Chapter252 The Board Learns the Truth
Thirty minutes later, there was a soft knock on the office door.
Mia walked in. "Mr. Prescott, the conference room is ready."
Mr. Prescott slowly opened his bloodshot eyes and pushed himself up from the sofa. They walked down a long hallway to the heavy wooden doors of the boardroom. Mia stepped forward and pushed them open.
As the doors swung wide, a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward them.
The directors of the Prescott Group, all powerful figures in the business world, sat along both sides of the long table. When they saw Mr. Prescott leading the way, shock washed over their faces.
"Mr. Prescott?"
"What brings you here today?"
Ever since Clifton had taken full control of the group and led the family to the top of the elite world, Mr. Prescott had lived in semi-retirement. He almost never set foot in the office except for the annual gala. His sudden appearance was an obvious sign that something was wrong.
Mr. Prescott walked straight to the head of the table and sat down. Miranda helped him get settled and was about to step back, but he grabbed her wrist.
"Sit here," he said, pointing to the chair on his left.
Miranda was startled, but under his firm gaze, she sat down.
The director closest to them looked at Mr. Prescott and then at Miranda with a curious eye.
"Mr. Prescott, is there something urgent for calling this meeting so suddenly? And who is this lady?"
The question echoed what everyone was thinking. Most of them had heard rumors that Clifton had married, but since there had been no public wedding, no one had seen her.
Seeing Mr. Prescott bring this young woman to a board meeting and have her sit in a seat of honor was a massive statement.
Mr. Prescott leaned back, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of his long-standing authority.
"Clifton is currently abroad. He found a new treatment for his legs that is very effective. Therefore, he will stay overseas for about a year to focus on his recovery."
He paused, looking at each of them. "Company projects will proceed as planned. If you encounter problems you cannot solve, come to me. I called you here today to introduce Clifton’s wife, the Mistress of the Prescott Group."
He turned to Miranda, signaling her to speak.
Miranda stood up, looking poised and elegant. "Hello, everyone. I am Clifton’s wife, Miranda."
The directors' doubts vanished. So, Clifton was just away for medical treatment. He often traveled for weeks at a time anyway. A year for a recovery that might let him walk again didn't seem like a problem.
Relief spread across the room. Many started offering well-wishes for Clifton’s recovery.
Mr. Prescott felt his tension ease slightly. He had managed to stabilize the situation for now. But just as he was about to end the meeting, the doors were slammed open.
The sudden noise startled everyone. They all turned to see Celeste walking in boldly.
Mr. Prescott’s face darkened, and his brow furrowed deeply. "What are you doing here?"
Celeste caught her grandfather’s look of displeasure and gave a faint, mocking smile. It was so fast it seemed like an illusion, and Mr. Prescott missed it, but Miranda saw it clearly.
"Grandfather," Celeste said. "It’s already come to this. Stop lying to everyone. You should tell the directors the truth."
Mr. Prescott realized something was wrong. "Celeste! Shut up!"
He looked at the guards by the door. "Get her out of here!"
But Celeste didn't give the guards a chance to get near. Anticipating his reaction, she raised her voice and dropped a bombshell.
"My cousin isn't abroad for some treatment! He fell into the ocean! Right now, the heir to the Prescott Group is missing and likely dead. According to our rules, I, Celeste, am now the only legal heir to the Prescott Group!"
The room went deathly silent. A second later, a collective gasp filled the air. The directors looked on in utter horror and disbelief.
Mr. Prescott felt his vision go dark. Fury rushed to his head. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up, his body shaking with rage. He swung his hand and delivered a sharp slap to Celeste’s face.
Smack!
Celeste’s head snapped to the side. Five red finger marks appeared on her cheek instantly. She held her stinging face and slowly turned back. She bit her lip, showing no fear, only defiance.
"You... you..." Mr. Prescott pointed a trembling finger at her. "How dare you slander your cousin like that! You..."
Miranda watched the scene with a heavy heart. She couldn't understand why Celeste would do this. Exposing the truth to the board did nothing but hurt the company.
The directors weren't fools. As long as Mr. Prescott was in charge and had a good excuse for Clifton’s absence, things would stay stable. That was why he had lied about the one-year treatment.
Yet Celeste, a Prescott herself, had just torn the secret open for everyone to see.
Celeste faced her grandfather’s murderous gaze and sneered with cruel delight.
"I’m telling the truth! Stop kidding yourself, Grandfather! My cousin is probably dead by now. His body is likely being eaten by fish at the bottom of the sea!"
"Shut up!"
Miranda couldn't listen anymore. She stood up to try and salvage the situation, but then she heard a heavy thud.
She turned and saw Mr. Prescott with his eyes closed, sliding out of his chair. He collapsed straight onto the floor.
He had fainted from pure rage.
"Grandfather!"
Miranda’s pupils shrunk. She didn't have time to think. She lunged toward him, kneeling down to unbutton his collar so he could breathe.
"Call an ambulance!" she screamed at the guards. "Now!"