Chapter 145

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The Stars Group’s rise from obscurity to rivaling Mandino City’s top four enterprises was all thanks to that mysterious shareholder’s relentless
investments .
Aria was not even twenty – three . There was no way it was her !
Except for Caleb , no one in the room believed it .
Derek smirked , clearly enjoying the moment . “ Wow , so none of you knew ? Guess I’m the only one in the know .”
Luke frowned , his tone stern . “ I get that you’re close to Aria , but don’t make up stories just to boost her image . If a rival company hears this , they’ll twist it
to their advantage . It’s one thing to be careless usually , but don’t spread baseless rumors about something this serious . ”
Derek shrugged , looking unbothered . “ Uncle Luke , instead of telling me off , why don’t you make a few calls ? You know people from the Stars Group . It won’t take long to confirm . ”
An hour earlier , Victor had just laid out evidence of Trenton abusing his position for personal gain .
A tiny company with barely a dozen employees had been using the Stars Group’s name to secure major deals .
If something went wrong , the Stars Group would’ve been the one to take the fall .
Thankfully , the issue was caught early . Otherwise , the consequences would’ve been disastrous .
Victor explained in detail how he had risked everything to gather the evidence .
He had been the closest to Trenton , and it was he who ultimately brought him down .
The other board members , who had always dismissed Victor as insignificant , suddenly found him intimidating .
For the first time , he spoke so boldly in a board meeting . As the room fell silent and the others exchanged complex glances , Victor felt a surge of pride . He was finally in control .
He knew they were wary of him .
From then on , he might find himself isolated .
But it didn’t matter . He had Aria backing him now .
Lifting his chin , Victor declared , “ One more thing . Mr. Hayes holds Ms. Saxon in high regard . If she doesn’t personally handle the negotiations , the Hayes Group will look for another partner . ”
Someone asked skeptically , “ She has connections like that ? ”
Victor repeated Johnny’s words . “ Ms. Olsen from GloTech will be returning to the country at the end of the year . Offending Ms. Saxon would harm the Stars Group’s interests . ”
With that , no one dared to voice any objections
Luke made several calls , each confirming the same shocking answer that Aria was indeed the largest shareholder of the Stars Group , holding 39 % of the
shares .
Their daughter was far more extraordinary than they had ever imagined .
Logan’s expression was a mix of disbelief and regret , while Zoe’s hands trembled slightly as she tried to process the news , her heart heavy with remorse .
Joseph’s eyes lit up with ambition . That was the opportunity he’d been waiting for . If the Saxon Group could form a deep partnership with the Stars
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Group , they could dominate the market and leave their competitors far behind .
He stood up decisively . “ We must bring Aria back home . ”
The others exchanged uncertain glances but said nothing .
They all knew one thing that Aria was never coming back .
Luke’s face burned with shame as he stammered , “ If it’s for the betterment of the Saxon Group , I’d be willing to welcome her back .”
Caleb , already anticipating his grandfather’s intentions , spoke up firmly . “ Aria’s not coming back , and you all need to stop interfering in her life . ”
Joseph frowned . “ What do you mean she won’t come back ? She’s a Saxon . That’s something that will never change . ”
Caleb reminded him , “ Grandfather , you were the one who personally issued the statement severing ties with her .”
With that , Caleb turned and walked away without another word .
Derek was happy . “ Alright , I’m off . Take care , Grandpa , Uncle Logan , Uncle Luke ! ”
He caught up with Caleb . “ Caleb , you know Grandpa won’t back down easily , right ? ”
“ I know . I’ll deal with them , ” Caleb said , glancing at Derek . “ By the way , how did you manage to bond with Aria ? ”
Derek hesitated but decided to share . “ One word .
“ Thick – skinned ! The more thick – skinned , the better . ”
After testing the last bottle of beauty cream , Aria wrote down the treatment plan , snapped a photo , and sent it to the group chat .
The doorbell rang , and Rhett was at the door . “ My friend’s back in town . He wants to team up with me to plant a Trojan on your phone and swipe your money . ”
AD
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