Chapter 354: A New Board Of Directors
Ethan swallowed hard, when his grandmother walked into the room wearing the meanest mug on her wrinkly face. She clutched the pearls around her neck, as she sat across from him.
"Everyone but Gemma leave the room." she ordered, sending out the security, assistants and her caretaker stationed at each corner of the living room.
Ethan plastered a smile, "Grandmother, you didn’t have to make the trip personally-"
She raised a hand, "I thought so too." Her eyes went round at the seemingly empty mansion, "I thought I’d be able to enjoy my retirement, and finally pass the company over. But it seems I was heavily deluded."
He dug his nails into his palm, "I assure you that this is just a slight hiccup-"
She turned to Gemma, "Give it to him."
The older woman, probably mid forties set her briefcase on the table and took out some documents. She slid a copy over the glass center table to Ethan, then neatly tucked the rest back.
Scratching the back of his neck, he grunted, "What is this?"
"Gemma." The old woman groaned in response.
The family lawyer pushed her hair back as she explained, "Mrs Halton has transferred ownership of some assets to you, sign there and-" Ethan cut her off with a dry cough.
"I don’t understand," he looked at his grandmother, "Why are you giving me this?"
She reached into her bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Gemma reached into her breast pocket, took out a lighter then helped her light up it’s butt.
Ethan clenched his jaw, "Grandmother-"
She hissed, "Don’t call me that, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth." she took a puff of smoke and exhaled it through her nostrils.
He looked at the papers, and his frown deepened, "You’re transferring me to the foreign branch?!"
Gemma nodded, "Mrs Halton has already spoken with the major shareholders of the company, a new board of directors will be elected, and so will a new CEO."
Ethan squeezed the paper in his hands. In his head, he imagined stuffing it down the old woman’s throat. But that was the last thing he could do, she was the last person he could harm.
He threw the crumpled ball on the floor and stood up, "Y-You can’t do this to me! I am your grandson!"
She rolled her eyes, "You never considered me family anyway. I mean, you got married and didn’t invite me, you handle the business terribly, and now you drag MY company’s rep through the mud because of your shitty divorce."
"I worked hard all these years to prove a point to you, that I could take over the business-"
"And you failed miserably." She scoffed, "Not only are you divorced, but you’re breeding a bastard! In public! Not forgetting you got arrested, and the countless videos of you online making a damn fool out of yourself." She took a puff, her shoulders rising.
In a smoky exhale, she informed him, "I am sick and tired of using my resources to keep your filthy reputation hidden from daylight. If I continue to let you run things, you’ll run all of my hard work to the ground."
She sneaked a mumble, "As useless as his damn father."
Ethan’s lip twitched.
Had Gemma, and a whole team of security were not around, he considered taking a pillow and suffocating the old woman with it.
But, he was close, all his years of perseverance and tolerance would go to waste if he snapped.
He chanted in his head, "Once I get the company, I’ll strangle that old hag with my bare hands."
It was all one big game, and he was nearing his final move.
He dropped to his knees in front of her, and hugged her legs, "Grandmother, I swear it is all a misunderstanding. Brooke is just attention starved, that’s why she’s acting out like this."
She laughed, "And the actress flaunting her pregnancy online?"
Ethan shook his head, "It’s not my baby, she’s just a money hungry bitch."
His grandmother narrowed her eyes, "But you’re engaged to her, and already claimed the child is yours."
"It’s all a ploy to get Brooke back." he swore.
"So," she crushed the butt of her cigarette against the back of his neck, Ethan groaned, "You mean to tell me that embarrassing yourself and my legacy was all so some broad would come back to you?"
For a moment he remained silent, wondering if she Wanted him to answer that.
Gemma tapped his shoulder, urging him to answer.
He nodded, "Yes, Grandmother."
She hissed, "You truly are your father’s son. My Isabella’s genes didn’t even compete."
Ethan stiffened at the mention of his mother. He hated when anyone talked about her.
She let out a sigh, "Alright, I shall give you one last chance. Call off the engagement to the actress, what was her name again, Maddie?"
"Cassie." Gemma corrected.
"Her." she acknowledged, unimpressed.
"Break the engagement off, and cut any ties to that horrid bastard, then you will have Brooke come out and apologize for causing this divorce scandal." she traced her fingers along her pearls, "I will have my contact at the registry wipe your divorce from their records. Afterwards, you two will secretly remarry, and finally produce an heir, one that I will personally groom into the ideal successor."
Ethan protested, "Grandmother we-"
"Did I stutter?" she grabbed his chin. her gaze cold. "Or do you want to kiss all of this goodbye?"
Ethan closed his eyes, "Of course not."
"Then you will do as I tell you, won’t you?" she insisted.
He forced a smile, "Yes, grandmother."
She cracked a wide grin, "Gemma, get me on the phone with my contact at the marriage registry." she said getting up.
Gemma nodded, "Yes ma’am."
They approached the front door, only for his grandmother to take a quick pause. Leering over her shoulder, she added, "You have a week to clean up your act, or else I really will name someone else my successor."
Once she was gone, Ethan scrambled to the chair for his phone and placed a call to his assistant. Before the woman could say a single word, he cut her off.
"Get me a meeting with the new owner of prime star agency." he ordered.
