Chapter 162
Chapter 162
Sheryl's POV
As I drive back with the stock transfer document, I reflect on Robert's words about protecting me from criticism. It sounds like a concerned father, but I find it utterly hypocritical.
These words that once might have moved me now stir nothing.
I've barely returned home when William calls again.
"Miss! Mr. Ross's blood pressure spiked and he's collapsed again!"
Robert's collapse hardly surprises me. The news about Christine leaking the photos herself was my final twist of the knife.
At ten that evening, I return to find Ross Mansion blazing with lights, servants rushing everywhere.
"The physician says Mr. Ross can't handle any more shocks—his life could be in danger," William tells me.
My face remains impassive, though something dark flickers behind my eyes.
"Where is Christine now?"
"Mr. Ross confined her to the back wing," William replies. "Miss Rebecca is with her."
I touch the stock transfer in my purse. Phase one complete. Now I don't owe Rhett anything. It's time to claim what rightfully belongs to me.
The revenge my mother never lived to see.
---
I've never believed in fate—only in opportunities created by my own hands.
When Robert lay in that hospital bed, weakly signing the authorization document that temporarily put me in charge of company affairs, I knew my moment had arrived. I already held the 10% stake that came to me as a Ross daughter. Now, with Christine distracted by Robert's care and the media fallout, she'd completely overlooked the vulnerabilities in the company's governance. This was the opening I'd been waiting for.
"Is everything prepared?" I set my phone down and looked across at Aiden, who sat on my office sofa.
He nodded, pulling a stack of documents from his briefcase. "All legal procedures are arranged as you requested. According to the Ross Group bylaws, clause seventeen permits calling an emergency board meeting with just twenty-four hours' notice when two or more directors co-sign the request."
"Perfect." I stood and walked to the window, gazing out at Boston's skyline. The city's centers of wealth and power were about to experience a silent revolution.
Aiden hesitated. "Sheryl, are you absolutely certain about this? Once you leverage Hayes Enterprise shares as collateral, Rhett will find out."
"Of course he will," I smiled slightly. "But by then, it'll be too late."
---
At nine the next morning, tension filled the air in the top-floor conference room at Ross Group headquarters. I sat at the center of the long table in a navy Chanel suit, surrounded by the company's major shareholders and directors. Their expressions ranged from confused to alarmed. Christine and Rebecca's seats remained conspicuously empty—exactly as I'd anticipated. Their vigil at the hospital had created the perfect vacuum.
"Thank you all for attending on such short notice," I said, my voice calm but firm. "I've received authorization from Mr. Ross to represent his shares in today's decisions."
Alan Peterson—a director holding 12% of shares—frowned. "This is highly irregular, Mrs. Hayes. We didn't even receive proper meeting notification."
"Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures, Mr. Peterson." I slid a document across to him. "According to company bylaws, Article 17, this meeting is entirely legal. Now, let's get straight to business."
I opened my laptop, projecting data onto the wall. "Ross Group is facing a severe liquidity crisis. Over the past six months, our main business lines have seen a 22% profit decline, while our debt ratio has risen to dangerous levels."
Whispers immediately filled the room. This information wasn't public knowledge, but as an insider, I knew the company's true condition better than anyone.
"Worse still," I continued, "without immediate action, we face loan default risks next quarter."
Edward Simmons, an elderly director with an 8% stake, dabbed sweat from his forehead. "What solution are you proposing, Mrs. Hayes?"
I closed my laptop and met each shareholder's eyes directly. "Hayes Enterprise is willing to inject capital in exchange for partial ownership of Ross Group. I personally am also prepared to increase my stake."
Silence fell over the conference room.
"What are the specific terms?" Simmons asked cautiously.
I pushed a proposal to the center of the table. "Hayes Enterprise will acquire shares at 30% above market value. Given the current economic climate, this is the best offer you're likely to receive."
Peterson picked up the document, his face changing as he skimmed through it. "This would make you the controlling shareholder!"
"No," I corrected, "this means the company gains an opportunity to survive and thrive."
For the next three hours, debate raged across the table. I'd anticipated every possible objection and prepared every necessary response. When the final vote came, my proposal passed by a narrow margin.
---
That afternoon, I sat alone in my office, fingers lightly drumming against the desk. With the transaction complete, I now held 53% of Ross Group shares, making me the undisputed majority shareholder. Robert's holdings had been reduced to 15%, with other shareholders similarly diluted.
Looking out at Boston's brilliant blue sky, watching sunlight glint off the glass facades of skyscrapers, I allowed myself a moment of satisfaction.
I'd finally taken control of my own destiny. The Ross family's decades-old power structure had been rewritten by my hand. Christine and Rebecca would soon discover their privileged positions were no longer secure.
But this was just the beginning. The real challenges lay ahead—Rhett's reaction, Robert's response when he recovered, and the ripples through Boston's social elite.
Still, I'd essentially accomplished my goal, completing preparations for my departure. By the time they realized what had happened, I would be long gone from the country. Aiden would help me find reliable proxies to manage company affairs in my absence.
Rhett's POV
"Mr. Hayes, you might want to see this."
Alex walked into my office holding a tablet, his expression unusually grave—a rarity for someone typically so composed.
I set aside the documents I'd been reviewing and took the tablet. The Bloomberg headline jumped out immediately: "Hayes Enterprise and Ross Group Reach Share Agreement; Sheryl Ross Becomes Ross Group's Majority Shareholder."
My fingers slid across the screen, scanning the article rapidly. Each word cut through my nerves like a precision blade.
"When did this happen?" My voice was dangerously calm.
"This morning," Alex replied. "Ross Group just released the official statement. The transaction is complete. Mrs. Hayes now holds 53% of the group's shares."
I placed the tablet on my desk and leaned back in my chair. The air in the office seemed to thicken.
"Did our finance department approve this?"
Alex shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. It appears Mrs. Ross-Hayes conducted this transaction independently, using the Hayes Enterprise shares your father authorized to her before his death."
"Show me the specifics of the transaction."
Five minutes later, I stared at the screen, my brow furrowing deeper as I absorbed the details. Sheryl had been clever—she hadn't used Hayes Enterprise to directly purchase Ross Group shares. Instead, she'd leveraged Hayes shares as collateral to secure bank financing, then acquired Ross Group shares in her personal capacity.
On the surface, it was a flawless business maneuver. But I saw the risks—and the hidden intentions.
"Tell Anthony I want to see him in my office in ten minutes," I told Alex. "No interruptions from anyone else."
After the door closed, I moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at Boston's financial district. The evening was setting in, office lights beginning to illuminate the darkening sky.
Why would Sheryl do this? She could have simply asked me to intervene. Hayes Enterprise had more than enough resources to swallow Ross Group whole without taking such risks. Unless...
Unless she didn't want my involvement. Unless she wanted independent control of Ross Group without my interference.
An ominous thought surfaced—was she planning to seize Ross Group and then leave me?
A soft knock at the door announced Anthony's arrival. He was my most trusted lieutenant in "The Gambit."
"I need you to investigate Sheryl's movements and contacts over the past few days," I said, my voice precise and controlled. "Pay particular attention to her interactions with that lawyer, West. Also, closely monitor Ross Group's cash flow."
Anthony nodded without asking questions. That's why I valued him—strong execution, knowing when silence was appropriate.
"Also," I added, "increase security around Sheryl, but ensure she doesn't notice."
After Anthony left, I reached for the whiskey on my desk, pouring myself a glass but not immediately drinking.
Sheryl never failed to surprise me. From our first meeting, through our forced marriage, to now. That unyielding resilience, that determination to get what she wanted regardless of obstacles—it was exactly what I admired about her.
But it was also what made her dangerous.
What if she truly intended to leave me? What if everything she'd done was merely preparation to take what was hers when she walked away?
I drained the glass in one swallow, feeling the burn spread through my throat, then called for Daniel to prepare the car. It was time to return to Oakridge Estate.