CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 137

James couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His hands trembled slightly as he held the document, eyes darting over the signatures again and again, almost hoping the letters would rearrange themselves into a different name. Mark... how could you?

The betrayal burned hotter with every passing second. Mark wasn’t just some shareholder he was the one James thought would be his key to reclaiming the company. The only route left to claw his way back into control, and now, with a single transfer, Mike had ripped that hope out from under him.

"How... how is this even possible?" James muttered under his breath, though loud enough for the tension in the room to thicken. His voice cracked between disbelief and fury. "The only way... the only chance I had to get this company back... and you destroyed it."

He couldn’t even bring himself to look at anyone else. His eyes stayed glued to the document, as though staring hard enough would somehow rewrite the reality before him.

At that moment the board member cleared his throat softly, drawing all eyes to him as he continued. "Well... as you can see, Mr. James, the evidence is right there. The share was sold, and it has a new owner now, Mr. B."

Immediately a murmur rippled through the room, though no one dared speak above a whisper.

Then the man straightened even more, holding his ground. "As for the remaining ten percent... I trust you remember how it was divided among the board members? Five of us, each holding an equal share." He paused briefly, letting the words sink in. "That division is still valid. And the deadline to reclaim those shares has long passed, you didn’t renewed. They are fully under our control now."

James’ grip tightened around the document. "What are you saying?" he demanded, his voice low but dangerous.

However the man’s expression didn’t waver. "I’m saying," he replied steadily, "that we’ve decided to sell our combined ten percent as well."

Immediately the boardroom went dead silent.

"Sold it... to the same person," the man finished. "To Mr. B."

At that moment James’ breath caught. His mind raced as the weight of those words hit him like a hammer.

"Which means," the man added, each word deliberate, "Mr. B now controls thirty percent of the company’s shares."

Upon hearing what the man just said, James couldn’t hold himself back. Rage boiled up from deep within him, spilling out in a torrent of words. He slammed the document down on the table, the sound echoing across the boardroom as everyone flinched slightly at the force.

"Who is this God-forsaken Mr. B!!" James shouted, his voice cracking between anger and disbelief. "Doesn’t he have a real name? A proper name? A family name? Why is everyone calling him Mr. B like some ghost in the shadows?"

His voice grew louder, almost trembling with fury as he paced in front of the table, gesturing wildly toward the board members. "What is going on here? Are you all trying to dupe me? Is this some elaborate scheme to make me lose my company completely? Is this your grand plan?"

James’ eyes darted toward the board, his face twisted with betrayal. "I trusted you!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at them. "I trusted every single one of you! That’s why I left that ten percent in your care. I promised you I promised you I would pay you handsomely to claim it back when the time was right. And what do you do? You sold it!" His voice cracked again, the weight of the realization hitting him harder. "You sold it... without even telling me!"

He slammed his hand on the table again, leaning forward, breathing heavily. "Why? Why would you do this? Why would you betray me like this?"

However the board members stayed silent. None of them moved. Their faces remained stone, refusing to give him the reaction he desperately wanted.

James glared at them all, his chest heaving, his words lowering into a bitter growl. "You’re all betrayers. Every last one of you. If I had known this is what you’d do, I would never have trusted you."

Still a suffocating silence filled the room after his outburst. The weight of his fury hung in the air, but no one dared respond.

And yet, across the table, Cora sat completely still. Unlike James, she wasn’t shouting or pacing. Her mind was somewhere else entirely.

Mr. B.

The name was unfamiliar to her. It didn’t belong to anyone she knew. And that more than anything intrigued her.

’Who was this man who now owned thirty percent of her company? Thirty percent, without her ever hearing his name, without him ever stepping foot into this room?’It was unsettling, but also strangely fascinating.

At that moment, Cora drew a deep breath, forcing her curiosity about Mr. B to the back of her mind. There would be time to deal with that mystery later. Right now, she had to focus on James the man who still stood there fuming, shaking with anger, yet blind to how powerless he had truly become.

She rose from her seat slowly, every movement deliberate, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor as she approached him. The room was silent; all eyes followed her.

"James," she began, her voice calm but carrying an edge sharp enough to cut through his rage, "I hope you understand the kind of position you’re in now."

James froze mid-step, glaring at her but saying nothing.

"From every indication, from everything we’ve seen today," she continued, gesturing toward the documents still clutched in his trembling hands, "you don’t even have one percent of this company anymore. Not one. Which means, James... you don’t belong here. You have no ties to ZXZ anymore."

Cora’s voice hardened, every word deliberate and cruelly clear. "And because of that, I’m sending you off properly. Consider it the last mercy you’ll ever get from me or this company."

Hearing Cora words James’ jaw clenched, but she didn’t stop.

"But after today," Cora said, stepping closer until she was face-to-face with him, "if you ever set foot in ZxZ again if you so much as breathe near this company’s walls, I’ve already instructed security to deal with you however they see fit." Her smile curved, almost sweet, but her words carried venom. "They can break your legs. Drag you out. Do whatever they want. I won’t stop them."

The board shifted uncomfortably, some glancing at James, others at Cora, the tension thick as a storm.

Cora tilted her head slightly, her smile widening just enough to sting. "Now do you finally understand the difference between us? You can keep convincing yourself I’m not the one doing this. Lie to yourself all you want. But reality, James..." she gestured toward the papers, toward the board, toward the silence heavy in the room, "...is standing right in front of you."