William's words resonated with the shareholders, and their nods signaled their agreement with his reasoning. Irish, feeling frustrated and unsettled, clenched her fists in annoyance.
In a gesture of support and comfort, Joseph placed his hands over Irish's clenched fists. With gentle determination, he began to separate her fingers one by one, then interlaced his fingers with hers. This small act of reassurance aimed to alleviate Irish's tension and convey that they would face the challenges together.
His fingers were powerful, while his palm was warm. Her anxiety was pressed down soon and then immersed in his gentle comfort.
Irish turned around and met Joseph's eyes.
She felt heartbreaking.
At this moment, he should have been the leader to make a comprehensive plan and decisions on everything, but now he could only attend the meeting as a family member. He had no right to speak. Even if he had, his words would not be trusted by other shareholders.
Joseph must have been upset and disappointed while being stuck in such a situation.
However, he was the one who comforted her.
His eyes were smiling.
The smile was light. It was shown in his eyes and hidden in the mouth corner.
It encouraged her and supported her.
Irish calmed herself down and asked William again, "You mean you won't suggest announcing Roy's death? How can you hide it? Do you still think that it's ancient time?"
"Irish, we must declare something; otherwise, Roy's disappearance will arouse the outside world's doubts." William wasn't as kind as usual, but he just insisted on his thoughts. His voice became firm, "But we should consider our situation now. We can't declare that Roy is dead; instead, we can say that he is just missing. In this way, it will not lead to heated discussion and doubts."
Other shareholders were discussing it.
Shirley was annoyed when she heard it, "So ridiculous! Someone killed my son, but now the dead have to cooperate with you?"
"Not to cooperate with me, but with the Runestone Group." William said word by word, "He was the oldest son of the Lakes, once president of the Runestone Group. If he is in heaven will agree with me. By the way, it is just a temporary decision."
The two were still quarreling with each other.
Irish spoke this time, but obviously, this time, her target was William, "It's not a decision. It can only be called a piece of advice. Uncle, you can't decide everything since you are not the president now. But obviously, you have put yourself in that position."
This was the first time she called him "Uncle," but it was obviously a satire.
William, realizing the impact of Irish's words, felt a hint of embarrassment. He cleared his throat and clarified his stance, "Irish, you misunderstood my intention." He then turned his attention to everyone present. "Irish's suggestion is indeed valid. Earlier, I proposed a suggestion for discussion. Now, I invite all of you to share your opinions."
Some shareholders agreed with him, but some were still hesitant.
And just at this time, Kelly spoke. Her voice was light and cold, as if she were not involved in the discussion.
"I think Irish's advice is good."
Her words made the whole room quiet.
William had never thought that Kelly would stand for Irish, totally shocked.
Irish, too, was taken aback by Kelly's unexpected stance. She looked at Kelly with a mixture of curiosity and inquiry, while even Joseph was visibly surprised by Kelly's unexpected support.
"I propose that we officially announce Roy's passing to the public. By doing so, we can prevent any potential media backlash against our company." Kelly glanced at William and continued, "Regarding your suggestion, I believe it is overly risky. Frankly speaking, it's akin to attempting the impossible. However, we must not overlook the fact that Roy's death will inevitably become public knowledge someday."
William's brows furrowed as he responded in a hushed tone, "You have no idea."
"As a board member, I am entitled to express my viewpoint," Kelly maintained her clear and composed tone.
William appeared displeased.
"That's precisely because there is a lack of leadership," Irish remarked.
Everyone looked at her.
"If one can be chosen to take control of the whole case, there will be no different opinions." Irish sneered.
William agreed with her at this point, and he just nodded, "Irish is right. Now the Runestone Group is just like a kingdom. There can't be any king in this kingdom."
Irish felt his words were disgusting.
Other shareholders all agreed with her. Actually, their request was very simple. As long as it would not influence their interests, everything would be okay.
"As for the candidate..." Some shareholders proposed their doubt.
Before other shareholders expressed their opinions, Irish said again, "My husband, Joseph, has the ability to handle the whole case. And the fact that he has dealt with many difficulties in the past year proves it. I can't think of another one except him."
Her words were not surprising to those shareholders. When Joseph entered the room again, they knew his aim already.
William didn't say anything but just took a glance at one shareholder beside him.
And then the shareholder spoke, "I don't agree with that. Mr. Dover has offered to resign. Now he is not our personnel. We should focus on the existing board members."
"What's the significance of that? The Runestone Group requires a competent manager, which was originally Roy's intention. I believe Mr. Dover is highly qualified and capable of assuming the role of a professional manager." A young shareholder expressed his opinion. He had joined the board following Joseph's restructuring efforts and was one of the few members to remain after the significant changes in board composition.
His speech was for Joseph.
A few shareholders also agreed with that, most of whom were young.
William still didn't say anything.
Another old shareholder said, "Ridiculous!" He looked at Joseph, "Mr. Dover, I'm not questioning you. You do have this sort of ability, but your situation is known. It doesn't matter whether you have resigned or not. The big issue is that now you are involved in so many cases. We can't take this risk."
His words also made sense.
Joseph just smiled lightly and didn't make a response.
"In my opinion, William is the most suitable one." The shareholder mentioned William again, "He is one of the Lakes. What's more, he is the elder one and brother of Henry. He matches for it."
"Yes, William is the right person." Other old shareholders nodded.
William pretended to evade it, "No, I have no ability to be in that position. You are flattering me."
"William, please don't reject the offer. The Runestone Group is currently facing challenges, and you are the most suitable candidate for the position. Unless you want to repeat the same fate as Henry, it's crucial not to make the same mistakes twice." Several shareholders emphasized their concerns, viewing Joseph as a potential adversary.
Irish was just watching their performance. She smiled satirically.
Such a bad drama!
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