CHAPTER 137: REVENGE?

Evelyn sat perfectly still, her expression serene, though her hand under the table clenched tightly into a fist.

She forced herself to stay calm, not to let William Walters see even a flicker of the anger burning inside her.

The last thing she wanted was to give William Walters the satisfaction of knowing he could still get under her skin.

"Joseph, you may begin," Evelyn said smoothly, offering him a polite, composed smile.

Joseph rose from his chair and walked to the front of the room, straightening his suit jacket.

His voice shifted into a formal, commanding tone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I hereby declare this extraordinary shareholders’ meeting open. The agenda for today..."

He paused deliberately, glancing toward William Walters with just the faintest smirk.

"...is to discuss the proposal to replace the company’s current CEO, Mr. William Walters, and CFO, Ms. Lana Scott."

The moment the words left his mouth, Joseph could practically see the color drain from William’s face. Then came flooding back in furious crimson.

But Joseph continued, his tone calm, almost cheerful.

"Recent scandals and internal instability have caused our partners to lose significant confidence in the Walters Group. This meeting aims to restore that trust."

The statement hit William like a punch to the face. He already knew the meeting’s agenda, but hearing it announced publicly, in front of his family, his subordinates, and especially Evelyn, made his blood boil.

"What? Replace me? You can’t do that! You think you can just—"

Joseph didn’t even glance his way. "We will now proceed to the discussion and nomination," he said smoothly, his composure unshakable. "Does anyone have objections before we move forward?"

Silence.

William looked around desperately.

"Dad... Jason... Norah... Come on, you’re not seriously going along with this, are you?"

Jason Walters tilted his head toward the window, squinting as though the view outside suddenly became fascinating.

Norah Walters, perfectly bored, inspected her manicure.

And Samuel Walters, the patriarch himself, acted as if his son had vanished entirely.

Instead, Samuel turned to Stella and said dryly, "Stella, can you pour me some water? I suddenly feel thirsty."

William could feel his sanity slipping.

He turned to Alicia, his voice rising. "Alice, I know you’re angry with me, but you can’t side with them. If you do, I swear... I’ll never forgive you!"

Alicia didn’t even look at him. Her face was unreadable, expressionless.

Inside, however, her thoughts were anything but calm. She cursed him, ’What the hell, William Walters? You’re the one who should be begging for forgiveness, you arrogant fool. Why would I ever ask you for anything again?’

Her silence said everything.

Joseph, clearly enjoying the unfolding chaos, nodded with a pleasant smile.

"No objections then. That means Mr. William Walters will no longer serve as CEO of Walters Group, and Ms. Lana Scott will no longer hold the position of CFO."

He paused, glancing briefly at William, who looked like he might explode at any second. But the man didn’t speak. Not a word. Not when the entire room had turned its back on him.

"We’ll now proceed with the nominations for the new CEO and CFO," Joseph said, flipping through his papers with deliberate slowness, as if savoring every second of the downfall happening before him.

William looked around the room, trying to find even one sympathetic face, and found none.

His gaze finally landed on Evelyn.

"So," he said bitterly, "you came back just to get revenge on me?"

The entire room went still.

Samuel raised an eyebrow, curious.

Joseph leaned against the table, waiting for the fireworks.

Evelyn’s lips curved slightly.

"Revenge?" she repeated, her voice light, almost amused. "Oh, Mr. William Walters... You really think too highly of yourself."

William blinked, confused.

"Why would I lower myself to your level?" Evelyn continued. Her tone was calm but sharp, the kind that sliced without shouting. "Revenge takes effort. You’re not worth it."

A flicker of laughter escaped Joseph before he quickly coughed to cover it.

Evelyn’s eyes glinted with quiet satisfaction before she added, "And for the record, I didn’t call this meeting. That was Grandpa."

She turned her head gracefully toward Samuel and smiled. "Isn’t that right, Grandpa?"

Samuel, caught off guard by her sudden acknowledgment. Then his face softened, and he nodded, smiling proudly. "Yes, dear. That’s right."

Then Samuel turned his stern gaze to William. His tone carried the weight of decades of authority. "Will, stop using your power and stubbornness to humiliate your own family. Everything happening today is the result of your own actions."

"D-Dad..." William’s voice trembled, his confidence finally cracking.

"Accept this as your punishment," Samuel said firmly. "You’ve brought shame to this family. I won’t speak to you again until you take responsibility and make things right. Now get out. You no longer belong here."

William’s face twisted in disbelief. "You can’t kick me out, Dad. I still own shares in this company!" he shouted, pounding a fist on the table.

Evelyn sighed softly. ’Heaven! This old man, he really doesn’t know when to quit.’

"Grandpa," Evelyn called calmly, "can we please wrap this up?"

"Oh, right, dear. Sure, we can." Samuel nodded, gesturing for Joseph to continue.

And just like that, the meeting rolled on; cold, efficient, and utterly merciless.

Evelyn didn’t say much more. She didn’t need to. Her silence spoke louder than words.

By the end of the session, the new CEO and CFO had been officially appointed.

The votes were cast, the documents signed, and William Walters’ reign was finally over.

Evelyn didn’t even look at him again. She stood, straightened her long coat, and turned to her grandfather.

"Thank you, Grandpa," she said softly.

Samuel smiled and patted her hand. "You did well, Eve. You really did. And, come to our house... So many things we need to talk about."

Evelyn nodded and left.

Alicia and Stella followed her out, leaving the stunned boardroom behind.

Joseph, still seated, watched her go with a slight, proud smirk. ’Now that’s how you end a meeting,’ he muttered under his breath.

Outside, the air in the hallway felt different; cooler and lighter.

Evelyn could finally breathe again.

She walked with quiet confidence, her heels clicking against the marble floor as Alicia and Stella flanked her on either side.

None of them spoke.