Chapter 1043
Noreen slowly looked up, her gaze sweeping over the furious, ashen faces of the board members. A faint, inscrutable smirk touched the corners of her lips.
“Director Yates, everyone, please calm down.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it possessed a strange, piercing authority that instantly silenced the chaotic room.
She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her steepled fingers, her eyes as calm as a deep pool of water.
“Winrich’s foundation is incredibly solid. This is just a minor bump in the road. As for the exit strategy you’re all so worried about…”
She paused, meeting Director Yates’s eyes, and spoke with deliberate clarity. “My original promise still stands.”
The tension in Director Yates’s shoulders immediately evaporated. “Good.”
Because of this, the moment the meeting adjourned, four shareholders explicitly demanded to cash out.
Although their combined stakes in Winrich weren’t enormous, liquidating them all at once would require a massive sum of money.
When it rains, it pours. Right at this critical juncture, another crisis hit.
Crystal Chelsea, acting as a shareholder of Omniva Group, arrived to discuss pulling their capital.
When Dylan divorced Crystal, he had transferred a portion of Omniva Bank’s shares to her as part of the settlement.
Therefore, she possessed the legal authority to negotiate withdrawing the credit line. Noreen received her following standard business protocols.
Crystal sat on the expansive leather sofa, her posture the picture of elegance. With her chin tilted up slightly, she radiated an innate, haughty arrogance.
She slid a pre-drafted document to the center of the coffee table, tapping her manicured fingers against the glass. Her tone was dripping with blatant coercion.
“Ms. Gilmore, our bank’s risk management department isn’t running a charity. You’ve seen the PR disaster and stock crash happening at Winrich. I’ve already cleared it with the board. Pulling the credit line is standard compliance procedure. My hands are tied.”
She paused, her gaze raking over Noreen, who remained silent behind her desk. A barely perceptible sneer played on Crystal’s lips.
The office was so quiet that the only sound was the soft hum of the central air conditioning.
Noreen didn’t even glance at the document. When she finally spoke, her voice was completely devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
“If you are strictly following the contract, Miss Chelsea, Winrich will cooperate fully.” Crystal’s expression faltered. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the other woman. She was desperately searching for any sign that Noreen was just putting up a brave front.
But Noreen’s tranquil eyes gave nothing away, making it impossible to read her hand.
Crystal’s expression shifted several times, her previous arrogance rapidly deflating. “Then thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Gilmore.”
Noreen met her gaze, her eyes
holding a trace of polite detachment. “It’s only right. If there’s nothing else, please see yourself out. I have another meeting to attend
As Crystal walked out of Winrich Tower, she didn’t feel the triumphant relief she had anticipated. Instead, she looked distinctly humiliated.
She had assumed she would waltz in like a judge holding the power of life and death, eager to savor the thrill of forcing her rival to grovel.
And the result?
Noreen’s unshakable composure had completely shattered her own confidence.
Jasmine was waiting in the car. Seeing her slide into the passenger seat, she eagerly leaned over. “How did it go? Is Noreen losing her mind?”
Crystal’s expression was dark. “No. She calmly accepted Omniva pulling the credit line. She didn’t even try to beg me to reconsider.”
Jasmine was stunned. “How is that
possible? Her company is literally on fire right now. I heard she just- finished a board meeting where several directors demanded to cash. out
IMS
However, Crystal had just spoken the plain truth.
“She has to be putting up a front, right?” Jasmine insisted. “After all, if she showed weakness and Omniva Bank actually pulled the plug, Winrich would be paralyzed instantly. She’s probably terrified inside, just desperately trying.
save face and scare you off so she can buy some time.”