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The rhythmic stomp of footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Quill turned, along with the rest of the room, just in time to see a wall of bodyguards stride into the shareholders‘ hall.
They parted with military precision.
And then she appeared.
Caitlin stepped through the doorway like a queen descending onto her throne, dressed in a sleek black long–sleeved dress that hugged her frame with poised elegance. Her cinnamon–brown waves cascaded naturally over her shoulders, her crystal earrings catching the light with every step.
She radiated cold beauty, power, and absolute control.
Awe–inspiring. Untouchable.
Quill felt the blood drain from his body.
It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water down his spine–his skin crawled, his heartbeat stopped, and the chill penetrated
straight to his bones.
“You… Caitlin, you…?”
Words failed him.
Shock. Fear. Disbelief. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing.
Caitlin–Caitlin–was the real owner of the Nedyah Group?
When? How?!
And why had no one seen this coming?
“How is this possible? You… You’re behind Nedyah?! That’s impossible!” he shouted, stepping toward her like she was some sort of hallucination he needed to shatter.
Caitlin stopped calmly, her eyes glinting like a drawn blade.
“Why would it be impossible? There’s nothing I can’t do if I want it.”
Her voice cut like glass.
Quill’s finger trembled as he pointed at her. “So this is who you really are. All this time… You weren’t just after Fragrance & Dye Studio–you were after the whole Yuncey Family!”
Caitlin smiled coldly. “Don’t make me sound like the villain, Quill. I didn’t come to destroy the Yuncey Family. I came to save it.”
She turned to address the whole room.
“Look at what the Yuncey Group has become under your leadership. If I hadn’t stepped in, it would’ve collapsed already.”
“Don’t give me that sanctimonious crap!” Quill barked, face red with rage. “You’ve been scheming from the moment you stepped foot back in the Yuncey estate! And now, you’re finally showing your true colors!”
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To him, she was no longer Caitlin–she was the enemy.
Unbothered, Caitlin swept across the room, heading toward the shareholders‘ table.
The seat reserved for the primary stakeholder had belonged to Nedyah Group’s CEO, Kelvin.
Now, Kelvin stood respectfully, pulling out the chair for Caitlin and stepping aside like a subordinate.
Not a single flicker of resistance on his face.
Quill’s mind spun. What kind of spell had she cast over him? Surely she’d seduced Kelvin–wasn’t that the only way a woman like her could claw her way to the top?
Even so… even if she owned Nedyah, that only gave her a 20% stake. She was still far from controlling the Yuncey Family Group.
Quill forced himself to calm down and returned to his seat, addressing the room.
“Fine. The internal affairs of Nedyah Group aren’t my concern. But their ownership change doesn’t affect the direction of our company.”
He launched into a dry explanation of the Group’s recent struggles and his ideas for recovery.
Caitlin interrupted, voice crisp. “So how exactly do you plan to reverse the Group’s plummeting value?”
“We’re in talks with several major investors , ” Quill said confidently. “With fresh capital, we’ll recover.”
“And what about CLHC’s acquisition offer?” Caitlin asked smoothly.
“There will be no acquisition,” Quill snapped. “The Yuncey Family Group holds 51% of its own shares. We reject the motion. It’s as simple as
that.”
Caitlin leaned back, arms crossed. “You keep saying ‘we . ‘ But Quill, you only represent yourself. You can’t speak for all shareholders.”
She turned to face the rest of the room.
“Let’s hear what the other shareholders think. After all, their votes matter too.”
Quill looked to his family members–his brothers, his cousins. Surely they’d back him. That was how it had always worked.
That was how Timothy had raised them.
But then Cynthia, sitting near the back, raised a brow.
“Don’t look at me. I’m just here for the show. I don’t have any shares anymore.”
Her words were a fuse. And she had just lit the match.
Quill’s face turned pale. “What… What did you say? You had 5%! You–you can’t have sold them!”
Cynthia smirked. “Oops. Forgot to mention–l/sold them when the stock started tanking. Didn’t think they’d be worth much longer. Got a good price, though.”
“Sold them?!” Quill’s voice cracked.
“And I wasn’t the only one,” she added casually. “Ask Spencer. He sold his too.”
Quill’s eyes swung to his younger brother. “Spencer?! Tell me that’s not true!”
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Spencer avoided his gaze. “The way things were going, I figured my shares would be worthless soon. Someone offered me full–price buyback. I took it.”
The knife twisted deeper.
“You too?! My own brother?”
“I’m not alone,” Spencer said, throwing another log on the fire. “Fabian and Edgar also sold theirs . ”
Quill’s heart dropped into his stomach. “You… you can’t be serious…”
Fabian and Edgar looked down in silence. Edgar spoke up.
“We didn’t want to get dragged into bankruptcy. If things went south, we’d be liable. So we cashed out while we could.”
“You idiots!” Quill exploded. “You sold your own father’s legacy! You broke every rule he ever laid down! What will you tell him?!”
Then came the final nail.
Quill stumbled backward, blood pounding in his ears. “Tell me… Who did you all sell to?”
He already knew the answer.
He just couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
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