Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 581

Hugh squinted his eyes, comfortably seated in his wheelchair, as he calmly watched Whitney make her entrance, greeting her with a gentle smile. "My dear niece, what brings you here today? Did you need something from me, or is there some emergency with your father?"

His tone was laced with the natural concern of an elder for a younger family member.

The attention of everyone in the room shifted almost in unison from the Sheldon Group shareholders to Whitney upon her arrival.

Whitney couldn't help but smirk inwardly. Strike first, strike hard.

She raised her head high and walked in confidently, without showing any fear. "Uncle Hugh, if my father were in some kind of emergency, wouldn't you be thrilled?"

"What makes you think that, kiddo?" Hugh's voice was tinged with resignation, yet he remained relaxed and nonchalant.

Standing by the doorway, Whitney signaled to close it halfway and raised her voice provocatively, "If we're talking about misunderstandings, then perhaps the shareholders you've dismissed from their positions within the Sheldon Group this past week have greatly misunderstood you as well."

"You're just waiting for the Chairman to die! In just a month, everyone has seen right through you, Hugh. On the surface, you're disabled, but in reality, you're just waiting for Mr. Sheldon's downfall. As soon as you joined the Sheldon Group, you started purging us veterans, trying to oust us by any means necessary! Dear shareholders, especially the boss of Splendor Group, please open your eyes wide. Hugh is a wolf in sheep's clothing, lacking in both morality and competence. He's using underhanded tactics to force us veteran shareholders out, aiming to monopolize power! A man like this, even if you sign agreements with him, you can forget about enjoying the profits you did under the Chairman's tenure!"

"Yeah, Hugh's just not business-savvy; he's only interested in hoarding profits for himself. You'd be wise to avoid partnering with him. We'd rather harm the Sheldon Group's interests than not speak out. Think carefully about the kind of person he is and the recent rumors swirling around him in the business world!"

The other executives in the room looked visibly uncomfortable. The Splendor Group's boss pondered the situation, eyeing the aggrieved shareholders confronting Hugh. Nothing happens without a reason...

Although Hugh appeared to give Splendor Group a five percent advantage, that advantage could easily turn into a trap once they partnered up.

The Splendor Group's boss considered retracting the contract. "Hugh, it seems you're embroiled in internal affairs today. Perhaps we should discuss our partnership another time?"

Hugh's handsome features darkened subtly. He glanced at his secretary and signaled, "Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for today's inconvenience. My dear niece has stirred up some trouble by rallying these shareholders against me. When I first took the helm, I didn't want to replace my brother, but our old man insisted. I knew my niece would be resentful, thinking she alone had a claim on the Sheldon Group!"

With a sharp turn in his rhetoric, Hugh's words seemed to strike a chord with Whitney.

As the secretary escorted the executives out, their curious glances lingered on Whitney. It seemed Hugh's explanation had swayed them, portraying him as an innocent party.

Whitney let them scrutinize her. After all, she wasn't here for her reputation.

She turned to Hugh, her gaze cold and mocking. "You've really got a way with words. It's clear these shareholders are dissatisfied with you, not me. I'm merely representing my father, taking responsibility for their future with the company. After all, if it weren't for these veterans, the Sheldon Group wouldn't have risen to its current stature as the third-largest enterprise in the country. Even if it meant pampering them, it would be worth it. But you, in your quest for absolute control, were quick to dismiss them."

Her calm and measured words stirred the shareholders into a frenzy.

One of them, eyes blazing, declared, "Hugh, even before, you were the one we overlooked! From the founder to the Chairman, over these forty-odd years, what have you contributed to the Sheldon Group? Nothing! Your brother treated you with kindness, granting you the same profits as us, yet you, ungrateful and bitter, betray him... Did you hear Whitney? She's so young, yet her vision surpasses yours by far! She truly is her father's daughter. We should have opposed your involvement in the company from the start. Whitney should take over, not you!"

Hugh looked down at his legs, covered by a blanket. His deformity was an eyesore, one that Holly particularly disliked.

He chuckled softly, his gaze shifting to the outspoken shareholder. The shareholder, along with his companions, fueled by anger, declared, "We see through you now. You just want to swallow the Sheldon Group whole. The Chairman isn't dead yet; you won't succeed. Today, if you don't give us our rightful share of the Sheldon Group's profits for the next ten years, don't even think about leaving."

"Hugh, the Chairman will wake up soon. You'd best revoke your decision to dismiss us, or when the Chairman awakens and sees how you've treated us veterans, he won't let you off easily!"

"Let's show him what we're made of!"