Chapter 117: Can You Just Adopt Me?
After being discharged from the hospital, Matthew transferred half of his shares in the company to Michael, then took his wife to Eldoria to spend time with Ella.
After hustling through most of his life, it was time to let go of ambition and status—time to enjoy their golden years together and be with family.
He hadn't held onto the other half of his shares out of stinginess toward Michael. Rather, he kept them as a safety net for the family. If the company ever faced internal upheaval, they'd have enough capital to start over and rebuild.
Michael remained swamped. Every day was a blur of meetings or business trips. Sophia was buried in exam prep, too busy to keep tabs on him.
Finding time to see his girlfriend—let alone go on an actual date—was nearly impossible. Their only window was the one hour he carved out daily for workouts, during which he'd squeeze in a quick video call.
"Mr. Green." Arthur pushed open the office door, confirming Michael wasn't on a call before stepping inside. He placed a file folder on the desk. "The information you requested on Carl Hanson."
Over the past year, the board of directors had applied relentless pressure on Michael, and Carl had been the ringleader.
Now that the Green Group had been rebranded as Cloud Group—under Michael's full control—certain threats to the company's stability needed to be dealt with.
As Michael flipped through the documents, Arthur continued. "Carl started his first business at twenty-seven. Over the next ten years, he tried his hand at restaurants, custom apparel printing, and metal electroplating. All three ventures failed.
"Eventually, he gave up on entrepreneurship and took a job at an electronics factory. Five years later, he met your father and invested all his savings into what was then a fledgling startup—the Green Group—securing a 15% stake. As the company grew, he led negotiations on a few key projects. But once the Green Group became Cloud Group, he was left without a formal position.
"Dividend income from his shares became his primary source of funds. When he had some capital saved up, he tried starting two more businesses—both of which failed. After that, he set his sights on leveraging his existing stake in the company."
So Carl's real goal all along hadn't been entrepreneurship. It had been acquiring equity through investment—then using underhanded tactics to seize control of the companies he'd invested in.
If he couldn't build a successful business himself, he'd simply steal someone else's.
The Green Group had grown into one of Emerald City's top corporations, with deep roots and a fully operational internal system.
If his own ventures couldn't succeed, why not just take over one that already had? He'd still be the boss. He was a shareholder, after all.
If they all held shares, why should the Green family get to be chairman while he didn't?
Michael closed the folder, his expression calm. "The new flagship phone just launched. The company's moving into development of the next product line. Issue a public announcement—Cloud Group is opening a third round of financing."
Arthur immediately understood. Michael planned to dilute Carl's ownership percentage through new capital injections, gradually squeezing the parasite out.
"Understood. Should I schedule the shareholders' meeting for tomorrow at 2 PM?"
"That works."
"I'll get it done right away."
Before long, exam week arrived—the final stretch of their high school careers. Without question, it was cause for celebration.
On the last day of testing, a sea of people flooded the area outside the exam hall. Parents and teachers craned their necks anxiously, waiting for their kids to emerge victorious.
Mary stood in an elegant pantsuit, clutching a bouquet of red roses. Beside her, Ray looked sharp in a full suit, holding a bundle of sunflowers. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were getting married today.
They weren't the only ones waiting. Amelia and Wayne, who hadn't taken the exams, were also there.
Amelia wore a cropped tank top paired with black leather pants and combat boots, her short hair giving her a sharp, rebellious edge. She leaned casually against a white-and-willow-colored sport bike.
Wayne stood nearby in a black-and-white graphic tee, cargo pants, and brown high-tops, scrolling through his phone as he leaned against the wall. A sleek all-black cruiser motorcycle was parked in front of him.
Despite hanging back at the edge of the crowd, the two were impossible to ignore. Their combined presence looked less like a parent pickup line and more like rival gangs gearing up for a turf war.
In reality, Wayne was frantically spamming Michael with messages: [Where are you? Did you make it yet? Hurry up and come get your girlfriend, or she's gonna ruin my plans with Amelia AGAIN!]
Michael, stuck in traffic, grimaced as his phone lit up repeatedly.
You think I'm not trying? There's a traffic jam near the school. A three-minute drive has already taken thirteen minutes, and I'm still not there.
He sent back a voice message. "I'm on my way. Just keep an eye on Sophia. Don't let her disappear."
[Wayne]: She's not gonna run off. But you better brace yourself—her parents are here.
[Michael]: You couldn't have told me sooner?
He was already stuck halfway there with no way to turn around and grab a proper gift for meeting her parents. All he could do was grit his teeth and push forward.
Inside the exam hall, the final bell rang, marking the end of three years of high school.
The proctors collected the answer sheets, counted them carefully, and announced that students were free to leave.
Sophia tucked her pencil case into her bag and slung it over her shoulder, heading straight for James's exam room.
His proctor was slower at collecting papers. She waited by the door for a couple of minutes before James finally emerged.
Ethan had been in the same exam room. The moment he stepped out, he bounded over eagerly. "Sophia! How'd you do?"
"Not bad." Sophia was more concerned about James's performance, but since the exam was over, it was time to relax. She shifted the conversation. "James, we've got over two months of break. Want to keep acting in short films? I'll personally pick a project for you."
James took the bag off her shoulder and smiled. "Sure. I was planning to find a summer job anyway to earn some pocket money. Doing more short films sounds great."
"Perfect! I'll head over to Stellar Cinematics tomorrow and find you a script."
"What about me?" Ethan jogged ahead to walk on Sophia's other side. "Sophia, aren't you gonna look after me too?"
Sophia shot him a teasing glance. "Your family's loaded. Why do you need a summer job?"
"Hey! I'm talking about my dream!"
Sophia laughed. "Don't worry, I remember. Amelia already found you a solid singing competition. She should be waiting outside right now. Go ask her yourself."
The three of them walked out together. The moment they passed through the gate, Ray and Mary rushed forward with beaming smiles, flowers in hand.
"James, Sophia—congratulations on finishing high school!"
The vibrant red roses went to Sophia, while James received a cheerful bouquet of sunflowers paired with champagne roses—a symbol of warmth and optimism.
The siblings accepted the flowers. James chuckled. "Dad, Mom—this isn't my first exam. Why'd you buy me flowers?"
"Oh, come on. You both took the exam together. If Sophia gets flowers, so do you." Mary stated it matter-of-factly. She'd never played favorites with her children.
Ethan watched from the sidelines, practically radiating envy. "Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson—can you just adopt me?"
I want gorgeous flowers too!