Chapter 164: Vote Against

Cynthia’s nails pierced through the skin, but when she heard what one of the directors on her side said, she released her fist and felt a ray of hope.

“Okay, let’s say you have the majority share, but you are too young to become the next chairman, Marcel Malcolm. You are still in the university, and even if you own a small company, you still can’t take over as chairman. The chairmanship isn’t a joke.”

Cynthia smiled to herself.

Adrian has been silent ever since, just watching to see who was going to win this, his mother or Marcel.

If it wasn’t for what he heard, he would be on his mother’s side, but after how his mother deceived him and killed the chairman just because she wanted to be chairwoman, he couldn’t support her anymore. He was hoping his mother didn’t succeed, not when she was a killer. Adrian thought to himself.

The other directors supporting Cynthia also nodded in agreement.

“Yes, that is true, you can’t be chairman,” another director said.

The opposing parties all looked at each other. What they said was true, that Marcel couldn’t be chairman, at least not yet, but then they did not want Cynthia to be chairwoman either.

Marcel looked at all of Cynthia’s supporters and smiled.

“And who said I want to be chairman?” Marcel asked them and saw the confused look on their faces.

“If you already understand you can’t be chairman, then why are you trying to stop your stepmother from being chairwoman?”

“Because I can,” Marcel said.

Cynthia clenched her fist tightly. She looked at Marcel hatefully but suddenly changed her face to a sad one.

“Marcel, I know you hate me so much for taking your mother’s position as your father’s wife after she died. Haven’t you hated me for so long already? Haven’t I done my best to be a good stepmother to you? Why can’t you just move on from the past and allow us to live in peace as a family? Your father is dead, and yet you are still being rebellious. I’m sure he will be rolling in his grave right now, seeing how you are bringing division to the family and now the group,” Cynthia cried out.

“Oh wow,” Robin said. Marcel had told him about her drama and how good of an actress and pretender his stepmother was. But he did not think she was this good at putting on an act, especially in such a professional setting.

The directors supporting Cynthia all started sympathizing with her and started to murmur among themselves about how bad a son Marcel was.

Cynthia had bribed them and promised them promotions and large incentives if she became chairwoman, which was why they were supporting her.

Cynthia knew Marcel would not fall for her pretense, but she was doing it so others could paint him in a bad light.

Marcel looked at all of them and smiled. “I’m now the majority shareholder, and as such, I have the right to refuse her as chairwoman.”

“Of course you do not have the complete right. There are other shareholders too. If they all elect her to be chairwoman, she will be chairwoman since you are not yet qualified for the position because you are still too young to handle such responsibilities,” a director supporting Cynthia said.

Cynthia smiled. She wondered what Marcel would do now.

“Alright then, let’s vote right now. We will vote by raising our hands. Agreed?” Marcel said

“This is not how it should be done,” a director supporting Cynthia said.

“I say it should be done now. Who agrees with me? Raise your hand if you agree with me,” Marcel said.

Slowly, some people raised their hands in agreement. Hands were counted, and the people who agreed surpassed those who did not agree.

“Alright, let the vote begin then,” Marcel said.

“First, the people who agree that she becomes chairwoman should raise their hands,” Marcel said.

A lot of people raised their hands. It was counted, and it was a total of 20 people.

Cynthia looked at Adrian in surprise. He had not raised his hand.

Marcel and Robin were surprised too. Everyone was also surprised that her son did not raise his hand.

“Adrian, raise your hand,” Cynthia said.

Adrian was silent. He did not even look at her.

Marcel watched both of them. He was not expecting this from Adrian. Adrian always surprised his mother, so this came as a surprise. Everyone started murmuring as to why he did not raise his hand for his mother since he was the one who handed his shares to her.

Cynthia glared at Adrian. She gritted her teeth.

“Do you really want to embarrass me in front of everyone?” Cynthia whispered to him.

Adrian still had a straight face. He stared in the opposite direction instead of his mother.

“We can’t keep waiting for him,” Marcel said.

Cynthia swallowed. She counted everyone in the room and saw there were 40 people in total, minus the lawyer and Robin, who were not allowed to participate in the vote. She already had 20 people raise their hands, which meant 20 were left.

Cynthia calmed her nerves down. She was definitely going to win because there was no way Adrian would vote against her. Even if he did not vote to support her, she concluded it was because she had tricked him into giving her his shares, which was why he was angry. Cynthia smiled.

“Alright, now let’s vote for those against her becoming chairwoman,” Marcel said.

He already saw he was losing, but then he had a backup plan.

The remaining people raised their hands, and Adrian joined them.

Cynthia was shocked. “Adrian, how could you?!” Cynthia shouted in anger.

Marcel was surprised that Adrian was voting against his mother. That was a shocker for everyone.

“Oh wow,” Robin, who was standing at a corner, said. “This is interesting,” he added.

Well, it was in his favor, Marcel thought to himself.

“How could you?!” Cynthia said to Adrian, but Adrian did not even look at her.

The whole room fell silent.

“That makes it a tie,” someone said.

Marcel nodded. “Yes, but there is one person left.”

“And who is that?!” Cynthia screamed.

“Yes, who is that?” a director asked.

Marcel signaled to Robin.

Robin nodded and opened the door, and Aurora’s father stepped in.

Everyone looked at him.

Marcel bowed his head to him when David Whitmore walked to him.

David nodded at him and looked at everyone.

“As a top shareholder of this company too, I also vote against Cynthia Malcolm.” David raised his hand.