Chapter 193
Four days later, the plane landed smoothly at Covenhill Airport.
With a full team of twelve nurses catering to Megan’s every need, Eliana finally felt at ease leaving her behind and flying back home with Theodore
Megan, meanwhile, would remain in Lunara until her injury heated and she could finish filming the commercial.
After dropping Eliana off at Russell Manor, Theodore looked up from his laptop and said in a low, gentle voice, “Go ahead and get some rest, love I’ve gue to make a quick stop at the office.”
Work had been piling up over the past few days, but what truly required his attention was far more urgent.
Anthony had taken advantage of his absence to strike a deal with Joseph, using the Stonemere branch as leverage.
Now, word was spreading through the company that Anthony had swooped in to save a partnership Theodore had supposedly fumbled.
“Alright,” Eliana nodded, her voice soft as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.
Theodore turned to the driver. “Take me to the office.”
“Yes, sir.”
Once the car pulled away, Eliana turned and made her way through the garden. But before she could reach the front steps, she was met by a pair of familiar, disdainful eyes.
Alice stood there, arms folded. “Wow. You actually managed to pull Theodore away from work. A little vacation, just the two of you… impressive.”
She scoffed. The memory of being turned down more than once for something as simple as a weekday shopping trip still stung. Theodore had always brushed her off with an excuse, usually relayed through Stanley.
But now Eliana had somehow managed to take him out of the country for days. It was enough to make her blood boil.
Eliana gave her a cool glance. “Not really your business, is it?”
Alice let out a sharp breath of amusement. “Of course it’s not. But I do wonder how people at the office are taking it. Theodore, abandoning his responsibilities for a woman? Ignoring Mr. Hill? Letting the head office lose such a major deal? Doesn’t exactly scream professional, does it?”
Eliana didn’t know all the facts, but she didn’t flinch. “Who said it was a vacation? He went to personally oversee Megan’s commercial shoot. It’s a new product launch for the group. Why wouldn’t he take it seriously?”
Alice was momentarily thrown off, the smirk faltering ever so slightly. Before she could recover, Eliana had already brushed past her and disappeared
into the house.
The moment Theodore returned to Russell Group, Stanley beamed with visible relief. “Mr. Russell, you’re finally back!”
Theodore barely glanced at him. “Tell Anthony to come see me.”
“Right away.”
A few minutes later, Anthony walked into the CEO’s office. Gone was the frustrated executive from last time. In his place stood a man riding high, confident and almost too relaxed.
As soon as he took his seat, he said bluntly, “You’re asking about the deal between me and Mr. Hill, right?”
Theodore, voice unreadable, asked, “So you knew.”
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Chapter 193
Anthony gave an almost sheepish smile. “I just wanted to make peace with Mr. Hill. But we ended up really hurtin in en cat hate
handed the project over to me I hope you’re not upset.
Theodore responded coolly, “Just a matter of who gets the job done. I’m not the type to hold a grudge.”
Anthony let out a quiet breath of relief. “Glad to hear that.”
He knew full well that cutting a deal behind Theodore’s back was like dancing with fire. Had Theodore chosen to push back, he would’ve had no teat defense.
“In that case,” Anthony said, “I’ll get back to work.”
“Not so fast,” Theodore said. “I gave you the Stonemere branch to focus on high–tech development. Don’t lose sight of that just because a small projects brings in a few million. Don’t let short–term profits distract you from the bigger picture.”
The disdain in his voice wasn’t even subtle.
Anthony forced himself to stay calm. “Of course I know that. But R&D demands people, funding, and time.
“I can’t let the branch turn into a bottomless pit, constantly burning money from HQ with no returns. We need to be bringing in revenue too, at least enough to keep the books from bleeding red.”
Otherwise, he’d have nothing to show on the year–end report.
Theodore fixed him with a long stare. “Interesting. I seem to remember you accepting that post with full confidence. Now it sounds like you’ve already lost your nerve.”
Anthony’s expression tightened. Back then, he’d just been blackmailed by Alice for three million dollars and was desperate to prove himself. That was why he jumped at the chance to manage Stonemere.
But the more he thought about it, the more it felt like a trap. High–tech R&D was a black hole. It could take decades and still yield nothing.
Clearly, Theodore had handed him a poisoned chalice.
Now that he had something solid going with Joseph, real money in sight, he wasn’t about to throw himself back into a bottomless dream.
Still, he kept his tone neutral. “Understood. By the way, while you were gone, the board’s been buzzing. Everyone’s wondering what kind of emergency could’ve kept you from showing up to work for so many days.”
Theodore turned to Stanley. “Let them know I’m back. Schedule a quick meeting. If anyone has something to say, they’re welcome to say it to my face.”
Stanley glanced at him, impressed. He saw right through it. Theodore was choosing to face things head–on, smoothing out tension and restoring calm to the company.
blicly.
Even Anthony was intrigued. It would be the first time he’d see Theodore publicly address the board. This ought to be entertaining.
Half an hour later, in the boardroom.
Theodore sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping silently over the room. He hadn’t said a word yet, but the pressure in the air was palpable. His presence alone made everyone uneasy.
He was the one who had vanished without warning, leaving the company in disarray, yet somehow, they were the ones feeling guilty.
The board members straightened their backs, waiting for him to speak.
Then Theodore’s voice cut through the silence, slow and deliberate. “So, just a few days without me, and the company nearly falls apart? Remind me again. Why do I pay you people?”
A heavy silence fell across the room as every board member instinctively lowered their heads.
Chapter 193
Theadore tapped a Higer rhythmically against the table. “If you feel you’re too old for this poland if you’re no longer up IN TH matters feel free to resign. We’ll find people who still have the spine for it.
That lit a fre under them.
it
In an instant, several board members leapt to their feet, scrambling to assert their dedication. One after another, they pledged loyalty, matter ( still sharp and fully coifimitted to serving Russell Group until their dying breath.
The room turned chaotic in seconds.
Watching the group of aging men practically ready to throw punches to prove their worth, Stanley discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead and shot another look of admiration at Theodore.
www
He knew exactly what this was. Theodore had turned them against each other so they’d be too busy defending themselves to blame him for anything Anthony, on the other hand, clenched his fists under the table. He’d spent two years tiptoeing around these old men, groveling for their support the = fool.
And now, seeing them fall over themselves to swear allegiance to Theodore made him feel like the punchline of a very cruel joke.
It wasn’t until after the meeting, when the board members were popping blood pressure pills and still quietly bickering, that they seemed to realize what had just happened.
“Wait… where’s Mr. Russell?” someone finally asked.
They looked around, and Theodore was already gone.
