Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 275

Seren had received a call from Old Mr. Rutledge early that morning, telling her to come to Rutledge Group immediately, but he hadn't explained why. As she stepped into the conference room filled with unfamiliar faces, she felt a wave of confusion.

It was Susan who beckoned to her. "Seren, come sit with me."

After taking a seat next to Susan, Seren finally noticed Old Mr. Rutledge at the head of the table, with a stony-faced Zena sitting nearby.

Before she could make sense of the situation, Old Mr. Rutledge spoke, his voice booming through the silent room.

"Under the failed leadership of the current chairman, Zena, the board and I have decided to call this emergency shareholders' meeting. We are proposing a vote to replace her with Susan as the new chairman of Rutledge Group. With the majority of shareholders present, the vote will now commence."

Zena's worst fears were confirmed. The words hit her like a lightning strike, leaving her stunned. Her father was ousting her.

Seren was equally baffled. This was a shareholders' meeting, and she had already signed over her 5% stake to Zena to sever their ties. She shouldn't have been allowed to attend, yet none of the shareholders seemed to object to her presence.

Staff members quickly distributed ballots. Seren didn't hesitate for a second. She cast her vote in favor of the change. In her eyes, replacing Zena was the only logical move. Under Zena's control, Rutledge Group was headed for bankruptcy.

Zena's face was a mask of tension. Despite her dread, a flicker of hope remained. A resolution to replace the chairman required a two-thirds majority vote, a difficult threshold to meet. She had cultivated good relationships with many of the shareholders, especially the senior executives, whom she had always remembered with gifts during the holidays. She had managed them well. There was still a chance she could survive this.

The voting took ten minutes, the room shrouded in absolute silence. To ensure fairness, an independent official was brought in to count the ballots.

Seren finally understood why her grandfather had summoned her. The wedding gift was secondary; his real motive was to publicly stand up for her and restore her honor.

The meeting concluded swiftly. As the other shareholders filed out, only Old Mr. Rutledge, Susan, Zena, and Seren remained.

Consumed by rage and humiliation, Zena finally exploded at her father. "Dad, how could you do this?! Seren is your granddaughter, but I'm your daughter! Your favoritism is absolutely outrageous!"

Old Mr. Rutledge remained seated, his expression calm. "Why couldn't I? You were willing to abandon Seren. Why can't I abandon you?"

His words, sharp and direct, made Zena flinch. It was clear this was all for Seren's sake.