CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 136

The room was silent except for James’ heavy breathing. The board member didn’t flinch. Instead, he calmly straightened his glasses and spoke, his tone measured yet firm.

"With all due respect Mr James," the man began, "what I was trying to say earlier... is that almost a days ago, a transfer of twenty percent shares was made. But not to you."

James froze, his expression hardening. "What are you talking about?"

The board member continued, steady despite the rising tension. "That twenty percent was transferred to someone else. We don’t know much about him, only that he’s listed as ’Mr. B.’ That’s the name on the file. Twenty percent, confirmed. Which means, James, there is no extra twenty percent floating around for you to claim. None."

At that moment Murmurs rippled across the boardroom, shocked faces turning toward James.

However the man’s voice dropped lower, but his words carried a weight that silenced everyone. "And the strangest part? The person who authorized the transfer, the one who gave up that twenty percent their name wasn’t even revealed. The file is sealed. But the only signature shown... was marked with one word. ’Mark.’"

James’ eyes shot open wide immediately, his face draining of color as the weight of that name hit him like a blow to the chest.

James, at that moment, couldn’t help himself. A laugh tore out of his chest, it was sharp, bitter, and entirely out of place. It wasn’t joy; it wasn’t even humor. It was panic trying to disguise itself as confidence. The fear gnawing at his gut was growing heavier by the second, but still, the laugh came, echoing through the tense boardroom.

Then he dragged a hand down his face, shaking his head, a crooked smile twisting across his lips. "This is a joke, right?" he said, his voice dripping with forced amusement. "Tell me this is a joke. Because it has to be. This is the little trick Cora’s been cooking up, isn’t it?"

Immediately his gaze swept across the room from the quiet board members who avoided his eyes to Cora, who sat there calm and composed, her silence almost mocking. "Of course," he continued, the bitterness sharpening in his tone, "of course this is what you people were planning. No wonder you all came so early. No wonder you were all sitting here quietly like saints when I walked in. You’ve been plotting this, haven’t you? Sabotaging me. Every last one of you."

Again he stepped closer to the table, slamming his hand down on the polished wood, making a few people flinch. "So let me get this straight," James said, his voice rising with each word. "You’re trying to tell me, that Mark somehow transferred twenty percent of the company’s shares to somebody called... Mr. B?"

He scoffed loudly, shaking his head as if the very thought offended him. "How is that even possible? That twenty percent is mine! It belongs to me! Mike wouldn’t no, Mike couldn’t transfer something like that to some faceless stranger nobody here even knows."

James’ eyes darted from one face to another, searching for any sign of hesitation, any crack in their resolve. But all he saw was silence silence that only made his rage boil hotter.

"You think you can play this game with me?" he snarled, his voice low and dangerous now. "All of you. Every single one of you sitting here including Cora." He pointed at her sharply, the accusation hanging heavy in the air. "You think this little setup is going to work? You think I won’t find out who’s behind it?"

He straightened, his glare sweeping across the entire boardroom, his voice thundering in finality.

"By the time I get to the root of this, every one of you will regret it."

At that moment, the man stood firm, his voice calm but edged with a weight that demanded attention. The murmurs in the boardroom quieted as he addressed James directly again, this time his tone was cutting through the heavy tension like a blade.

"Mr. James," he said evenly, "this isn’t a game. None of this is some petty trick or rumor. This is real. Why would anyone here why would I treat something as delicate as this company’s shares like a game?"

The man’s words carried no hesitation. He reached into his folder and pulled out a thick document stamped with the official company seal, flipping it open deliberately so everyone could see. "Here," he continued, stepping toward James and holding the paper out toward him. "Take a look for yourself. Every detail is here. The signatures are here. Mark signed it. The new shareholder listed as Mr. B signed it. Everything was filed with the company, reviewed, and confirmed. It’s legitimate. The twenty percent you think belongs to you... it doesn’t. It belongs to Mr. B."

A sharp wave of whispers swept across the room, board members leaning toward one another, disbelief and shock etched across their faces. The revelation cracked through the atmosphere like lightning, shifting the balance of the entire meeting.

James stood frozen for a moment, his breathing harsh and uneven. His eyes flickered from the man’s calm expression to the document in his hands, as if daring it to say something different. Without another word, he strode forward, each step heavy and deliberate, the anger radiating from him thick enough to choke the air.

He snatched the papers from the man’s hands with a sharp motion, the sudden force making a few members flinch. The rustle of the pages filled the silence as James tore the folder open and scanned through the contents with frantic eyes.

Every line confirmed what the man had said. The names. The signatures. The sealed approval. The transfer date. It was all there, staring back at him like a cruel joke carved in ink.

His jaw tightened. His teeth ground together so hard it felt like they might crack. The air around him felt heavier with every passing second, the weight of betrayal and humiliation pressing down on his chest.

Finally, as the truth settled in and the realization sank deeper than he wanted to admit, James lowered the paper slightly, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper only he could hear.

"You crazy bastard."