CHAPTER 134: CHAPTER 134

Her tone was warmed, laced with mock enthusiasm. "I can’t wait to see Cora’s face when it happens when she’s finally disgraced and dragged out in front of everyone. James, don’t even have mercy on her. Use security. Make them throw her out, drag her if they have to. She deserves it."

Then James looked at her, a slow smile creeping onto his face. He leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as if amused by her sudden boldness.

"It seems you don’t know me too well, Emily," James said, his voice low and edged with something darker. "I’m going to deal with Cora in a way she’ll never forget. I’ll break her so badly she won’t even want to show her face in public not to talk of ever stepping outside her house again."

At that moment, Emily’s eyes lit up with a false excitement as she whispered, "Good. That’s the best thing to do." Her voice carried a tone of satisfaction, hiding the storm of selfish calculations running through her mind. She didn’t care about the politics or the history, she only cared about being on the winning side. And now, with James finally pulling strings again, it looked like the tide was turning in their favor.

Without wasting another moment, both of them got dressed in haste, their faces set with grim determination. James adjusted his suit jacket as they stepped out, and Emily followed behind him in silence, though a faint smile tugged at her lips. The drive to ZXZ felt long but heavy with anticipation James’ fists tightened on his lap, his jaw clenching every time he replayed the thought of Cora sitting in his chair. That thought alone burned hotter than anything else.

When they finally arrived at ZXZ headquarters, the tension hit instantly. The moment James and Emily walked through the glass doors into the meeting room, their steps slowed.

There she was Cora seated at the head of the table the very seat James used to command with authority. Her posture was calm, composed, but the sight of her there struck him like a blade. That chair wasn’t just a seat to him; it was a symbol. And seeing her occupy it again made his blood boil.

James’ face hardened, and the quiet hum of conversation in the room faded as his footsteps echoed against the marble floor. His anger sharpened with every step closer until he stood right in front of her.

"This," he said slowly, his voice low but laced with venom, "is the last time you’ll ever sit in this chair."

Then Cora raised her eyes to him, silent, unreadable.

"If you knew what’s about to happen to you," James continued, his tone rising slightly, "you’d get up and leave quietly now, while you still have the chance."

However before Cora could respond, Emily stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she stood beside James. Her eyes were cold, her lips twisted in a mocking smirk.

"Listen to him, Cora," Emily said with a bitter laugh. "Don’t play stubborn. James is even being too lenient telling you to leave. If it were me? I wouldn’t waste my breath. I’d drag you out myself and deal with you mercilessly before I even bother saying a single word."

At that moment, hearing every word that spilled from Emily and James mouth, Cora didn’t flinch. She sat there calmly, her fingers loosely clasped on the polished table, her gaze steady and unbothered. Not a single muscle in her face moved.

The truth was, she wasn’t even supposed to be at this meeting. James had been the one to call it, thinking he could dictate the narrative and stage his grand takeover. But Cora showed up for one reason and one reason only she wanted to see his face when reality hit him. She wanted to watch the exact moment the pride in his eyes shattered into rage and disbelief.

Deep down, she knew he believed everything was falling into place for him. He thought the shares were secured, that his plans were airtight, that she was about to be humiliated in front of everyone. But Cora knew better. She knew the real numbers, the real power shifts happening behind the scenes, and she played her cards right. And when James found out? That was the moment she was waiting for the exact moment she would watch him break.

So she stayed silent. Calm. Almost amused.

James, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his composure. The sight of her still seated in the very seat he once commanded felt like a slap across the face. Each second she remained there only fueled the fire burning in his chest. Finally, he could no longer hold back.

"Well," James said sharply, his voice slicing through the tense air, "it seems I can’t wait any longer."

He turned away from Cora, his glare sweeping across the board members seated around the table. Their eyes followed him, murmurs rippling quietly as he stood tall at the center of the room.

"This meeting," he began, his tone firm and deliberate, "is no longer a secret. All of you know why we’re here. It’s simple we are here for a change of board leadership again."

He gestured toward Cora, his hand slicing through the air like a judge passing sentence.

"Because according to everything we now know," James continued, his voice growing louder, "the lady sitting over there... is not even fit to be seated there. She is not a majority shareholder. In fact, she doesn’t even have a share in this company anymore."

At that moment, James straightened his shoulders, his voice echoing through the boardroom with sharp authority as he continued.

"Now that I officially hold thirty percent of this company’s shares," he declared, his gaze cutting across every face at the table, "and with the extra twenty percent that no one is touching, the free shares reserved for the company’s future I practically control half this board."

Again he stepped closer to the head of the table where Cora sat, pointing toward her with a sharp gesture. "And let’s not forget," he added, his tone dripping with contempt, "the remaining fifty percent doesn’t even belong to Cora anymore. The holder of that share has already withdrawn everything. Which means, Cora, you have nothing. No power. No voice. No seat at this table. So do yourself a favor stand up and walk out quietly while you still can."

At that moment a hush fell over the room. Some of the board members glanced at one another nervously, whispers rippling like soft waves.

Then, suddenly, a chair scraped against the floor. One of the older board members, a man who had been silent until now, stood up slowly. His calm presence immediately drew everyone’s eyes.

"Mr. James," the board member said, his voice measured but firm, "I believe there is... an error in the information you’ve just given."

Immediately James froze, his brows knitting together. "What are you talking about?"

Then the man adjusted his glasses, looking James directly in the eye. "You do not hold thirty percent of this company," he said plainly. "You hold ten percent no more than that."