Chapter 341

Isabella had no clue that Bianca was pregnant. If she did, she would've probably rolled her eyes and muttered, "That sneaky woman always lands on her feet."

After leaving the police station, Isabella headed back to the company. She'd just snagged all the shares and now had to hold a meeting with a few top execs. The rest were scrambling to gather funds to cover the public money.

Isabella couldn't care less about the panicked execs; she was only interested in those still backing her.

She strolled into the meeting room and scanned the few faces there. According to Carol's info, these folks were all clean.

"Thanks for sticking with me. I'll bust my butt for the company's growth, and I hope you will too," Isabella said, flashing a smile as she took her seat at the head of the table.

The others nodded politely.

Carol had a slight smile. She figured Isabella's next move would be to reward her.

"Ms. Lester has been a huge help in grabbing all the shares and taking down Bianca and John. With many top execs recently let go, we need to fill those spots fast. So, Ms. Lester is now head of HR and gets 10% of the shares. No objections, right?" Isabella's words left everyone stunned.

When Jasper was in charge, he never even thought about sharing shares with the top execs.

Carol was taken aback too. She knew Isabella would thank her, but she didn't expect to be the first and get such a generous reward.

Isabella looked at Carol and smiled, "Ms. Lester, as head of HR, you've got more on your plate now. With all the staff cuts, we need you to hustle and find new talent."

Carol shrugged with a wry smile, glancing at the empty seats. "Looks like I'll be burning the midnight oil."

Isabella grinned at her and then announced promotions and other job changes for the remaining top execs.

Among those in the room, only Carol got 10% of the shares. The others were still under Isabella's consideration.

"Even though you didn't get shares this time, don't sweat it. If you do well, I'll make sure everyone gets a piece. This company is mine, but it's also yours," Isabella said, painting a rosy picture for everyone.

The future looked bright because Isabella seemed way more generous than Jasper.

The other execs didn't envy Carol's shares.

Just like Isabella said, Carol had been a huge help. The other top execs didn't know exactly how, but they knew they only showed support for Isabella at the meeting without doing much else.

"Alright, that's a wrap for today." Isabella stood up, and the other execs filed out one by one.

In the end, only Isabella and Carol were left in the meeting room.

"You've let go of so many top execs at once. What about their teams? Are we cutting them loose too?" Carol asked, curious.

Isabella grinned and launched into a story. "Two princes were fighting for the throne. The younger one killed the older one and became king. Some folks suggested he should also get rid of the older prince's followers since they had tried to kill him.

"But the new king disagreed. He believed that if you like a house, you should also like the crows on the house. He forgave his former rivals. Hearing this, the older prince's followers were moved by the king's kindness and pledged their loyalty. They ended up creating more value for the kingdom."

Carol's face twisted into a strange smile. "So, you think those employees are like crows and should be protected too?"

Isabella chuckled, "Everyone deserves a chance. You know about how ruthless those top execs could be. How do you know their teams weren't just being forced?"

"You really are a generous queen," Carol remarked.

Isabella walked over, patted Carol's arm, and said with a smile, "Generous, yes, but not naive. If anyone is too loyal to those top execs, they're out. I don't need a ticking time bomb around me."

Carol nodded. "So, are you heading home now? Leaving all this work to me?"

Carol teased Isabella with a shrug.

Isabella smiled, "My dear husband is waiting for me at home. He's been swamped lately, so I need to reward him properly. Maybe with a fancy dinner?"

Carol was taken aback, watching Isabella leave. After a moment, she smirked.

"Her idea of dinner better not involve herself!" Carol rolled her eyes, grumbled, and then left the meeting room.

After wrapping up the company's affairs, Isabella headed home.

As soon as she walked in, she was hit with the mouth-watering aroma of food.

Michael had whipped up a lavish dinner for her.

On the table were an elegant candle holder, various gourmet dishes, and a bottle of red wine.

Michael was dressed to the nines in a sharp suit, and on the chair opposite, there was a neatly packaged evening gown waiting for Isabella.

"Darling, enjoy the food first," Michael smiled, but Isabella covered his mouth.

She suddenly rushed over, hugged Michael, and kissed him.

Michael was caught off guard by Isabella's sudden move and instinctively stepped back, almost bumping into the table.

"Darling, let's eat first. You've been hungry all day," Michael said, gently pushing Isabella away, his face now marked with her lipstick.

Isabella licked her lips, gazing seductively at Michael. "In my eyes, you are the most sumptuous feast."

Seeing the desire in Isabella's eyes, Michael shuddered. He realized he wasn't the only one feeling horny during their time apart; Isabella was equally turned on.

"Darling, let's eat first. Otherwise, we might not have the energy," Michael said, swallowing nervously.