Chapter 99
“Amelia, stop struggling. Hand over the company seal,” Henry said. “And by the way, Gloria’s shares should be transferred to me as well.”
The executives were in a panic. They thought, ‘Henry is hopeless. How could we possibly hand over the management of the company to him? But has Mrs. Kingsley really embezzled funds?’
“I told you, that money was authorized by Landon,” Amelia said, her face tense, her brows furrowed in frustration. She could leave the company, but she would never give Henry control or Gloria’s shares.
She thought, ‘Since Landon could talk and move now, maybe it’s time to bring him in.’ Amelia weighed the risks and didn’t take immediate action. She thought, ‘Should I prioritize protecting the company, or for the sake of Landon’s safety, keep him hidden for now?’
“Amelia, it doesn’t matter what you say. Unless Landon wakes up and confirms he authorized the transfer, it means nothing.” Henry’s smirk widened, and his double chin wobbled as he laughed – a truly smug sight.
“Would you give up if Landon actually approved what I did?” Amelia asked.
Henry froze, his smile faltering. He eyed Amelia suspiciously and thought, ‘Could Landon have woken up? No way. If Landon had really regained consciousness, he would have been here by now, taking control of the company. There is no way he’d leave management in Amelia’s hands. She is trying to trick me.’
After a moment of realization, Henry’s grin returned even wider. “Alright. Prove it to us.”
“Fine.” Amelia gritted her teeth and reached for her phone. She might get scolded, but Landon was the only one who could resolve this situation. It was his company, after all. He needed to take responsibility.
“Fine? What do you mean by fine?” Henry’s smile disappeared again, his eyes locked on Amelia’s hand. He thought, ‘Who is she calling? Landon? Has he really woken up? Could he really speak now?’
Henry’s heart raced. He thought, ‘Damn it, I have eyes on Landon the whole time – he has been in a coma. How could he have suddenly woken up? I can’t let Landon show up now.’
“Amelia, wait a second.” Henry’s tone changed suddenly, shifting from aggressive to more conciliatory. Amelia had already started dialing but paused when she heard him. “What is it?”
“Although you’ve embezzled funds, you’ve still contributed to the Kingsley family,” Henry praised her while sending a message to Patrick under the table: [Landon’s awake. Finish him off immediately.]
Henry continued, “I don’t want things to get ugly between us. Why don’t you just admit your mistake in front of everyone, and I’ll let you go?”
“I didn’t make a mistake,” Amelia sneered. If she admitted it was her fault, it would be an acknowledgment of embezzlement. She wasn’t stupid.
“Then, I’ll have no choice but to call the police,” Henry threatened. He needed to stall for time and give Patrick a chance to deal with Landon. He thought, ‘Landon might have woken up, but his situation is far from good. If things were fine, Landon would have been the one to come and settle the bet today. We still have a chance. As long as Landon is out of the picture, Gloria and Amelia will be left alone and helpless. What could they do then?’
“You’re stalling for time, aren’t you?” Amelia realized what Henry was doing and quickly dialed Landon’s number. “Landon, be careful. Henry is trying to do something to you.”
“I know.” Landon’s familiar voice echoed from outside the meeting room – deep, authoritative. Everyone in the room was shocked. “Mr. Kingsley?” The meeting room door slowly creaked open, and Landon appeared in a wheelchair.
Behind him were Wesley and two rows of well-trained bodyguards. Landon’s face was cold and grim, exuding a murderous aura that seemed to drop the temperature in the room.
“Landon, you’re finally here,” Amelia smiled in relief, walking toward him with ease. At that moment, the room’s occupants were mere background; all Amelia could see was Landon.
He was like a ray of light, cutting through her struggles. He was like the wind, scattering the clouds of doubt.
“Mr. Kingsley.” The executives stood up in unison, visibly relieved, and greeted him with respect.
“Honey, is someone accusing you of embezzling funds?” Landon, sitting in his wheelchair, asked with a cold, authoritative gaze that commanded respect without a word of anger.
“It’s Henry,” Amelia replied in a sweet voice, reporting the accusation. At the sound of Landon calling her “honey,” Amelia’s face flushed with a rosy hue.
Just moments ago, Amelia had been a powerful and commanding CEO, but now, standing beside Landon, she was a shy and gentle woman. The onlookers couldn’t help but smile knowingly. They thought, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley seem to have a great relationship.’
“Landon…” Henry was stunned to see Landon appear at the company so suddenly.
He thought, ‘Didn’t Landon just wake up? Shouldn’t he be resting at home? But he doesn’t look like someone who has just woken up after four months in a coma. He seems to have fully recovered. Yet I’ve heard nothing about it. Damn.’
“It’s been a while, Uncle Henry. Did you turn into a stutterer?” Landon’s chilling gaze locked onto Henry.
“I’m just shocked to see you.” Henry quickly tried to explain, but his insides were sinking, regretting not finishing things off at the hospital. He thought, ‘It’s all Amelia’s fault for showing up unexpectedly and messing up my plans.’
“Shocked that I woke up?” Landon still stared at Henry. “Kenneth failed to finish me off. Is that what disappoints you?”
“Of course not.” Henry quickly backpedaled, trying to save face. “Kenneth didn’t mean to damage your car. Our whole family just wants you to be well.” Both Landon and Amelia let out a cold laugh at the same time.
When they heard each other’s laugh, they paused and exchanged looks. Amelia blinked innocently. Landon thought to her, ‘You’re copying me.’
Amelia sighed inwardly and thought, ‘Now, it isn’t the time for playful mind games. We need to deal with the bad guys.’ Landon smiled warmly at her, a softness in his expression that surprised everyone in the room.
They thought, ‘Just a moment ago, Mr. Kingsley looked like he was ready to kill Henry, but now he’s smiling at Mrs. Kingsley so affectionately. Is this the same ruthless, no-nonsense Mr. Kingsley we all fear?’
“Amelia approved the 100 million dollars, and I gave my consent,” Landon said, extending his fingers to tap the table lightly. “Any objections?” The executives quickly shook their heads in unison.
“Landon, this is improper. Even though you are the largest shareholder of the company, every penny of the company is tied to the other shareholders."
“If you want to give her some pocket money, it should come from your personal account, not by embezzling company funds,” Henry sneered, shifting the focus onto the other shareholders.
“The money was allocated for investing in Edwards Group, but because Sandra still holds shares and hasn’t moved forward with the restructuring, the funds were frozen,” Landon’s stern gaze swept over the shareholders. “Do any of you have a problem with this?”
The shareholders quickly replied, “Since it’s for the benefit of the company, we have no objection.”
They wouldn’t dare protest if Landon decided to take one billion dollars, let alone 10 million dollars. After all, their shares had been given to them by Landon’s father as a favor for sticking with the company from the very beginning.
Though their stakes were small, the dividends each quarter were enough to live comfortably. Henry was seething with frustration at them. He awkwardly said, “Amelia, you really should’ve clarified earlier that it was an investment. You had me misunderstanding everything.”
“Well then, I think you owe her an apology,” Landon chimed in.