Chapter 658
Chapter 658
Chapter 658 Stunning All Shareholders
Their words did not anger Avery in the slightest.
She seemed incredibly calm as she gently tapped her pen against the desk and asked, “Has everyone finished speaking? If so, could you all please check the shareholders' WhatsApp group for the message about the time the secretariat has scheduled for the meeting?”
“You're just a woman who doesn't even understand the concept of punctuality! How dare you even think you can become an acting CEO? This is utterly ridiculous!” Jasper raised his voice deliberately. Despite what he said, he still pulled up the shareholders' WhatsApp group on his phone.
He was a little shocked when he saw that the time scheduled for the meeting in the WhatsApp group chat was six minutes past ten. However, he was quick to regain his composure and glanced at Avery.
So what if she came on time? We always schedule our meetings at ten when Mr. Moore was around, so that is the time we have all grown accustomed to!
The former CEO placed a strong emphasis on punctuality and really disliked tardiness.
Previously, a shareholder took advantage of his status as a senior and deliberately arrived at a meeting a few minutes late. As a result, Cayden told that shareholder to pack up and leave. Jeffrey tried to talk Cayden out of it, but to no avail.
As such, everyone couldn't help but wonder what Avery was up to when she changed the meeting time to six minutes past ten.
As everyone shifted their gaze toward Avery, she flashed them a sarcastic smile and said, “I believe you all saw that our shareholders' meeting was scheduled for six minutes past ten in the morning. It was only five minutes past ten when I walked in, so I wasn't late. However, you guys have spent over five minutes accusing me of being late. So, tell me, was I late?”
Kendrick was the first to speak up. “Of course not! You even arrived a minute early, Mrs. Moore!”
Another young shareholder, who had been working alongside Cayden, also nodded in agreement. “Indeed! Mrs. Moore wasn't late at all! Some people simply weren't aware of the meeting time.”
Jasper let out a disdainful snort and continued to find fault with Avery. “Mr. Moore always arrives ten minutes early for every meeting.”
A faint smirk formed on Wisteria's lips as she watched, while glaring coldly at Avery, who was being picked on.
She was also one of the minor shareholders in the company. Although she only owned six percent of the shares, the money it was worth could sustain an average family for over a decade. That was why she attended the shareholders' meeting as well.
Seeing as Jasper was determined to continue giving her a hard time, Avery's gentle gaze grew cold as she sat in the main seat. “You may criticize me all you like if I turned out to be late, Mr. Chuck, but I clearly arrived on time today. It is my husband's practice to have the meetings at ten, not mine. Just so you all know, the meeting time is subject to changes from time to time, so you must all get used to the way I do things!”
Leroy sneered and asked disdainfully, “Do you really think sitting in that chair makes you our CEO?”
Another senior shareholder chimed in sarcastically, “Women; am I right? They're always indecisive and lack the will to get things done! It'll be a miracle if this company survives your handling!”
“Mr. Moore transferred all of his shares to her before he died, so she now holds the most shares in Trident Group. What choice do we have except listen to her, right? Still, is she really Mr. Moore's wife, though? How come we didn't receive any news of their marriage?”
“If she's not his wife, then what right does she have to be the acting CEO? Have her step down!”
Avery slammed her documents down on the conference table, shocking everyone with her sudden outburst of anger.
“Tina!” Avery shouted.
Tina, who was standing next to her, immediately understood what she meant. She then pulled out two marriage certificates from her handbag and smiled as she held them out for everyone to see.
The two photos on the marriage certificates were those of Cayden and Avery, and the date of certification was from three months ago.
There was no faking that bright red seal on the certificate, which shocked all the shareholders present at the table.
No one doubted the authenticity of the marriage certificate because no one would ever dare forge anything in the name of the business tycoon, Cayden. That could only mean that their CEO really did
marry Avery.
Wisteria clenched her fists tightly under the conference table. Her lowered gaze was filled with shock, jealousy, and rage.
I can't believe Cayden really registered his marriage with that woman! How could he do such a thing?
The meeting room fell into complete silence all of a sudden.
The shareholders all had conflicted looks in their eyes as they stared at Avery.
The silence was broken when an older shareholder with graying hair spoke up all of a sudden. “To be honest, I'm not willing to work under a woman. I'd rather transfer my shares elsewhere than watch Trident Group get destroyed by your leadership.”
Avery glanced at the shareholder who made the statement. He had a square face with bulging eyes and unkempt eyebrows. Generally, people with such facial features tend to be hot-tempered, often struggling to distinguish right from wrong, and can be unreasonable at times.
Avery didn't even frown as she asked, “Is there anyone else who would like to sell their shares? If yes, please speak up now.”
“Me!”
“Me too!”
Two more shareholders exchanged glances and decided to sell their shares.
They would never dream of selling their shares if Cayden were still in charge.
Trident Group is now under the control of a weak woman, so it's best to leave before the company goes bankrupt.
“Mr. Dartsley!” Avery called out.
“Yes, Mrs. Moore?” responded Xavier.
“Check the percentage of the shares these gentlemen hold in Trident Group, and acquire them all according to the current market rate,” Avery said coldly.
Wisteria stared at Avery in disbelief.
Has this woman completely lost her mind? The stocks of Trident Group have plummeted to an all-time low ever since the news of Cayden's death broke out. Trident Group is now in dire need of funds, and yet, she wants to acquire these guys' shares? Did she fall out of bed this morning and hit her head or something?
Even Xavier was a little hesitant to do so. “Please think this through, Mrs. Moore. Given the current state of the company's finances, we can't afford to spend that much money,” he advised her softly.
“My husband has left me a huge sum of money in private, so I will be using the money from my personal account. Go and contact a lawyer and have him draft the share transfer documents. These people will have no further connection with Trident Group in the future,” Avery replied firmly.
Her words were assertive and decisive, which reflected her determination in carrying out her decisions. Despite her delicate and gentle appearance, her stern aura and penetrating gaze were reminiscent of Cayden's. As such, no one dared ignore her authoritative commands.
This woman seems to have quite a bit of courage in her! NôvelDrama.Org content rights.
With the exception of Jasper, Wisteria, and a few others, nearly all the other shareholders in the meeting room felt the same way about Avery.
Just like that, a little over a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
As Avery was a fast learner, she was able to quickly familiarize herself with Cayden's practices at work with the help of Xavier's meticulous guidance and Tina's pointers.
It was really exhausting.
After taking Cayden's place at work, Avery truly experienced the hardships that Cayden faced on a daily basis.
Even so, she wasn't afraid to work hard. She even went as far as working tirelessly day and night, neglecting her meals and sleep.
Only through working hard could she temporarily forget the pain of losing Cayden.
The bidding for Chimera Lake was set to take place in a week.
Right as Avery was diligently studying the bidding proposal, Sid came over in a hurry.
He looked at Avery and said excitedly, “Avery, we've got news on Cayden!