Done with Cheater's Coldness Shine in Rival's Arms novel Chapter 88

Chapter 88 The Final Verdict

Finished

“Grandma, we didn’t start this fight,” Tyler whined, his voice thick with resentment. “It was Peyton who started spouting all that nonsense. And on top of that, the company froze my bank card!

“Grandma, I want to work at the company too! I’m your grandson just like him. Why does he get everything, and I get nothing?”

Tyler was seething with anger. He’d never been happy with Iris’ favoritism, but he’d always swallowed his pride because the company funded his lavish lifestyle. No one had ever dared to question his spending before.

But after everything that had happened, Peyton had shown their family no mercy. He’d cut off Tyler’s cash flow cold turkey. Now every penny Tyler wanted to spend required endless paperwork, and most of his requests got rejected flat-out. It was driving him crazy.

But Iris wanted nothing to do with the company’s affairs these days. She simply didn’t have the energy left to deal with all the drama.

In her younger years, she’d built the family empire from scratch while raising two boys on her own. The Reed family’s success was all her doing. She was a true self-made woman.

For decades, she’d poured every ounce of her energy into work, never stopping to think about herself. Now, her health was failing her, and her heart couldn’t take any more stress.

“You know exactly how Peyton’s run this company these past few years,” she said sharply, her gaze fixed on Tyler. “The company’s success today is a direct result of his hard work. He’s sacrificed more than any of you can imagine. I don’t need to spell it out for you.”

“Since everyone’s here today, I have an announcement to make,” she continued, her voice ringing out loud and clear, cutting through the tension. “Peyton and Quinn are getting engaged. From this day forward, Quinn is Peyton’s fiancée-and the only one I’ll ever recognize!

“I’m warning all of you-if anyone dares to lay a finger on her, or make her feel unwelcome in this house, you’re going up against me. And you don’t want to see what happens when I’m angry!”

Iris sat at the head of the dining table, her words serving as a final warning to everyone present. She’d been wanting to say this for a long time. Their past family gatherings had been nothing but miserable, and she hated the thought of Quinn suffering through that same nonsense.

“Second,” she went on, her tone unyielding, “as of today, Peyton is in full charge of everything in this company. He is my official heir. I have complete faith that he’ll take this business to even greater heights. I know some of you are bitter about this, but it’s my final decision.

“I didn’t hand this company over to him on a whim. I thought long and hard about this. None of you get to disagree!”

Iris had made up her mind ages ago. She’d just put off the announcement because she’d worried they wouldn’t be able to handle it. But now that Peyton was settling down and taking on more responsibility, the time had come. It was the least she could do to reward all his years of hard work.

Truth be told, Peyton didn’t care about inheriting the company, or the fancy title of CEO. He only cared about keeping Iris’ life’s work alive and thriving.

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13:00 Thu, Jan 22

Chapter 88 The Final Verdict

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“Mom! How dare you!” Harold roared, slamming his fist down on the table so hard that the dishes rattled. He was beside himself with rage. “I refuse to accept this!”

Deep down, they’d all known this day might come. But Iris had never actually come out and said she’d give the company to Peyton. They’d clung to the hope that, as the eldest son, Harold would inherit everything eventually-even if Peyton had been running things for years.

They’d never imagined she’d actually go through with it.

Harold’s whole family felt like their world was crashing down around them.

If Peyton took over the company completely, they’d be ruined. They’d leached off the family business for years, living lazy, carefree lives with no need to work for anything.

“This is my decision to make,” Iris said coolly, not the least bit fazed by his outburst. “This company is mine. I get to decide who gets it. You have no say in the matter.”

Quinn watched the scene unfold, a wave of sadness washing over her. She understood Iris’ motives. She knew how hard Iris had worked to build this life. But watching them tear each other apart over money… it was heartbreaking.

She couldn’t help but wonder.

Is it all worth it? They are family, for heaven’s sake. Why are they willing to destroy everything for a little bit of cash?

But she bit her tongue. She was still just Peyton’s fiancée. If she spoke up, it would only make them hate her more.

Somehow, she felt even more sorry for Peyton now. Growing up in a family this toxic… it explained so much about why he kept everyone at arm’s length, why he always looked so cold and unapproachable.

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