CHAPTER 44: SHAREHOLDERS

A beat passed.

Silence filled the room once more.

She was right—Anita couldn’t just walk back after what she did eight years ago. Even when the company was under attack, when her father was fighting and defending from all sides, she didn’t look back. The shareholders and board members on her father’s side tried to reach her. Those who could, begged her to return, to stand by her father, and protect the company, but she turned away, looking colder than ever.

She vanished with David Blackwood and that idealistic dream of building something away from the White family legacy, even threatening to bring the White Corporation to its knees.

"She left her father to bleed," muttered, a man glancing at his wedding ring. "To clean up the mess she helped build."

"Reginald never recovered from it," the woman sitting beside him replied. They seemed to be a couple. "He started aging the day she walked away."

"She was that man’s pride," an advanced woman sighed. "He trained her himself—every negotiation, every acquisition, every backdoor deal. She was his legacy."

"And she burned it all," a bold-headed man chimed in. "And severed ties with her family. Tsk." He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Well, did anyone dare to treat her less than a White even after that? Severing ties could be a hoax for all we know," the woman in the pantsuit said dryly. "With her, perception is always a calculated move."

"She made herself untouchable," a ruthless-looking man stroked his beard. "Cut ties, yes. But she never cut power. Every year she’s gone, her name only grew bigger. Her husband’s company was listed as a billion-dollar company the other day, and there are whispers of him crawling towards our turf..."

Knock.

A single knock on the door silenced them. All heads turned to the door, thinking Reginald had arrived.

The man who’d not said a thing from beginning to start, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened his gray eyes. At the same time, the folding door creaked open, revealing Camille.

Her black boots were silent, but her presence wasn’t. Dressed in a tailored black skirt and white shirt, her eyes scanned the room like a security camera—sharp, impartial, and dangerous. Clear, she turned and gave a single nod to someone outside the room.

Then Anita stepped in.

The click of her red-bottom stilettos echoed like gunshots on marble. Her coat was long and black, cinched at the waist, worn over tailored black pants and black lace body suit. Hair was pulled into a sleek bun. Eyes lined with quiet, calculated war.

She didn’t smile. Didn’t greet.

She simply walked forward and placed her hands on the back of an empty chair, presumably, Reginald’s chair.

"What are you doing here?" the woman in gray pantsuit asked, brows creased, mirroring the others in the room.

"Reginald won’t be joining us," Anita said calmly.

"On whose authority?" the Rolex man blurted out before he could stop himself.

Anita’s eyes flicked to him. "On his."

She let that sit for a beat, then added, "And mine."

Zaria closed the door behind them and Camille pulled Reginald’s chair out.

"Now," Anita said smoothly, lowering herself into the chair, "shall we get started?"

"Did you... call this meeting, Anita?" The old woman asked, frowning.

Anita shook her head. "My father did. He knew you wouldn’t come if I called."

Nobody spoke. She was right. They wouldn’t come if they knew she would be here instead.

Anita stayed seated, hands calmly folded on the table in front of her, eyes scanning the ten members, recalling the file she got from Lord Maverick Ravenswood that morning – their shares in the White Corporation, profiles, and weaknesses.

Eleanor Glass – Holds 8.5 %

Profile: A glamorous, high-society widow with old money ties.

Weakness: Hiding tax fraud connected to her late husband’s estate.

The casual, laid back guy; Rahim Devar – Holds 7.2%

Profile: Tech mogul and startup investor; cares about innovation and optics.

Weakness: His AI company is under silent investigation for data privacy violations.

The Rolex guy; Clive Hendricks – Holds 6.8%

Profile: Bitter rival of Anita’s father from an old failed merger.

Weakness: Wants revenge more than profits.

The gray pantsuit woman; Samantha Lin – Holds 6.5%

Profile: Powerful businesswoman and image-obsessed influencer investor.

Weakness: Secretly involved in a sexual harassment coverup at one of her own firms.

The couple; Vincent and Marla Dray – Hold 5% jointly

Profile: Ultra-wealthy philanthropic couple. Care about their public image.

Weakness: Their son is secretly part of a criminal network.

Bold head man; Trevor Ng – Holds 4.5%

Profile: Cold, data-driven investor. Will always follow money.

Weakness: None personal, but he’ll shift loyalties for better returns.

The old woman; Beatrice Montrose – Holds 4%

Profile: Elderly shareholder, nostalgic about the company’s early days.

Weakness: Believes Anita’s father ruined the company’s values.

The quiet man; Rafael Cortez – Holds 3.9%

Profile: Silent investor from overseas, very private.

Weakness: Wanted to buy land from White Corp that Donald blocked.

Ilana Grey – Holds 3.5%

Profile: Fierce feminist activist turned investor.

Weakness: Angry about the company’s misogynistic past scandals.

The ruthless-looking man; Dmitri Volkov – Holds 2.5%

Profile: Ruthless international oligarch; doesn’t care who leads—only wants access.

Weakness: Under investigation by International police.

"I know I’m not the person you expected to see today," Anita began, her voice cool and unwavering. "And I know I’m not the person many of you want to see."

Samantha Lin scoffed under her breath and rolled her eyes so hard that you’d think she’d hurt her eyes.

Ignoring her, Anita continued, her gaze sweeping across the room. "Eight years ago, I walked away. You don’t need to remind me – I remember it every day."

"And yet you stayed gone," muttered Eleanor Glass. "Even when the board fractured. When we lost three of our biggest assets to poachers. When your father was being dragged through public trials by the press and competitors alike. You left."

The woman loved Anita like a granddaughter and treated her as such, but Anita disappointed her.

"I did," Anita acknowledged. "And I won’t insult you with excuses."