John’s voice steadied with respect.
"Please welcome our new CEO and majority shareholder, Mr. Jace Cromwell."
Her chest tightened, her mind scrambled to process the words. ’What did he just say?’
Jace stood calmly. He fixed the cuffs of his sleeves, then walked around the long table and took the seat at the centre of the table.
Ava’s voice came out weak. "H-How...?"
She turned sharply to look at her uncle, Victor Voss, expecting him to retaliate.
Instead, he leaned back in silence, arms folded, unfazed.
Her breath caught in her chest.
She quickly shifted to Leah Evans, the angel investor she trusted. But Leah averted her eyes, avoiding Ava’s gaze.
John cleared his throat. "Aside from this announcement, we don’t have anything else."
He looked at Jace. "Sir, is there anything you’d like to say?"
Jace leaned back lazily. "No. Let’s end the meeting here."
John gave a nod. "Meeting adjourned."
The room began to move. Chairs scraped, murmurs passed quietly. Executives stood and shuffled out.
Ava remained frozen, until finally, she stepped toward Jace and grabbed his coat.
Her voice trembled. "How? How did you do it?"
Jace tilted his head, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
Jace sat in a quiet corner of a cafe, dressed in a fitted black T-shirt and jeans, sleeves rolled just above his forearms. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.
Across from him sat Leah Evans, slim frame, neat blazer, light makeup, and tired eyes.
"So Mr. Jace, are you truly going to buy my 10% shares for $100,000?" she asked, skeptical.
Jace took a slow sip of his bubble coffee before speaking. "Ms. Leah, the company’s sinking because of poor leadership. Isn’t it better to replace the captain?"
Jace leaned forward. "I’ll add something else to sweeten the deal."
"If, in the future, you ever want to buy the shares back, I’ll let you have them at half the price I bought it from you."
Leah blinked. "Seriously? But... wouldn’t that be a loss for you if the company turns around?"
Jace smiled lightly. "Please make your decision."
Leah stared at him, lips pressed, clearly weighing her options. A long moment passed before she finally extended her hand.
"Let’s sign the documents."
Jace shook her hand. "We have a deal."
He added smoothly, "Just one request."
She asked, "What is it?"
"Be present at the board meeting where I’ll be elected CEO."
Leah nodded. "Alright."
Victor Voss leaned back in his leather armchair, his silver-streaked hair combed neatly, a dark coat draped over his shoulders.
He looked tired but proud. His eyes followed Jace as he entered and sat across from him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Victor," Jace said with a nod.
"Afternoon," Victor replied, his tone flat.
Jace gave a short laugh. "We both work in the same field. You have far more experience than I do. Can I call you Senior?"
Victor raised an eyebrow, but nodded once. "Sure."
Jace’s smile faded. His voice lowered. "Then let me speak directly. Your niece is planning to leave both of us with nothing."
Victor sat up. "What do you mean?"
"You know Leah has 10%, right? She’s Ava’s friend."
’I guess, not much of a friend if she’s selling her out for quick cash.’
"Ava holds 30%, you have 19%, and I have 30%."
Jace paused, noticing how Victor’s face darkened at the mention of his shares.
Then he went on. "And the remaining 11%? That’s not ESOP like everyone thinks. Those are her parents’ shares. Ava’s trying to quietly pull them back."
Victor’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t seem surprised, like he had suspected it all along.
Jace reached into his leather bag and pulled out a file. "Please read this."
Victor sat down, flipped through the documents slowly. As he reached the last page, his eyes widened. "Is this all... true?"
"Absolutely. I’ve already secured Leah’s shares. With your help, I can finish this."
Victor regained his calm. "And what do I get?"
"I’ll buy 11% from you for $200,000. Plus, you can buy it back in two years at half the price."
Victor leaned back, considering.
Jace added, "I know you were planning to sell the company. But if you’ve read the last page, you know my plan gives you a lot more."
Victor sighed, then nodded. "Okay."
Jace smiled. ’I should give Lena, my cute private investigator, a bonus.’
He stood. "Ah, Senior. Can we subtract $500 from that? I had to bribe an employee $1,000 to get the intel."
Victor blinked, stunned by his cheapness.
Ava still gripped Jace’s coat. "Why? Why did you do that?"
Jace smirked. "Ms. Ava—no."
His voice dropped, colder. "Ava Voss. Behave yourself."
Jace leaned closer. "Did you really think I wouldn’t know? That you were trying to take your parents’ 11% and buy Leah’s 10% to gain control?"
Ava’s face went pale.
Jace’s voice stayed low but sharp. "Then your plan was to cancel my veto rights, block all dividends to me and your uncle for five years, and dilute our shares until we were left with scraps."
She stared at him, lips parted, speechless. Her body tensed, unable to hide the shock. That plan was secret. Nobody else should have known. Not even her parents.
Jace brushed her hand off his coat and walked toward the door.
"Jace," Victor called.
Jace paused and looked back. "Yes, Senior?"
Victor coughed. "If you need anything in the future, feel free to ask."
"Mr. Jace," Leah stepped forward, handing him a card. "If you find any good investment, give me a call."
He took the card and flipped it. Her home address was written on the back.
Jace walked out of the building, slid into his car, and drove off. He whistled to himself.
’Now I’ll finally be able to crush and taste the prideful Ava.’
A system screen blinked inside the corner of his vision.
"Time left for Ava Mission: 20 Days.
- The system will upgrade to Level 2
- And new features will be added."