Chapter 67
Charles, despite the setbacks in public opinion and his legal challenges, was far from defeated. Instead, he channeled the pressure directly into the inner workings of the Windsor Group.
He knew that as long as he could seize operational control of the company, he had a thousand ways to transfer its assets into his own name, even if the shares technically remained with Elizabeth.
With Hughes gone, the chairman's seat was vacant. According to the company's bylaws, the largest shareholder could temporarily assume some of those duties. Leveraging the influence he had built over decades and the support of a few minority shareholders, Charles managed to secure the role of acting chairman.
Using this position, he initiated a series of aggressive personnel changes.
He shuffled several key department heads, either promoting them to positions with no real power or outright forcing their resignations. He planned to fill these vacancies with his own loyalists, people he had been grooming or buying off for years.
A wave of uncertainty swept through the Windsor Group. The office buzzed with rumors and speculation.
When this news reached Elizabeth, she was in the Smith family's library, huddled with her legal team, strategizing how to counter Charles's lawsuit.
The moment she heard how brazenly Charles was undermining the company's foundations, her eyes turned to ice.
"Get the car ready. We're going to the Windsor Group," she said to Lynx, setting down the legal documents.
Lynx's brow furrowed with concern. "Charles is at the office right now. It'll be crowded and crawling with his people. If you go there directly, I'm afraid..."
"I'm going precisely because he thinks he has everything under control," Elizabeth said, standing and smoothing down her clothes. "He wants to shut me out? Fine. I'll let him, and everyone else, see exactly who the rightful heir to the Windsor Group is."
She took only Lynx and one lawyer, heading directly for the Windsor Group's headquarters.
The Windsor Group tower was as imposing as ever, but the receptionist at the front desk visibly flinched when she saw Elizabeth, her gaze darting away nervously.
Clearly, Charles had already given his instructions.
Elizabeth ignored the receptionist's hesitation and strode toward the executive elevators. Lynx took a step forward, his intimidating presence enough to make the receptionist instinctively swipe her key card, granting them access.
The elevator ascended directly to the top floor, where the main conference room was located. As the doors slid open, they could hear Charles's booming, passionate voice echoing from within. It sounded like he was in the middle of announcing a new appointment.
Elizabeth didn't break her stride. She walked to the conference room doors and threw them open.
The heavy, solid wood doors slammed against the wall, the sound echoing like a gunshot, slicing through the meeting.
The room was packed. Every mid-to-senior-level manager at the Windsor Group was present.
At the head of the table, Charles was holding a document, his face frozen in the middle of a speech. The moment he saw Elizabeth, his expression curdled into a dark scowl.
Every head in the room whipped around to stare at the entrance.
Elizabeth stood framed in the doorway, her posture ramrod straight, her face a mask of cold fury. Her gaze swept calmly over every person in the room before finally landing on Charles.
"Mr. Brown," she began, her voice crisp and clear, ringing through the silent room. "Convening such a critical meeting to discuss personnel and project changes that could fundamentally alter the company, and no one thought to inform me? As the legal heir to fifteen percent of the Windsor Group's shares, and the sole beneficiary designated in my grandfather's will, am I not entitled to be here?"
Charles's face was a thundercloud. He slammed the document onto the table, barely containing his rage. "Elizabeth, what are you doing here? This is an internal management meeting. This is no place for you! Besides, the inheritance process for your shares isn't complete. You are not an official shareholder yet!"
"The process isn't complete because someone is deliberately delaying it, creating obstacles," Elizabeth retorted, stepping into the room without an ounce of hesitation. Her lawyer immediately handed her a file. "But my right to inherit, granted by law, is indisputable. There is no debate on that point. According to the company's articles of incorporation and relevant laws, as a major stakeholder whose status is pending confirmation, I have the right to be informed of and participate in any major decisions that could seriously affect the company's interests and the value of my shares."
She placed the file her lawyer had prepared gently on the conference table. The soft thud was deafening in the dead silence.
The room was holding its breath, all eyes locked on the father-daughter showdown.
A few managers, clearly in on the scheme, shifted uncomfortably. But most looked utterly bewildered and shocked. They never imagined that the notorious, supposedly useless Elizabeth from the tabloids could be this formidable.
Charles was momentarily speechless, cornered by her words.
"What do you know about running a company!" He finally exploded, his frustration boiling over. "I've worked for the Windsor Group for decades! Don't you think I know what's best for it better than you do? The market is volatile! We need experienced people who can get things done! You're just a girl who knows nothing. Stop making a mess!"
A humorless smirk touched Elizabeth's lips. "I'm not sure if it's good for the company, but it's certainly beneficial for you personally."
"You're talking nonsense!" Charles shot up from his chair, slamming his palm on the table and pointing a trembling finger at her. "Elizabeth! Don't think you can waltz in here and lecture me just because you have the Smith family backing you! You don't call the shots at the Windsor Group! Security! Get her out of here!"
Two security guards posted outside the door entered, looking hesitant.
Elizabeth didn't even spare them a glance. Her eyes remained locked on Charles, her voice rising, laced with an undeniable authority. "I'd like to see who dares to touch me. I am Hughes Windsor's granddaughter, the legally recognized heir to this company! Anyone who lays a hand on me today will be facing a lawsuit from my attorney tomorrow for false imprisonment and infringement of shareholder rights! Go ahead, Charles. Try it. Let's see what's faster—you replacing a few department heads, or my legal notice arriving on your desk!"
Her gaze flickered to the two bewildered guards, her eyes as cold and sharp as daggers.
Stunned by her sheer force of will, the guards froze, not daring to take another step.
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.
Charles was trembling with rage, but he didn't dare give the order to use force. He knew that with the Smith family in her corner, escalating this would only hurt him.
Ignoring him, Elizabeth turned to address the other managers, whose faces were a mixture of fear and intrigue. Her tone softened slightly but remained firm and clear. "Many of you here are veterans of this company, personally promoted by my grandfather. The Windsor Group's success today is built on your hard work. I urge you all to see clearly who is truly acting for the long-term good of this company, and who is trying to hollow it out for personal gain. I propose that this meeting be adjourned immediately. All major personnel and project changes made without due process—especially without the review of major shareholders—are null and void. If Mr. Brown insists on proceeding, I won't hesitate to call an emergency shareholder meeting, or even take legal action, to resolve our differences."
Her speech was a clear signal to everyone in the room: it was time to pick a side.
The Windsor Group was not Charles's personal kingdom to rule. She was a major shareholder, and she was here to fight.
With that, she didn't linger. Nodding to her lawyer and Lynx, she turned on her heel and walked out of the conference room, her head held high.
She left behind a room of stunned executives and a father who looked ready to explode.
Elizabeth walked briskly toward the elevator. She knew that while she had momentarily overpowered Charles, the conflict was now out in the open. He would never back down.
Sure enough, just as she stepped through the revolving doors of the Windsor Group tower, before Lynx could even pull the car around, a swarm of reporters materialized out of nowhere. Like sharks smelling blood in the water, they descended upon her, a forest of cameras and microphones thrust in her face.