Chapter 173 - 82 (1/2)
Tap
Tap
Eric looked at his watch again. It's still two hours before lunch. His eyes were on the board, but his mind was far away from the teacher giving lessons.
Evangeline was absent today, and she didn't tell him where she was going. She just said she had an important meeting and just left.
Eric's hold on his pen tightened, and his eyes dimmed.
It's just proof that she didn't trust me fully, yet.
On the side, Daniel, too, was in a daze. Concentrate as he might, his mind was drifting away. It contained nothing but worry for Sisley.
His gaze shot to an empty desk. She was absent. As expected. He could only hope she was taking the break-up well and move on.
Though he was worried for her, he was also relieved. Now, the only concern he had was the aftermath and how to get Lilybella off his back.
----
In FROZEN's office topmost floor, Evangeline ran her eyes on the people projected by holograms, sitting in the large board table. They were all foreign to her. There was no one she knew except for Robert Krisnov and Aldrick Loire, who were the only present physically.
”What's the meaning of this?” Evangeline asked voice cold as her face.
”It's exactly as we explained it, Miss Heart. We voted to strip you of your twenty percent share,” a woman answered.
”You can't do that,” Evangeline countered.
”Actually, we can,” a man said. ”There's a law in the company stating that we can strip a board member from his shares provided that his shares are greater than the CEO and founder of the company and that most members voted for it.”
”But don't worry,” another chimed in, ”you are to be compensated according to the market price.”
Evangeline sneered, ”I'm not selling my shares. Those are mine. And I don't think you know who you are talking to? I'm Evangeline Heart, the one who made this company to where it is. Without me, FROZEN would still be that little store selling shoes!”
”We recognized your effort, Miss Heart. That's why we decided to retain your position as an ȧssistant art director.”
Evangeline huffed a mocking laughed. ”Assistant? I'm the fuċkɨnġ head of the design department!”
”Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself.”
All eyes shot to Aldrick Loire, but the latter's gaze remained lock on Evangeline.
”Consider yourself lucky that you have that high of a position when you don't even know what's the difference between a blue and a cerulean.”
Evangeline's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. ”And how dare an actor who doesn't even know what to wear without the help of his stylist lecture me about fashion.”
Aldrick was about to open his mouth, but Evangeline spoke again, addressing the people present.
”If you insist on this . . . outlandish, brainless idea of stripping me of my share and demoting me to an ȧssistant, you're very well sure that I will no longer pick designs for this company.”
. . .
Series of laughter and chuckles bounced in the room, and Evangeline suddenly found it hard to breathe. It was cold, but she was sweating.
”Miss Heart.” A woman cleared her throat, repressing her laughter. ”You think yourself to highly. Sure that you contributed a lot at the start of this company, but now . . . all you're doing is just picking, altering the designs of our employees to suit to your liking. All you did is popularized it, but you were never the first to design it.”
”And what do you want to say?” Evangeline sneered.
”What she wanted to say is that you don't have the necessary knowledge and technical know-how to design something that you could call your own,” Aldrick said and added with a smirk, ”Time has left you behind. There are thousands of people out there who are more talented than you, equipped with knowledge back up by years of hard work. What? Do you really think that we can't replace you? You're only here because you still owned twenty percent of the company. But without that, you're nothing.”
”. . .” Evangeline's eyes heated. But she refused to shed a single tear. She wouldn't give these people the satisfaction of seeing her weak.
”Miss Heart,” an old man spoke, breaking the temporary stillness, ”If I were you, I would sign the papers. Besides, your twenty percent will be given to your little brother.”
”He's bȧrėly two years old,” Evangeline hissed.
”Yes, and that's exactly why Mrs. Cherry Krisnov will look over his shares until he is of legal age,” another chimed in. ”Besides, since you're already disowned, all your rights and privileges as Robert Krisnov's daughter is automatically null and void. It's only right that the twenty percent share you hold as a previous daughter would be transferred to Robert's only son, the legal heir of all he owned.