Chapter Nine
Neo's POV
I reached for the documents, but before I could, Estelin had completely vanished from the room.
"Fuck." I muttered through gritted teeth.
I ran my fingers through my hair, frustrated, when the door opened again.
"You're back."
My face lit up briefly, thinking it was Estelin, but it immediately dropped. It wasn't Estelin but Cassie.
"Something feels off, Neo. Estelin has changed. Are you sure she doesn't remember everything?" she ranted as usual.
"What happened this time?" I sighed, dropping the files on the table.
Those documents meant everything. What I needed most at the moment wasn't Cassie's constant complaining, it was Estelin's final signature to make me chairman of her father's company.
I had thought it would be simple. The overall transfer of ownership of Estelin's properties was done. But company protocol, enforced by the board of directors, required her signature. Without it, I couldn't officially take control.
"Are you supporting her right now?" Cassie hissed, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I exhaled. "I told you, we need her now. This is my final card. I can't afford to lose it."
"Then you should have played it properly three years ago." She rolled her eyes.
"I literally had no idea about it. And you were supposed to figure things out, not leech on us here!" I snapped, pointing a finger at her.
"Seriously?" She scoffed.
I ran a hand down my face. "I don't mean it like that. I'm just frustrated. Why won't she just sign?"
"You showed her?" Cassie raised her brows.
"She left before I could. But I'll ask her tonight. She doesn't even remember she owns any property anyway." I smirked.
"That keeps us one step ahead," Cassie said with a sly smile, moving closer to wrap her arms around me.
My phone buzzed. Cassie let go, and I grabbed it.
My eyes widened."An impromptu board meeting?"
"Fuck those old fossils," I muttered under
my breath.
"Is something wrong?" Cassie asked, worried.
"I need to get to the company. Now."
I dressed quickly and drove like a man possessed, pressing the accelerator until the world blurred past. The last thing I wanted was the board starting the meeting without me.
When I arrived, my secretary was already waiting.
"How many are there?" I asked, walking briskly to the elevator with Evelyn.
"All of them, sir," she said.
I stopped mid-step.
"Why didn't you find out about this earlier? What if I hadn't been nearby?" I yelled.
"I'm sorry, sir," she murmured.
I ignored her and continued. When I barged into the conference room, every director was already seated. No one was really missing.
"Now that he's here, let's proceed," one of them said coldly. No warm welcome, nothing.
I scoffed.
The meeting started like every other. They wanted to appoint a new president — from outside the company. Not me.
I clenched my fists.
A disgusted gaze burned into me. It was from Mr. Jones.
He had once supported me. Now, I was his enemy all because of what Estelin did that day.
"I'm the son-in-law of this family. Don't you think I have the authority to step in as president? Not some stranger?"
"How can we be sure you're capable?" Mr. Jones sneered.
I gritted my teeth. "I've run this company for three years. And now you suddenly doubt me?"
"I signed every deal that saved this company from collapse!" I banged my fist lightly on the long table.
"That doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is present and you clearly can't handle it. The deal with SY Group — you failed to finalize it!"
"And how is that my fault? They refused to work with us."
"You could have persuaded them — that's what leaders do."
My vein throbbed in my neck. I wanted to smash a vase over his head.
"And when my best friend was alive, he didn't want you as his in-law. I wonder how you force yourself in? Isn't it all about the company?"
"Mr. Jones!" I bellowed.
"This is a meeting. Please keep it professional," one of the older directors warned.
"Then sign the papers," Mr. Jones shot back. "Let Ms. Estelin the heir appoint the chairman."
Soon the meeting ended or maybe I ended it. I reminded Mr. Jones of one of his inappropriate behavior in the company. He stormed out without looking back.
"Those old geezers," I muttered, slumping into my chair. I loosened my tie and tossed it aside.
I needed Estelin's signature. No matter what. Even if I had to remind her of the past or worse.
"Do you need anything, sir?" Evelyn asked, entering my office.
I barely noticed her when my phone buzzed relentlessly. A flood of messages.
Several messages had been coming in since the meeting began but I had ignored them thinking they were pranks or scams.
"Who the hell is that?" I thought, cussing under my breathe
With a single wave I dismissed Evelyn and pulled my phone out of my pocket.
"What the hell!" I exclaimed, eyes widening at the screen.
The messages were Payment notifications. Tons of them from my card.
'Vellara Centre Mall?' I muttered, brow furrowed.
I dialed Cassie immediately, furious.
"Why the hell are you at Vellara Mall? Why are you buying so much?!" I yelled the moment she picked up.
"What do you mean by that? I'm at home, taking a nap. You woke me with your call," she mumbled, drowsy.
Her voice confirmed it. Cassie wasn't lying — she had been asleep.
But who…
My mind drifted to Estelin but I immediately dismissed it. Estelin isn't the wasteful type.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of it.
At that same moment, my assistant barged in without knocking.
"Sir!"
I frowned, annoyed but something in her urgency made me pause.
"What is it?" I asked, still on the phone.
"Sir, I just received word that Mr. Adrain Hawthorne, the CEO of SY Group, is currently at Vellara Centre Mall."
The same Vellara Centre mall?
"The same man who refused to finalize the deal with you?" Cassie asked.
I hummed.
"This is our chance since he isn't arranging a meeting with you, it's now or never."
"You can go," I dismissed her instead.
Reluctantly, she left.
Cassie was saying something but I couldn't pay much attention. My attention was fixed on the endless alerts flooding my phone from the same Vellara Centre Mall
My brow furrowed. "What the heck?"
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
"I think my card had been stolen, Cassie."