Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 147

Julian wasn't remotely surprised that she had objections.

Elara was a lawyer. Even if corporate equity wasn't her primary specialization, her legal training and sheer instinct would instantly flag anything out of the ordinary.

Julian was banking on exactly that. He had explicitly instructed his legal team not to draft an airtight contract, purposely weaving in several glaring loopholes.

But he couldn't let her see his hand. Feigning confusion, he stepped closer, squinting at the clauses she was pointing at. "Why?"

"Is ten percent not enough for you?" Julian’s voice carried a sharp edge of preemptive annoyance. "That is the absolute maximum I could secure for you."

"That’s not it."

Elara had anticipated the ten percent figure from the start, so she wasn't thrown off. She pointed directly at one specific line.

"I know you and Leo Hammond built Ark Solutions from the ground up. But since you're transferring ten percent of the shares to me, I’m officially a shareholder now. Why am I being stripped of all voting and decision-making rights?"

Julian stared at her in disbelief, forcing down his rising irritation. "...You don't even involve yourself in the company's operations."

"Whether I manage the daily operations or not is entirely irrelevant. If I'm a shareholder, I inherently possess the right to vote on company decisions, don't I?"

"I’m not saying I’m going to micromanage your choices, but I at least need the right to be informed and cast a vote."

Elara crossed her arms, completely unyielding. "If I don't have those rights, don't you think it's going to look incredibly suspicious?"

"Suspicious to who?"

"I'll be holding ten percent, a stake similar to Leo Hammond's, but I'll have absolutely no say, just quietly collecting dividends in the background. People who don't know the truth will assume I'm a silent partner, but the people who actually know our dynamic... what are they going to think of me?"

Julian sighed. "...You're overthinking this. Nobody cares enough to gossip about our private lives."

Elara’s expression instantly cooled, the playful smile vanishing from her lips. She looked at him with dark, intense eyes. "Maybe that was true before."

"But after the spectacle with Vivian Winthrop's injury, I wouldn't be so sure."

Julian frowned deeply. "Why are you bringing Vivian into this? What does this have to do with her?"

"Because you practically carried her out of the building in front of your entire staff to rush her to the hospital."

Elara tossed the contract onto the bed and tilted her head, staring at him. "If you were single and childless, people would spin it into a romantic fairy tale. But you seem to have forgotten something—you are a married man."