Patricia waiting, would I?""
Patricia merely chuckled, choosing not to waste any more words on him. She pushed open the door to the meeting room and strode in.
The executives, who had been gossiping about her moments before, immediately rose to their feet, their faces breaking into smiles as they greeted her.
Patricia, feigning ignorance of their earlier conversation, returned their greetings with a smile of her own before taking her seat at the head of the table.
Dorian, in high spirits, laughed heartily. ""You're all early! Please, take your seats before the rest arrive.""
One by one, the executives sat down.
Patricia remained silent, her gaze cold as she watched them.
The atmosphere in the room quickly turned awkward.
Dorian, too, remained silent, busying himself with his phone, his fingers flying over the screen in a flurry of text messages.
As the remaining staff trickled in and took their seats, the conference room filled to capacity.
Patricia scanned the room, noting the absence of Martha and Martin.
Her curiosity was piqued.
Without Martha and Martin, the proceedings would be far less entertaining.
Half an hour slipped by in a flash.
Everyone had arrived.
Yet, Dorian had yet to commence the meeting. He glanced at the time on his phone, his fingers drumming lightly on the table.
Patricia's brow furrowed, and she was about to inquire when the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the meeting room door."
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