CHAPTER 680: CHAPTER 680: HOW COULD IT BE HER

"Bang," a soft sound echoed as the meeting room door was pushed open from the outside.

Ann Vaughn walked into the meeting room, looking towards the head seat at the conference table, her bright eyes showing a tinge of surprise, "You..."

How could it be her...

"You’re just in time." Brooke Ryan, sitting at the head seat, had a flash of smugness in her eyes, "Regarding the proposal you submitted a few days ago, I looked it over. It’s full of loopholes and utterly fanciful. How did you come up with such an unreasonable plan?"

"Oh, and there’s no need for you to revise it, as this plan is terminated from this very moment. It’s meaningless to proceed further. Of course, if you have a better plan, show it to me first. If I approve it, only then can your plan be implemented."

Brooke Ryan looked at Ann Vaughn with a condescending posture, as if she was venting all the frustrations she had experienced with Ann, her words were quite rude.

Flynn Murray, sitting to the side, shook his head at Ann Vaughn, signaling her to endure for now and wait until the meeting was over.

Even Flynn Murray hadn’t expressed an opinion on Brooke Ryan assuming the role of Chairman at The Vaughn Group, and even more so neither had the shareholders. It indicated that the cards she held were weighty.

Even though Ann Vaughn wasn’t clear on what exactly was happening, she didn’t impulsively confront Brooke Ryan in the meeting room.

After the meeting ended, Brooke Ryan tossed the documents in her hand to the assistant nearby, smiling gloatingly at Ann Vaughn.

"Ann Vaughn, you never thought you’d see this day, did you? We’ll see about that."

After saying this, Brooke Ryan left the meeting room surrounded by numerous shareholders.

Ann Vaughn furrowed her delicate brows, looking towards Flynn Murray who was standing up, "Uncle Murray, what’s going on here?"

"I wanted to ask you how the transfer document from Ian’s safe ended up in Brooke Ryan’s hands. Other than you, no one knows the password to the safe." Flynn Murray’s tone carried a hint of anger, "And now, all of Ian’s shares have gone to her name."

"62% of the shares, The Vaughn Group from now on will be at her word, even what I say won’t matter."

Flynn Murray didn’t say anything more, picking up his things from the table and walking out of the meeting room.

Upon leaving, Flynn Murray paused at the door, taking a glance back inside, seeing that Ann Vaughn was left alone in the meeting room, sitting there with her head down, appearing dejected.

He sighed, shook his head, and walked away.

The matter of Ian Vaughn’s shares falling into Brooke Ryan’s name couldn’t be hidden from Old Mr. Vaughn, and even if it couldn’t be hidden, Brooke Ryan would ensure the news reached him.

Before the evening even arrived, a servant Brooke Ryan had bribed at the Viridian Palace informed her that Old Mr. Vaughn had a huge outburst at Ann Vaughn, even kicking her out.

"Hahaha, I used to think grandpa and grandma treated her differently, but doesn’t it all come down to blaming her as soon as she makes a mistake?" Brooke Ryan tapped her desk, clicking her tongue.

Compared to Ian Vaughn, the precious son, how important can Ann Vaughn actually be?

"Don’t be too happy too soon. Her few improved formulas haven’t been fully tested yet, those researchers are like her fans gone crazy. If the shareholders find out the true value of those formulas, you won’t be able to curb her rise."

A low voice came from behind the desk.

Brooke Ryan’s eyes showed disdain, "No matter how capable she is, with only a mere 15% of shares in her name, as long as I don’t give the nod, she can’t do anything. She’s only able to crawl underfoot, barely surviving."

"Don’t be blindly confident; weeds not thoroughly removed will regrow with the spring breeze."

"What are you afraid of? Besides you and those researchers, who knows she was the one who wrote those formulas? I could claim they were mine, who would dare refute that?" Brooke Ryan leaned back in her chair, her face full of reckless pride, "Speaking of which, I’m even helping her."

The voice chuckled, "I understand."

...

A day later, the project with the new formula resumed, only this time the initiator and signatory of the formula became Brooke Ryan instead of Ann Vaughn.

Additionally, Brooke Ryan distorted the truth, falsely claiming Ann Vaughn leaked the new formula to rival companies, causing The Vaughn Group almost significant losses, thus barring her from any further involvement in the new formula.

Once this announcement was made, The Vaughn Group was abuzz, with discussions and condemnations arising, questioning the Ann Vaughn who hadn’t been seen at headquarters for a day.

But just then, the public LCD screens in the administrative hall and all the offices at Vaughn Headquarters suddenly turned on automatically.

A pale but still graceful and handsome face appeared on the screen.

"Hello everyone, I believe everyone here knows me. I am Ian Vaughn, the former Chairman of The Vaughn Group."

The instant he appeared on the screen, an incredulous exclamation resounded throughout the headquarters.

"Didn’t Chairman Ryan say at the collective meeting the day before yesterday that Chairman Vaughn had become a vegetable and would never wake up?!"

"Ahhh, my idol! I knew nothing could beat him!!"

"Someone fainted here, pinch their philtrum, pinch their philtrum!!"

At that moment, in the top-floor meeting room where a meeting about the new formula’s future plan had just ended, Brooke Ryan emerged leading the group, only to look up and see Ian Vaughn’s face on the screen, causing her breath to catch.

The very person she feared to see the most at this moment!

"Regarding the matter of the new chairman appointment of The Vaughn Group the day before yesterday, I’ve already delegated full authority to the lawyers and inspectors to handle. I deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to those present, and seek your understanding."

Almost as soon as Ian Vaughn’s words left the screen, the elevator on the top floor opened, and five lawyers in black suits emerged from the elevator, with inspectors in blue and white uniforms following behind.

Among them, there was one lawyer Brooke Ryan was all too familiar with.

Wasn’t it Lawyer Hawthorne, who had notarized the shares for her?!

But seeing the elegant figure that finally emerged from the elevator, Brooke Ryan’s breath became rapid, "It’s you!"

"Did you really think the Chairman of The Vaughn Group’s position was so easy to sit on?" Ann Vaughn smiled with red lips, showing none of the anger or depression from the previous day, as she walked toward Brooke Ryan, "Jane Sheridan has quite the favorable opinion of you."

An empty head is easy to deal with.

Fury boiled up to Brooke Ryan’s head, and she lunged to strangle Ann Vaughn’s neck, only to be stopped by the lawyers.

"Miss Ryan, the transfer document you used for share notarization two days ago is a forgery. The shares under your name are just virtual numbers and do not exist."

Lawyer Hawthorne flipped through the documents in his hand, speaking with merciless precision, "Furthermore, the formulas you signed caused great loss and harm to Miss Vaughn, the holder of the patent certificate, and we have the right to hold you accountable for your actions."