Chapter 118: She Must Show Her True Skills
"Sorry about that, folks. We had a mix-up. We've had some troublemakers lately, and I misunderstood. Mr. Johnson called to let us know you're VIPs, and we've been told to invite you upstairs personally."
Zaid apologized quickly after hanging up the phone.
"Isaac, they're just doing their job. If you want to sort this out, isn't Eli the one you should be talking to?" Emily said, giving Isaac a knowing wink.
Remembering their past dealings that got Eli to back down, Isaac caught on.
Isaac grinned, playing it cool as he waved his hand. "We've got bigger fish to fry today, so let's not sweat it."
With that, the group finally got into the elevator headed for the executive floor.
As Bianca and Finn stepped in, Emily and her crew's elevator doors closed.
Finn looked around the empty lobby, frowning. "What’s going on? Where are the people you were supposed to stop? Where’d they go?"
Zaid was getting fed up with Finn. Though he kept his cool, his tone was less than polite. "Those were Mr. Eli Johnson's special guests. How could I stop them? Mr. Finn Johnson, you need to be clearer with your instructions. This was a mistake!"
Finn was shocked that a security chief would talk to him like that.
"What? Are you trying to pin this on me?"
Finn was nearly jabbing his finger in Zaid's face.
Seeing Bianca there, Zaid felt more confident, knowing she had Parker's backing. He turned to her, "Ms. Bianca Johnson, you have to help me out. Because of Mr. Finn Johnson's orders, we almost got in trouble with Mr. Eli Johnson. Parker asked you to look out for me. If the chairman blames me and I get fired, you’ve got to speak up for me."
Finn frowned, confused, and looked at Bianca. "Bianca? What’s Zaid talking about? Who’s Parker? Why does he sound like a thug?"
"Finn, he's a friend's brother from our circle. He’s helped me out a lot before, so I can't just ignore him. Don’t worry about it. This is partly my fault for not paying attention earlier. I'm sorry, Finn."
Despite Finn’s earlier call, Eli was furious, and Finn was bound to get an earful.
Finn was puzzled. "Who exactly is Emily with? Eli disowned her, so why is she being treated like a VIP now?"
Bianca was just as puzzled but had no answers.
"If we want to know, we have to go upstairs. I'm curious too about who Dad considers an honored guest."
Hoping it wasn’t Byron and Isaac, who used to be her followers, Bianca clenched her fists and took Finn's arm as they headed upstairs.
Meanwhile, Emily and Isaac's elevator had already reached the executive floor.
As the doors opened, Eli greeted them with a genuine smile, "Isaac—"
But his expression froze when he saw who it was. "What are you doing here?"
His gaze shifted to Isaac, Byron, Sophia, and their assistants.
"Isaac, what's going on? I just issued a statement disowning Emily, and now you bring her here. What’s your game?"
Eli's smile vanished, replaced by anger.
Isaac wanted to laugh but kept a straight face. "You know me, Eli. I don't mess around when it comes to work. But do you really want to discuss this project in the elevator?"
Despite his reluctance, Eli had no choice but to grudgingly invite them in.
Sophia struggled to contain her laughter, while Byron, knowing the situation, managed to keep his composure but was secretly delighted. He even gave Emily a discreet thumbs-up, which made her smile.
Sophia saw this and glared at Byron, feeling her position as Emily's top supporter threatened.
Soon, Emily and the others were led to the conference room.
Eli couldn't hold back any longer. "Isaac, what's going on? I don't care what you say, I won't acknowledge this daughter again!"
He glared at Emily as if she were an enemy, not a former daughter.
Sophia thought he was heartless and couldn't believe a man could look at his daughter that way. She shifted slightly to block Eli's view of Emily.
Isaac disapproved of Eli's attitude but didn't show it. Instead, he said, "Today, we're here to discuss the project. I brought Emily because she agreed to cure Byron's chronic illness. In return, I made her the project manager and—"
Isaac deliberately paused, drawing out his words.
Eli's already grim face grew darker.
Byron couldn't resist jumping in. "And gave Ms. Johnson, your disowned daughter Emily, ten percent of the shares!"
Sophia was stunned. "Impressive, Emily."
Eli was incredulous, thinking he must be dreaming. "Isaac, are you out of your mind? Giving Emily ten percent of the shares? What are you thinking?"
Isaac replied seriously, "Eli, this is an internal matter of my company and unrelated to the project. Let's focus on the project. Please call your project manager. We need to discuss the next steps."
Eli met Isaac's gaze and saw he was serious.
Eli looked at Emily and sneered. "You have some nerve. But even if you have those shares, you have to hold onto them. No wonder you dared to challenge me."
He then called the project manager and other key staff.
When they heard the project would be led by Emily, someone the Johnson family had disowned, they almost unanimously objected.
"Mr. Reyes, this project is our collective effort. No matter what means Emily used to gain your trust, we can't accept being led by someone so inexperienced. We all have more experience than her!"
One chubby staff member couldn't hold back, his disdain evident.
At that moment, the door opened, and Bianca and Finn walked in.
Seeing Emily, Bianca couldn't hide her sense of crisis and vigilance, though she quickly masked it.
Finn spoke first. "Emily, how did you get Mr. Reyes to give you ten percent of the shares? Did you—"
"Finn, stop talking nonsense!"
Eli interrupted him, but the implication was clear.
Byron was furious. "Ms. Johnson is highly capable. Don't underestimate her."
Sophia, annoyed that Byron had spoken first, added, "Exactly. Emily's abilities are beyond your imagination."
Bianca, seeing everyone praising Emily, felt a burning jealousy but kept her composure. "Emily, if you want this position, you need to prove your worth. Otherwise, it's only fair to replace you for the sake of both companies' interests."
She was also subtly reminding Isaac not to be swayed by beauty and make foolish decisions.