129 The Long Awaited Meeting

129 The Long Awaited Meeting
That morning, Samuel waited outside Eirene’s apartment, his eyes fixed on the gate. Today was the long-anticipated Executive Meeting at Beatrix Group, the day everything could change.

When Eirene finally stepped out, Samuel nearly lost his footing.

For the first time, she wore a full professional suit. A fitted sky-blue blazer hugged her shoulders, paired with a crisp white blouse tucked neatly into a matching knee-length skirt that framed her silhouette perfectly. The way the outfit shaped her curves made Samuel swallow hard, his mind momentarily blank.

Eirene stood tall and composed, exuding quiet power. Behind her, Sia followed, dressed in sharp black slacks and a tailored blazer. A folder of documents was tucked securely in her arms.

To support Eirene in preparing both mentally and physically, Sia had been staying in one of the nearby apartments Samuel had purchased for added security.

Now face-to-face with Samuel, Eirene briefly met his eyes, only to quickly avert her gaze. The unspoken weight of the previous night lingered between them. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as her eyes dropped to her spotless white heels.

Samuel, on the other hand, found it difficult to look away.

She had filled out. Her body was healthier, her skin radiant, and the light makeup added a polish that matched her new poise. Every inch of her radiated elegance and maturity. Samuel couldn’t stop staring until Victor gave him a discreet nudge.

“...Ahem.”
Samuel cleared his throat and gathered himself before speaking.

“Eirene, you’ll ride with me in the main car. The rest will follow behind.”

He gestured toward a sleek silver car that practically shimmered with wealth and sophistication. One black vehicle was already positioned ahead, while another was ready to trail behind them.

The ride was quiet. Both Eirene and Samuel were deep in their own thoughts.

Eirene’s nerves were unraveling. This was a moment she never imagined, confronting her past, claiming her future. The truth about her parents was still difficult to accept. After living like a servant for most of her life, the idea that she was now on her way to inherit an empire felt surreal, almost too much.

Samuel, sensing her unease, chose not to speak. He understood that silence, in moments like this, could offer more comfort than words.

When the car stopped in front of Beatrix Headquarters, one of Samuel’s men opened the door. Samuel stepped out first, then offered his hand to Eirene. Though her heart was pounding, she placed her hand in his and stepped out gracefully.

Hand in hand, they walked toward the meeting hall. Victor and Sia followed closely behind, along with many tall men in black suits and dark glasses, one of Samuel’s top security personnel.

True to his nature, Samuel arrived fashionably late. The boardroom was already filled when they entered. Aurther was there too, looking disheveled and tense. He had no idea why this emergency meeting had been called, and even less idea how everything had unraveled so quickly after what had seemed like a guaranteed election victory.

But the real blow came when his eyes landed on Eirene.

She entered the room confidently, hand in hand with the tall man, whom he vaguely recognized. Aurther’s confusion deepened. Every person in the room, to varying degrees, already had some idea of what was unfolding; some were tense, others hopeful, while a few sat stiffly, calculating their own losses and gains.

“What is the meaning of this, Eirene?”
Aurther’s voice thundered across the room, still clinging to an authority that no longer belonged to him.

“Just here to attend the meeting, dear Uncle,”
Eirene replied politely, her tone firm but composed.

She took a seat at the head of the table, with Samuel seated calmly beside her.

Victor stood and formally introduced Samuel to the board as a newly recognized shareholder, someone with full rights to attend and vote in the meeting.

“What the hell is going on? Security!”
Aurther barked, rising from his seat, demanding that the intruders be removed.

But none of the company’s guards moved. Only Samuel’s men stood at the entrance, clearly in control of the situation.

“You probably didn’t know this yet,”
Eirene said smoothly,
“But… I found my father’s WILL.”

At her signal, Sia stepped forward and distributed printed copies of the document to everyone present.

As the executives flipped through the pages, their reactions varied, some whispering, others visibly shaken.

Aurther didn’t speak. His mind had gone numb. The words on the paper in his hands blurred. The voices in the room grew distant. The reality crashing down on him was louder than anything they could say.

When Aurther finally returned to his senses, the boardroom had already erupted into a flurry of debate.

“While the DNA test confirms you are indeed Carter Beatrix’s biological daughter and the rightful heir.”
One of the senior executives spoke firmly,
“The will clearly includes a condition. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”

The question echoed in the room, drawing every eye to Eirene. Aurther blinked rapidly, focusing on the woman across from him.

Eirene, who now looked so much like Alice that it made his heart twist. The girl he once loved, now a poised woman, sat with the same grace Alice had once carried, but beside her was no ordinary man, She was sitting beside Samuel Richi. A Beast Man

Aurther’s stomach dropped.

He knew that name. Everyone in high political circles did. Samuel wasn’t just powerful, he was dangerous. Ruthless. The name struck fear even in the darkest corners of the underworld.

His gaze drifted toward Victor, whom he had once assumed was Eirene’s lover and the father of her child. But now, in this setting, everything fell into place. The rumors. Melissa’s scandal. The sudden and unexplained collapse of his election campaign. The stolen board members. He had been dancing to someone else's tune, and that puppeteer had been Samuel all along.

And then he remembered the call from Mrs. Old Copper: “Lucy is Eirene’s real daughter… and she’s with her father now.”

That father wasn’t Victor. It was him, Samuel!

Eirene rose to her feet, calm and composed. Her voice cut through the noise with clarity.

“Many of you have already seen my daughter. And this.”
She said, gesturing to Samuel beside her,
“This is my husband. I’ve fulfilled every condition outlined in the will. Legally, ethically, and completely.”

She sat down again with a confidence that was unmistakably Carter’s bloodline, and Aurther snapped.

With a growl of rage, he flung the will across the table, the papers scattering like a storm of betrayal. The loud thud silenced the room as he stood, pointing a trembling finger at Eirene.

“You—! You… y—”

But he never finished the sentence.

His other hand flew to his chest, gripping at it tightly. His face twisted in agony. His eyes widened with a mix of disbelief and pain as his knees buckled.

And then,
Tuddh.

He collapsed.

Gasps filled the boardroom. Chairs scraped the floor. Several executives rushed to his side, shouting for help.

“Call the ambulance!”

Aurther lay motionless, the same man who once ruled over them with unchecked power, now pale and helpless on the marble floor.

The meeting ended in a frenzy, but the outcome was undeniable. News of Eirene’s appointment as the rightful heir of Beatrix Industries broke across media outlets within hours, accompanied by headlines about Aurther’s sudden collapse during the board meeting.

Samuel didn’t waste time. As the world reeled, he struck while the iron was still hot, leaking documents that exposed Aurther’s crimes: his orchestration of Alice and Carter Beatrix’s deaths, his abuse of authority, and even the attempted harm toward a child, Lucy.

But the world didn’t react the way they expected.

Three days later, as they were preparing for the next step in reclaiming the empire, devastating news arrived.

Aurther Beatrix was dead.