Chapter 371

Hours before the shareholders' meeting,Hannah had originally planned to attend remotely via encrypted video link.

Vincent, however, had abruptly changed his mind at the last minute. Instead, he'd escorted her straight into Luminara Group's towering headquarters.

The moment Harvey spotted Vincent and Hannah, a flicker of shock darted across his eyes before he quickly masked it. Rising to his feet, he plastered on an effusive smile. "Mr. Jones, what an extraordinary surprise!" he declared, voice booming with well-practiced warmth.

Each word carried just the right mix of reverence and delight,as though Vincent's arrival were the greatest privilege imaginable.

Harvey extended his hand with deliberate humility, bowing his posture ever so slightly in an attempt to flatter.

Vincent dipped his chin in the barest acknowledgment,ignoring the extended hand. His eyes cut across the conference room like blades, and the faint buzz of gossip dissolved instantly beneath the weight of his presence.

Harvey's carefully crafted smile slipped for half a heartbeat before he pivoted smoothly toward Hannah, still standing quietly at Vincent's side. His grin widened, almost too polished,as he exclaimed, "Well, look who's here-Hannah! I can't tell you how glad I am to see you again!"

His voice dripped with feigned warmth, pitched just a little too high. "We all heard you've been preoccupied with... personal matters, running things from a distance. We were so concerned It's wonderful to finally have you back." The way he lingered on "personal matters" and from a distance" wasn't lost on anyone-every word carefully sharpened to suggest she'd abandoned her responsibilities.

Hannah observed his act with quiet detachment, the faintest curl of mockery tugging at her lips. Her eyes narrowed to an edge, slicing through the mask of warmth on his face. "Mr.Langston, there's no need for concern. While I was away, the company 'legally' removed me. Seems Luminara Group operates just fine without me."

The sharp bite in her voice nearly wiped the grin off Harvey's face. A shadow crossed his gaze, though he smothered it quickly, donning an expression of heavy sorrow. He let out a practiced sigh, as though the weight of responsibility had crushed him. "Hannah, that's not fair..." His tone dripped with wounded sincerity. "Every step the board took was in line with proper procedures. You couldn't be reached then, and the company couldn't operate without a leader. The shareholders were in a frenzy. I only stepped in when the crisis demanded it."

"Proper procedures?" Hannah's voice cut in like steel, sharp and unyielding. "Section 102 of the Corporate Charter Act-every board and shareholder meeting must be preceded by formal notice to all directors, auditors, and stakeholders."

Her eyes locked onto Harvey with chilling precision. "I, Hannah Scott, hold 34.5% of this company's shares. When the board voted to strip me of the Chairwoman and CEO positions,tell me-did any of you ever bother to inform me of the meeting?"

Brendan Warner, director of Solterra Capital, shot out of his seat,face flushed, voice shrill enough to rattle the room. "Ms.Scott! Please adjust your demeanor when addressing this board!"He jabbed a finger toward the table. "Mr. Langston has poured blood and sweat into keeping this company alive! And you? You disappeared without a trace! Now that the merger is finally stable, you barge back in to launch some witch hunt? At the very least, show some damn gratitude!" Travis Kincaid, representing SwiftRock Capital, leaned back with a smug air, his words dripping with condescension. "That's right,Ms. Scott. Youthful impulsion is one thing, but this level of hostility is nothing but reckless. Mr. Langston stepped in during a crisis, kept the company from collapsing, and this is how you repay him? By tearing into him? Do you really think that's the right way to repay him?"

A soft, derisive scoff slipped from Hannah's lips. Tilting her head, she let her gaze settle coldly on both Brendan and Travis,her eyes gleaming with sharp amusement. "Iwonder-how much did Harvey promise the two of you?"

Her tone cut through the room like a surgeon's scalpel-precise,merciless. "Why the hell are you so fucking desperate to play his lapdogs? Was it the rotten debt from the illegal loan Solterra Capital guaranteed that he swept under the rug for you? Or perhaps it was the gaping hole in SwiftRock Capital's books from using client margin funds for stock speculation that he conveniently patched using Granite Capital's money?"

She had walked into this meeting fully prepared, every secret of Harvey's cronies already tucked neatly in her pocket.

Hannah's voice cracked through the room like a lightning strike."Do you really think barking for Harvey will hide the filth on your own hands? You've been leeching off Luminara Group for so long. Push me one more inch, and I'll kick you guys out and unroot your force before the day is done."

The words hit like a hammer blow. Both Brendan and Travis blanched, their faces drained of all color, their protests strangled before they could rise.

The air in the conference room froze.

Not a single one dared move. Hannah's presence pressed down on the room with an iron weight, leaving even seasoned executives rattled. Vincent lowered himself into his chair with composed authority,his eyes sweeping across the gathering-piercing,glacial,and relentless.

Hannah's expression didn't waver. Step by deliberate step, she crossed the room, her heels striking the floor like a countdown.She moved toward the chairman's seat-the throne of absolute power within Luminara Group.

Harvey's expression twisted, shadows of anger hardening his face. Fury burned in his eyes as he lunged forward, planting himself squarely in Hannah's way. His voice cracked like a whip,sharp with hostility. "You've got no fucking right to that chair,Hannah Scott! It belongs to me, and only me!"

Hannah halted just before colliding with him, lifting her chin in a quiet show of defiance. Meeting his glare without flinching,she spoke with a steadiness that carried more weight than his fury ever could. "Is that so? | wouldn't count on it."

Then,drawing in a measured breath, she delivered the words that shattered the room's silence. "This shareholder meeting exists for one purpose only-to strip you of that position,and we'll do it by the book."