CHAPTER 185: CHAPTER 185 THE BOARDROOM TRAP

Author’s POV

The meeting time had arrived, but Ryan was conspicuously absent.

The uncomfortable silence quickly dissolved into whispers that grew bolder by the second.

"Is this meeting even valid without Mr. Blackwood present?"

"What’s the point of this board meeting anyway?"

"Haven’t you seen the news? It’s everywhere!"

"Blackwood stock has dropped significantly. Why hasn’t Ryan done anything about it?"

The murmurs swelled into a rising tide of discontent, exactly as Kane had planned. I could see the satisfaction in his smile as he observed the growing unrest.

Finally, the door swung open. Ryan entered with Simon trailing behind him. His commanding presence silenced the room instantly—the whispers dying mid-sentence as he took his seat at the head of the table.

His ice-cold gaze swept across the faces before settling on Kane with undisguised contempt.

"Get to the point," he said flatly, dismissing Kane’s importance with his tone alone.

Kane leaned forward with a smirk. "Blackwood’s reputation has suffered significant damage because of your personal scandals. Don’t you think you owe everyone an explanation?"

"So that’s what this is about," Ryan replied with mock surprise.

The board members exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearly dissatisfied with Ryan’s casual attitude toward the situation.

"You called this meeting, didn’t you?" Ryan continued, his voice hardening. "As a shareholder, you publicly smeared Blackwood Enterprises, and now you’re demanding explanations from me?"

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Don’t you find that absurd, Kane?"

Kane’s smile faltered, his expression suddenly stiff and unnatural after being outmaneuvered so easily.

Ryan tapped the table deliberately. "Regarding Kane’s accusations about his condition—if I were responsible, he could have pressed charges. There’d be no need to waste company resources on this matter."

"The irony of you calling this meeting isn’t lost on anyone here."

The atmosphere shifted immediately. The board members’ expressions changed as they realized they were being used as pawns in Kane’s personal vendetta.

"What exactly is the purpose of this meeting anyway?"

"We’re not here to witness family disputes, are we?"

"If this is just about your personal grievances, perhaps we should leave you two to sort it out privately."

Ryan surveyed their reactions with quiet satisfaction. Kane might have acquired some shares, but his foundation within the company remained weak. Ryan had long since neutralized Kane’s potential allies, leaving only those who posed no threat to his position.

Kane was truly naive, attempting to exploit any small opening he could find. A true gambler, indeed.

"Since that’s the case, perhaps everyone should leave," Ryan suggested smoothly. "Family disputes should remain private matters."

Kane’s face darkened with anger, clearly unwilling to let the meeting dissolve so easily. He exchanged glances with several board members, and one of them promptly spoke up.

"This may be a family matter, but it’s significantly affecting the company’s reputation."

"I believe Mr. Blackwood shouldn’t be appearing in public at this time."

Ryan fixed the speaker with such an icy stare that the man immediately fell silent and averted his gaze.

Another uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Most hadn’t expected anyone to openly challenge Ryan’s authority.

Kane grinned, seizing the opportunity. "I agree completely. With these scandals surrounding him, Ryan is unfit to lead right now."

"Perhaps Mr. Blackwood should take a leave of absence until these issues blow over."

The shamelessness of Kane’s suggestion—considering he was the one who had manufactured the "scandal" in the first place—was breathtaking. His intention to have Ryan temporarily removed from his position was transparent to everyone present.

The board members exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to speak first.

Ryan laughed coldly, unsurprised by Kane’s thick-skinned approach. "So you want me to step down?"

Kane raised an eyebrow, his silence confirming the question.

"Blackwood Enterprises has plenty of talented people," Kane continued smoothly. "Your temporary absence wouldn’t impact operations. Plus, you’d have time to reflect on your... actions. A win-win, wouldn’t you say?"

The tension between uncle and nephew was palpable, like electricity crackling in the air.

Ryan finally broke eye contact, his tone shifting to strictly business. "Since this is a formal board meeting, let’s handle this properly. We’ll put it to a vote."

"Perfect," Kane agreed confidently.

But the voting results weren’t what he expected. The board members he’d thought were in his pocket all abstained!

Kane’s eyes flashed with fury as he looked at the people who had betrayed him.

Ryan wasn’t surprised by the outcome. Kane was truly a fool to think he could use the board to force him out.

"Anything else to say?" Ryan asked, contempt and disgust evident in his expression.

Kane gritted his teeth, speechless with rage.

Seeing his reaction, Ryan’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. Kane had clearly overestimated his influence—still nothing more than a clown performing on a stage too large for him.

"If not, meeting adjourned."

Ryan rose and was the first to leave the room. The other board members quickly followed, noticeably avoiding Kane as they passed. Some even kept their distance, clearly wanting no association with him.

When the room emptied, Kane’s face had turned ashen with fury. He slammed his fist against the conference table, the sharp crack echoing in the empty room.

His assistant tensed, not daring to speak.

"What happened to those shareholders? Didn’t they agree to support me?" Kane demanded. "They were Ryan’s people all along, weren’t they?"

He didn’t need confirmation—the situation had made everything painfully clear. Ryan’s position in the company was too deeply entrenched to be shaken by such trivial maneuvers.

Kane left the building seething with frustration, only to discover breaking news on his phone. The headlines detailed all his past misdeeds—how before his "accident," he had abused the Blackwood name, sabotaging several projects.

Ryan had clearly been holding onto this evidence, waiting for the perfect moment to release it.

"Find someone to suppress this immediately!" Kane barked at his assistant. "We can’t let this continue!"

The assistant nodded frantically, but Kane’s influence was nothing compared to Ryan’s resources. By that evening, these stories dominated every trending topic, with engagement only increasing by the hour.

The comments sections filled with uniform condemnation:

"So this Kane Blackwood was never innocent after all, despite his act."

"I remember these projects—they made news back then. Some companies even went bankrupt because of his actions!"

"That’s horrible! So Kane is the real villain here, feeding off others’ misfortunes. The company hasn’t had any scandals like this since Ryan took over."

"Karma coming back around? Seems like neither of them are saints!"

Kane stared at the coverage, raging in his private villa. The study looked like a battlefield, with broken ornaments scattered across the floor.

But no matter how furious he became, the damage was done, and there was nothing he could do to reverse it.