Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law-Chapter 244: Arguments

"Then who do you suggest?" someone snapped from the back of the board room, frustration seeping through their voice. "Because right now, the company looks like a ship without a captain, and we’re already sinking. We are back to the point when Lady Collins passed away! In fact, lower still. At least at that point of time we did not have to deal with this kind of massive scandal!"

A murmur of agreement followed. Some members shifted in their seats while others exchanged glances uncertainly. The name Collins still carried weight- perhaps not in prestige anymore, but certainly in scandal.

An older gentleman, Mr. Harwood, cleared his throat and stood. "Melanie may be a Collins, yes, but let’s not forget she was the one holding the reins previously who helped ABC to these heights. She was the one who steadied the company then, when things were far more unstable. Surely, that counts for something?"

"It does," a woman near the projector said, nodding. "But public perception isn’t so easy to erase. Every article right now links Spencer Collins. To the attempted murder. To the poison. We’d be putting our stocks in the hands of someone the media won’t stop circling."

"That’s hardly fair to her," Harwood replied as he banged his hand on the table. "She didn’t poison anyone. She wasn’t involved in the scandal. Are we to punish her simply because of her surname?"

Another board member leaned forward. "It’s not just the name. It’s the optics. The public doesn’t look at facts, they look at headlines. And every headline out there paints a picture of dysfunction, betrayal, and collapse. Appointing Melanie might stabilize us internally, but externally, it could just as easily worsen the damage."

"But what are our alternatives?" asked a younger man who had remained quiet until now. "Appoint a stranger? Hand over ABC Estates to someone who doesn’t understand the business model? At least Melanie knows the ins and outs. She’s already proven she can run this company under pressure. And right now, that’s exactly what we need."

A silence settled over the room for a moment.

Then someone scoffed. "And what happens when she decides to walk away again? Last time, she stepped back and even recommended Spencer. What if she does it again in six months? Do we go through this circus all over again? Actually, isn’t she doing it again? She’s already sent a recommendation letter for Adam Collins. A person who has no experience or even education for this position!

"People change," Harwood shot back. "And circumstances force us to reconsider our choices. Melanie didn’t leave out of negligence. She left because the company was in safe hands- at least we thought so. She might consider returning now because it’s clearly not. As for Adam Collins, at this moment, he is indeed the biggest shareholder from the Collins family. And we already have vultures circling."

"What do you mean?" someone asked with eyebrows furrowed.

Harwood adjusted his glasses, then pulled out a printed copy of a document and placed it on the table. "Spencer Collins signed a deal with StromEdge three months ago. That agreement gives them legal grounds to acquire our shares and assets if we fail to deliver the promised volume within the quarter."

"That deadline’s already passed," someone whispered.

"Exactly," Harwood said. "And we haven’t delivered. We couldn’t. Not after what Spencer did. He drained most of our liquid capital-used it to fund personal ventures, settle private debts, and cover legal costs. The production line was barely operational when I checked last week. There’s nothing to ship, and there’s no money to fix that."

A wave of alarm spread across the boardroom. People were no longer whispering. Now they were speaking in hushed, urgent tones.

"So you’re saying we’ve already defaulted?" one of the senior board members asked.

"I’m saying we’ve crossed the line. StromEdge has every right to knock on our doors any day now, and when they do, they won’t be asking for a meeting. They’ll come to take over."

"And once they do," a voice said from the far end of the table, cold and steady, "they’ll gut ABC Estates from the inside out."

Everyone turned to look.

"If StromEdge takes over ABC," the man continued, "they will shut down all operations within weeks. It’s what they’ve done with every other acquisition they’ve made in the last two years. They sell off assets, terminate contracts, and strip the company for profit. The brand might stay alive for a little while, but not the workforce, not the culture, and definitely not the legacy."

Someone else muttered, "We’ll lose everything."

"That’s not just fear talking," another member added. "That’s what StromEdge does. They aren’t interested in saving companies. They buy, bleed, and dump. And right now, we’re ripe for it."

"So what’s the play?" someone asked. "Do we just hand it over?"

"No," Harwood said firmly. "We need someone who can step in now and stop the bleeding. Someone who can speak to the public, to the stakeholders, and to the remaining clients with enough authority to delay the takeover-even if only for a few weeks. That’s all the time we need to restructure some of the contracts and start rebuilding our capital."

"And you think Melanie can do all that?"

"I think she’s the only one who can," Harwood said. "The rest of us are too far removed. And the public still remembers her as the face of the company from before this mess began. If there’s any hope of restoring even a fraction of trust, it has to be her. She was also the one who side stepped this clause with StormEdge the last time."

"But the board has to approve," another member reminded them. "It’s not just about what we think it’s about whether we all agree to it."

"And whether she agrees to take the risk," someone added. "Because if StromEdge walks through that door, this company is finished. And as far As Melanie’s letter is considered, she doesn’t seem much interested in taking over.

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