Chapter256 I Am the First Heir to All His Assets
More than a dozen pairs of eyes immediately focused on Miranda.
Shock.
Curiosity.
Suspicion.
Different emotions mixed together as if trying to see right through her.
The smile on Celeste’s face completely disappeared.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“That’s impossible!” she screamed, her voice twisting with agitation.
“How could you be pregnant?”
Miranda met her furious gaze.
A cold smile appeared on her lips.
“Clifton and I are both perfectly healthy. Why wouldn’t I be pregnant?” she asked calmly.
Her tone was steady, yet carried invisible pressure.
“Or are you interested in our private life as a married couple?”
“You!”
Celeste’s face turned red with anger.
She pointed at Miranda, her chest rising and falling violently.
But she was so furious that she could not say another word.
Miranda ignored her.
Her calm gaze swept slowly across every director in the room.
“I am Clifton’s legally registered wife. Even if something really happened to him, by law I am the first heir to all of his assets.”
She paused briefly.
Then she dropped another bombshell.
“Also, Mr. Prescott already knows about my pregnancy. He has decided that when my child and Clifton’s child is born, all of Clifton’s shares will be transferred to my child.”
“As for Clifton…”
Miranda looked back at Celeste’s dark face.
“He is only missing. He has not been declared dead.”
“All of you watched him grow up. You know better than anyone how he achieved everything he has today.”
“What if one day he suddenly comes back?”
Her final question hit everyone like a hammer.
“Are you really sure you want Celeste to become the chairman of Prescott Group?”
The conference room fell into silence again.
The directors looked at each other.
Their expressions were complicated.
No one spoke.
The reason they had come to this meeting and even tolerated Celeste’s nonsense was not because they believed in her ability.
It was because she was easy to control.
If Celeste became chairman, these veteran directors could easily gain more benefits from her.
They might even gradually take over the shares in her hands.
But now everything had changed.
Miranda’s arrival, along with the two pieces of news she brought, had completely disrupted their plans.
A legal wife.
An unborn heir.
And a Clifton who might return at any time.
The game had suddenly become complicated.
Miranda observed the hesitation and caution on their faces.
She knew she had won the gamble.
Although news of Clifton’s accident had spread, the authority he had built over the years still remained.
Celeste watched her carefully planned takeover collapse within a few sentences.
Jealousy and anger burned wildly in her chest.
“You say you’re pregnant. How do we know the baby is my cousin’s?” she shouted recklessly, making a final desperate attempt.
“There are plenty of women who want to attach themselves to the Prescott family. If another woman shows up tomorrow claiming she’s pregnant with my cousin’s child, should we believe her too?”
Miranda’s expression did not change.
But the coldness in her bright eyes deepened.
“Heh.”
A faint laugh escaped her lips.
“The first person who tries something like that might be considered clever.”
“If there’s a second one, that would just be stupidity.”
She looked straight at Celeste, her voice suddenly sharp.
“Besides, I am Clifton’s legal wife. That fact is protected by law. None of you here can deny it.”
No one could argue.
Among the twelve shareholders, the four directors personally promoted by Clifton were already on Miranda’s side.
Three of the neutral directors were clearly wavering.
As for the remaining five veteran directors, even if they wanted power, this was not the right moment.
Clifton’s accident had also caught them off guard.
Anyone who had sat on the Prescott board for years had patience.
They knew Clifton’s ruthless methods better than anyone.
If they gambled wrong, they would be completely expelled from Prescott Group.
Their reputations might even be destroyed.
The atmosphere in the large conference room grew heavy.
No one dared to speak lightly.
Miranda seized the moment.
She walked directly to the head seat and pulled out the chair that belonged to Clifton.
Then she sat down calmly.
Her movements were graceful and natural.
As if she had always belonged there.
“While Clifton is absent, I will temporarily take over his position.”
Her gaze swept across the room.
“Mia will remain chief executive assistant and help me handle all company affairs.”
“This arrangement has already been approved by Mr. Prescott.”
“Does anyone have objections?”
After speaking, Miranda leaned back quietly in the chair.
She waited.
Silence filled the room.
A long silence.
Finally, the first people to speak were the four directors who had been promoted by Clifton.
“We have no objections. We will follow the Madam’s arrangement.”
Next, the three neutral directors exchanged glances.
One of them spoke.
“Since this is Mr. Prescott’s decision, we will comply.”
Only the five veteran directors remained.
Seeing the situation, they reluctantly lowered their heads.
“…We have no objections either.”
Of course they were not convinced.
How could a woman in her twenties order them around?
But they also did not take Miranda seriously.
In their eyes, she was nothing more than a decorative figure relying on Clifton’s reputation and the child in her womb.
If Clifton remained missing long enough, they had plenty of ways to sideline her.
Miranda did not care what they were thinking.
As long as Prescott Group had not been taken away today, there was still hope.
She would protect it for Clifton.
Until he returned.
“Meeting adjourned.”
Miranda stood up and spoke two simple words.
Then she left the conference room with Mia without looking back.
Behind her, Celeste stared with eyes full of hatred.
Inside Clifton’s office.
The enormous space felt almost extravagant.
Just like its owner.
Cold.
Quiet.
Unapproachable.
Miranda walked inside.
The air still seemed to carry his familiar cold woody scent.
Her heart suddenly tightened.
A sharp ache rose to her nose.
She clenched her palms tightly to stop the tears from falling.
Mia followed behind her and gently closed the office door.
Looking at Miranda’s slender yet straight back, Mia’s eyes also turned red.
She stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Madam.”
If Miranda had not arrived today, she had no idea how she could have stopped Celeste.
Miranda turned around.
The cold expression she had been holding finally faded.
Fatigue appeared on her face.
She helped Mia up and forced a small smile.
“You don’t need to thank me. I’m Clifton’s wife. This is something I should do.”
She looked around the office.
Her voice became softer.
There was a trace of confusion and helplessness she did not even notice herself.
“But… I’m not familiar with the company’s operations. Everything I said in the meeting was just to intimidate the shareholders.”
She looked at Mia with complete trust.
“From here on, I’ll have to rely on you.”
“Don’t worry, Madam.”
Mia nodded immediately.
Her voice was firm.
“While the Boss is away, I will do everything I can to protect the company.”
Miranda nodded.
The tension in her nerves finally loosened slightly.
Then she suddenly thought of something.
She looked at Mia and asked softly.
“By the way, how did you come up with the idea of letting me pretend to be pregnant?”