Chapter 179

Gabriel stood before the screen, presenting this month's revenue figures to the shareholders. Each figure was laid out with absolute clarity, and for the most part, the earnings were impressive. Pierre's clipped remark sounded almost like a simile: "Mr. Hall is…tractable."

Alex turned to Austin, their eyes gleaming with admiration. To be so young, yet shrewd, decisive, and far-sighted, made him a rarity among his peers.

Walter scoffed coldly at Pierre's flattery, his gaze shifting to the document Randall had just tossed onto the table. "Enough with the praise, Mr. Hall still owes us an explanation."

This was, after all, the grand spectacle he had meticulously prepared. Randall lifted his gaze to Austin, his voice level: "Austin, it's time for you to explain yourself."

A sharp glint flashed in Austin's eyes as he met Randall's stare. A cold smile playing on his lips, he said, "Since you're so eager, Uncle Randall, I'll be happy to oblige." He lifted a hand, gesturing to Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded understandingly and continued, "These are the revenue figures for the Eastside project. The losses amount to 1.5 billion dollars."

A murmur fell; the room erupted in shock. For many of the smaller shareholders, their annual dividends weren't even a fraction of that sum. No matter how stellar past performances had been, a loss of this magnitude could wipe out everything.

Someone finally broke the silence: "Mr. Hall, what exactly is going on here?"

Walter sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "What else could it be? A young man, drunk on success, thinks he's invincible just because he's made some money." Then, with a smug glance at Austin, he thought, "Now that this billion-dollar loss is out in the open, let's see if these old fools still dare to stand by him."

Though the others held their tongues, their darkened expressions spoke volumes.

Gabriel stepped forward, gathering the papers Austin had prepared and distributing them to everyone in the room. Confusion flickered across their faces.

Once he was done, Gabriel turned back to the screen and stated, "After acquiring the land, none of the original residents were willing to relocate. Instead, they demanded outrageous compensation."

His steady and composed gaze swept across the shareholders as he continued, "Hall Corporation has always offered the highest compensation rates. I believe you're all well aware…"

Walter stiffened, his fingers clenching around the document. A sudden chill crept through him. "How does Austin have this? And why is it recorded in such excruciating detail?" he pondered.

Just then, the screen lit up with a series of photos and transaction records. Each piece of evidence unmistakably pointed at Walter. Gabriel raised a laser pointer and directed it at the screen. "This man contacted the residents, urging them to refuse relocation and compensation while inflating their demands beyond reason." Silence fell over the room. Then, all at once, their eyes turned to Walter. They were furious.

At the head of the table, Austin sat immobile, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Mr. Bendey, quite the bold move," he remarked.

Walter's eyes darted across the figures on the screen as his throat tightened. Then he shot to his feet, pointing a finger at Austin. "T-This wasn't me! You're setting me up!" he sputtered.

Pierre slammed his copy of the report onto the table and stood abruptly, his face livid. "Walter, have you lost your mind? I…" Before, he had dismissed Walter's petty scheming as harmless, but this was pure greed.

Walter's face turned an ugly shade of gray. Ignoring Pierre, he turned back to Austin, his voice laced with venom. "Metall, is this because I said a few words about that woman you're…keeping? Is that why you've fabricated this nonsense just to…ruin me?"

Austin's eyes narrowed as a glacial chill radiated from him. Walter dared to bring up Picame.

The air in the conference room plummeted to near-freezing temperatures. Randall tossed his pen onto the table with a resounding clang, his voice cutting through the silence, "You'd better have a damn good explanation for this, or you'll have to step down."

As an elder of the Landly, Randall wielded strong authority. Their locked gazes initiated an unspoken battle in the charged air.

He instructed, "Daluriel, play the surveillance footage—"

Caliphol nodded swiftly. He moved quickly, and within minutes, a video appeared on the screen. It showed the heated confrontation between Sonia and Suzanne in the lobby.

Recognition swept through the room. Everyone knew exactly who Sonia was—Walter's daughter. She was unreasonable and dismissed all logic as she tried to drive Suzanne away.