Chapter 23

Neither Jonny nor Lainey had the stomach to sit down for a meal after what had happened.

Once Jonny dropped Lainey at her place, he drove straight back to the company on his own.

Allard had been pacing near the doors, nerves stretched tight. The moment Jonny appeared, he rushed forward. "Mr. Todd, it's bad. Word's out that the Stewart Group has pulled their investment. The shareholders are packed into the conference room,and they're demanding answers from you right now!"

Frustration flared across Jonny's face.

Those self-serving old men had enjoyed their steady dividends for years without complaint, and now, at the first sign of trouble, they wanted blood.

He swore that once new investments were secured,he would throw every last one of them out. He swallowed his temper and moved toward the elevator, forcing himself to stay composed.

Allard trailed him with a heavy sigh, unable to stop comparing the past to the present.

Back when Eleanor was in charge, the board never dared to act like this.

Since Lainey's arrival, however, chaos had followed at every turn.

When they reached the top floor, Jonny shoved the conference room doors open with a violent kick.

A hush swept through the shareholders. Unease flickered in their eyes.

Was Jonny about to take the fight directly to them?

Colby Rayne, leaning heavily on his cane, stepped to the front with a glare that cut across the room. "The Stewart Group has pulled out, and word is it happened because of Lainey. Don't you think we're owed an explanation,Jonny?" That single accusation broke the restraint of the others.

"That's right! Without Stewart Group, the Usepsall project is finished!"

"Why would you let someone so inexperienced take such a critical role? Lainey is nothing compared to Eleanor. Bring Eleanor back before everything collapses!"

Heat surged through Jonny's temples, and he clenched his jaw so tight it hurt.

Eleanor might have been reliable in the past, but she was stuck in the old ways.

Lainey, at least, had the courage to act, even if she had stumbled this time.

"Shut it! All of you!" Jonny's voice cracked like a whip. "You think you can talk big now, but when the site reports were sent out, not one of you bothered to lift a finger. And the moment things go wrong,you dump the blame on me? On Lainey?" He swept his gaze through the crowd. "Tell me-are you defending Eleanor out of loyalty, or because she was keeping you warm in your beds?"

The venom in Jonny's voice left the room reeling.

Dark expressions swept across the faces of the shareholders.

With a man like him steering the ship, collapse seemed inevitable.

None of them were related to Lainey-why should they shoulder the fallout of her mistakes?

And with nearly half the decision-making power in her hands, what chance did anyone have of stopping her?

Colby slammed the end of his cane against the polished floor, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Forget Lainey for a moment. But Eleanor? How dare you drag her name through the dirt? She graduated at the top of her class with two degrees-finance and clinical medicine-from Northbridge University. Without her work, the Todd Group wouldn't even exist today."

Locking eyes with Jonny, he continued, "Jonny,gratitude matters. If you keep throwing away gold for scraps, mark my words-you'll pay dearly for it."

Spinning on his heel, he stormed out of the room,his cane striking hard with every step.

The remaining shareholders filed out in silence,muttering under their breath, some shaking their heads, others sighing in disgust.

What had once been a room buzzing with voices and clashing opinions now echoed with nothing but emptiness.

Jonny dropped heavily into the chair, his thoughts spinning out of control.

Eleanor... from Northbridge University? With two degrees, no less? The claim sounded absurd.

Northbridge was one of the most elite schooIs in the country, and its graduates were often snatched up with offers worth millions.

How could Eleanor, an orphan with nothing to her name,possibly measure up to that standard?

Questions clawed at him. When had she ever been involved in the company?

In his memory, she had been tied to the house-washing clothes, cooking meals, caring for his grandmother. She had hardly stepped foot into the office. So how had Colby twisted reality into believing she was the secret force behind Todd Group's rise?

The longer he mulled it over, the sharper the crease on his forehead grew.