Chapter 288

Isabella had no clue what Lally was up to. If she did, she probably wouldn't have been able to eat for days.

Luckily, she stayed in the dark. After breakfast, she got right to work, calling a meeting with the senior execs from three companies.

In the conference room, the execs were all huddled together, whispering about what was going on. They'd just had a meeting a few days ago, so why another one now?

Unlike the others who were scratching their heads, Carol seemed to have a hunch about why Isabella called the meeting. She just shrugged and smiled calmly.

Suddenly, the door swung open and in walked Bianca with her bodyguards. She'd also been invited to this high-level meeting by Isabella, and she was just as puzzled as everyone else.

"Ms. Taylor, isn't Mr. Williams coming with you?" one of the shareholders asked, looking confused.

Bianca shot him a sharp look. "John's super busy right now, dealing with attacks from the three big families. But trust me, it's only a matter of time before he handles it."

The execs didn't doubt Bianca's words. After all, John had a powerful family backing him.

"Ms. Taylor, do you have any idea why Isabella called this meeting?" another exec asked.

A lot of folks in the room were rooting for Bianca to take the lead. To them, it didn't matter if they worked for the Taylor Family or the Williams Family. In fact, working for the Williams Family might even mean better pay and a more stable future.

"I have no clue," Bianca said with a light chuckle, covering her mouth. "Maybe Isabella's finally throwing in the towel."

Bianca was so confident in John that the idea of Isabella taking control seemed laughable to her.

Carol, who had been quiet with her arms crossed, glanced at Bianca and then looked away.

Just then, the door opened again, and Isabella walked in.

"Looks like everyone's here. Bianca, I gotta say, I didn't expect to see you," Isabella said, smiling as she took her usual seat.

Bianca, arms crossed and looking frosty, shot back, "Isabella, everyone's really busy. If you don't have anything important, don't waste our time with this pointless meeting."

Isabella sat down and smiled. "I'm not here to waste anyone's time. I've got some big news to share."

Bianca eyed her suspiciously, a bad feeling creeping in.

"Isabella, what news? Don't tell me your dad woke up and handed you the company's shares," Bianca sneered.

Isabella shook her head. "No, my dad hasn't woken up. I have video proof of the share transfer, but you don't believe me, so there's nothing I can do. However, I do have another announcement."

Turning to the execs, Isabella's voice was calm but firm. "I've bought back the 40% of shares my father sold, and now I'm the second-largest shareholder in the company."

As soon as Isabella finished speaking, the room went dead silent. Bianca, stunned for a moment, quickly turned furious. She slammed the table, stood up, and glared at Isabella.

"Isabella, do you have any idea what you're saying? This isn't a game. You claim you bought those shares? Let's hear how you managed that little miracle. Did you rob a bank?" Bianca roared, though deep down, that bad feeling in her gut grew stronger.

Isabella just smiled, clapped her hands, and the door opened again. A secretary walked in, struggling with a huge backpack.

"Sorry, everyone, there are just too many shareholders and too many agreements. I had to have someone bring them in for me," Isabella said, taking the backpack, unzipping it, and dumping all the agreements on the table.

"For those of you who have doubts, feel free to check these agreements yourselves," Isabella said, stepping aside as the execs stared in shock.

Finally, someone couldn't resist and picked up an agreement to read. When they saw the contents and signatures, they were stunned.

"These are real share transfer agreements! How did Ms. Taylor pull this off?" someone asked, looking at Isabella in shock.

"No, this can't be, it's definitely fake," Bianca screamed, rushing over to read the contracts. But no matter which one she opened, all the procedures were legal and compliant.

"How is this possible? How did you do this? How could they do this? They tricked me!"" Bianca's eyes blazed with fury as she confronted Isabella.

Isabella looked at Bianca, offered a thin smile, and then patted her face with a condescending air. "My dear sister, I asked the small shareholders to keep our little transaction quiet. I even told them to put you off if you called-it was a surprise! Now I've reclaimed the family shares. Aren't you thrilled?"

Isabella's mockery made Bianca tremble with rage.

"Those damn guys deceived me! How did you do it? Did Mason give you money again? Why would he do this? Are those rumors true?" Bianca screamed.

Isabella, keeping her cool, met Bianca's gaze with a faint smile before delivering a sharp, resounding slap to her face. "Watch your words, Bianca. Do you know what you're saying? I see Mason as my family, and he treats me like a granddaughter! I only have respect for him as an elder! If you dare to tarnish his reputation with those rumors, I won't let you off."

Bianca was slapped before John's bodyguards could react. Consumed by guilt and worry, they quickly intervened and stepped between the two women.

"Let's wait and see!" Bianca spat, her eyes burning with malice as she cast a final, venomous glare at Isabella before storming out of the room.