Chapter 271: The Vanishing Donovan

Chapter 271: The Vanishing Donovan
Elena's POV

I walked into the hospital room the following morning, finding Miley looking slightly better, her bruises fading.

"How are you feeling today?" I asked, placing fresh flowers beside her.

"Better. I can leave in a few days," she replied with a weak smile.

"Elbert didn't come today?"

"Briefly this morning. Left for 'urgent business,'" she sighed.

I lowered my voice and told her about Ryan and Elbert's conspiracy against me.

Miley laughed bitterly. "Xavier and Ryan were always enemies. I never imagined his son would work with Ryan."

She fell silent for a moment, then called out to Terry who was standing near the door. "Terry, please contact my lawyer. Tell him it's urgent."

When Terry left, she turned to me. "I'm giving you proxy rights to my shares. This gives you leverage against their plotting."

"Are you sure?" I asked, surprised.

"Absolutely. They won't use my absence to their advantage."

I hesitated. "With your shares and the 2% Grandfather Frank secretly gave me, I'll have more voting power than Ryan and Elbert combined."

Miley's eyes gleamed. "Your grandfather adores you. If he's giving you shares, he has complete faith in you."

As I squeezed her hand gratefully. Thank goodness I still have family who genuinely care for me. Without them, I don't know how I'd survive in this family.

That afternoon, I waited for Elbert in a coffee shop. He arrived twenty minutes late, looking stressed.

"Sorry, things are crazy at the company," he said, sitting down.

I smiled politely. "I understand you're busy."

I handed him the forged documents Reginald had prepared, showing a $500 million investment. "Here's the financial proof I promised."

Elbert examined them carefully, his eyes widening. "This is exactly what we need."

He looked at me with new respect. "With this capital, we can defeat Ryan. You'll have your rightful place in Huntington Group."

I nodded and smiled, thinking, I don't believe a single word coming out of your mouth.

Sure enough, over the next few days, Elbert became increasingly difficult to reach. Each time I called about the funds, he had a new excuse.

After several more attempts met with "I'm in a meeting" or "I'll call you back later," I put down my phone with a cold smile.

Just as expected—once he got what he wanted, I became disposable.

Not long after, I received news that Grandfather had been moved to a rehabilitation facility.

"Mr. Huntington has health issues," the estate bulter explained. "Doctors recommended a wellness retreat."

"Should I visit him?" I asked.

"He wants you to focus on company matters."

The timing was suspiciously convenient. The very next day, Ryan called.

"Elena, shareholders' meeting tomorrow at 10 AM. Don't forget to attend," he said before hanging up.

I stared at my phone, smiling sardonically. They're certainly in a hurry to make their move. Let's see what they have planned.

---

As I walked down the hallway toward the Huntington Group's top floor conference room the next morning, I encountered Serafina in a sharp suit, wearing a smug smile.

"Enjoy your high-and-mighty attitude while you can," she sneered.

I smiled serenely. "You might want to ask yourself the same question."

Her face contorted with anger. "After this meeting, you'll be the one crying!"

I watched her storm off, noting her unusual confidence about today's outcome.

When I entered the conference room, all eyes turned to me. Shareholders displayed expressions ranging from anticipation to indifference.

Ryan and Elbert exchanged confident glances as I took my seat.

"What matters are we discussing at this emergency meeting?" I asked calmly.

Ryan smiled. "You'll find out soon enough." He presented a supposedly lucrative project, claiming he and Elbert had invested $110 million personally.

My phone vibrated with Elbert's message: [Since you're my cousin, here's some advice—never trust people too easily. Especially your own family.]

I maintained my composure, offering only a faint smile. Let him think he's won. He has no idea what's coming.

Ryan then proposed changing management. "Elena has neglected company duties while being preoccupied with personal drama. Women should be at home, not in the corporate world."

"Uncle Ryan, just last week I secured two major profitable deals," I countered.

He dismissed this. "Elbert and I control 30% of shares, giving us authority to remove you."

"I object," I said confidently, signaling Teresa to display a share certificate.

"Auntie Miley entrusted me with proxy rights to all her shares. Combined with my inheritance from my mom, I hold more shares than both of you."

Their faces drained of color. "That's impossible!" Elbert exclaimed.

"As you said, those with more shares have more say. Perhaps we should discuss your positions instead."

Ryan appealed desperately to the shareholders about the project's importance.

Seeing their hesitation, I revealed: "The project and investment are completely fabricated. Even Elbert's fiancée has no royal connections."

The room erupted in shock as I explained their deception.

Ryan's attempted defense only further incriminated him when verification revealed no actual funds had been transferred.

I smiled at Elbert. "Since you're my cousin, here's some advice—never trust people too easily."

The shareholders voted decisively to keep me in my position, while distancing themselves from Ryan and Elbert afterward.

---

Outside the conference room, Elbert confronted me. "You planned this all along! You deliberately falsified that asset report!"

"If you hadn't tried to deceive me first, how could you have been deceived?" I responded calmly. "Setting traps for others only to fall into them yourself—that's called getting what you deserve."

Ryan threatened, "This is just one small victory... I hope you're always this lucky."
"Thank you for the good wishes," I replied. "But I believe fortune favors those with justice on their side."

They stormed off furiously.

Serafina brushed past me, hissing, "Don't think you can keep winning. Some things are beyond your imagination."

After they left, I tried calling Donovan but only reached voicemail. His last message was two days ago—unusual for someone so reliable.

"Teresa, have you been able to contact Donovan recently?" I asked my assistant.

She shook her head. "No, he usually contacts us first. He's always been elusive."

"I'm worried something might have happened to him," I said with growing concern. "His disappearance at this time is too strange."

"I'll have someone look into it," Teresa promised.

I gazed out the window, my uneasiness intensifying. I hope I'm just being paranoid.

The next morning, Teresa entered with grave news. "Elena, your suspicions were right. Donovan has disappeared."

"Any leads?" I asked urgently.

"None of our contacts can reach him. His phone signal vanished in England two days ago."

My heart sank as questions flooded my mind. What happened to Donovan? Who could have done this to him?