Chapter 726

Evelyn Carter's premonition had finally come true.

On the fifteenth day of Alexander Hamilton's disappearance, the quarterly shareholders' meeting of Hamilton Group commenced. The conference room was packed, more crowded than any previous gathering.

With Alexander still absent, the shareholders' ambitions began to stir once more.

Evelyn had been on edge all this time, but now, she felt an odd sense of relief.

What was meant to happen would happen. Once she weathered this storm, the hardest part would be over.

The meeting began with department heads delivering their reports one by one. The last to stand was Manager Xiao from the business division.

"Mrs. Hamilton, now that the Banyan Group project has been terminated, how should we allocate the funds? Do you have the authority to decide?"

He deliberately emphasized "Mrs. Hamilton" instead of her current title, making his condescension unmistakable.

Emily Zade, standing at the conference table, shot her a worried glance. As the moderator, she couldn't appear too biased.

Evelyn gave a slight nod to reassure her, long accustomed to such provocations. "Do you have a suggestion, Manager Xiao?"

"Leaving funds idle is never wise," he said pointedly. "I heard you were once an executive at Anderson Environmental and the only daughter of the Anderson family. Surely you wouldn’t—"

"Are you implying I'd embezzle company funds?" Evelyn chuckled. "My background is in medicine. I know nothing about financial operations."

"Just because you wouldn’t doesn’t mean others wouldn’t." He shifted tactics. "Hamilton Group isn’t your personal property. Even when Mr. Hamilton was here, major decisions required board approval."

He conveniently ignored Alexander’s decisive leadership style.

Though unfamiliar with Hamilton Group’s internal workings, Evelyn understood how Alexander operated.

"Since you brought up Mr. Hamilton, perhaps we should review the meeting minutes to ensure no one misrepresents his intentions."

Manager Xiao paled and quickly backtracked. "We’re discussing the project now. Digging up the past is pointless."

His gaze flickered toward a certain director, who immediately looked away.

Evelyn silently thanked her stars that this particular troublemaker wasn’t very bright.

"I know exactly what you’re all thinking," she said, scanning the room. "Everyone here holds shares. If the company suffers, I won’t be the one losing the most."

Hamilton Group operated on a partnership model—executives’ wealth was tied to stock performance.

Emily discreetly signaled Alexander’s allies.

Tension thickened in the conference room.

An elderly director slammed the table. "Mrs. Hamilton, you unilaterally halted payments, and now we’re facing massive penalties!"

The CFO chimed in, "We understand your issues with Ms. Lightfoot, but personal grudges shouldn’t interfere with business."

They carefully avoided the topic of Alexander’s whereabouts.

"So you’re saying I cut ties with Lightfoot Holdings out of jealousy?" Evelyn cut straight to the point.

The director remained unflinching. "Your words, not mine. Mr. Hamilton only entrusted you with temporary management, not to replace him."

"My decision stands," Evelyn said firmly. "Leonard Laurent is still in custody, and Lightfoot Holdings remains under investigation."

Seeing this approach fail, the directors switched tactics.

"Mrs. Hamilton, business involves gains and losses. Shouldn’t the board vote on where these funds are allocated?"

The director plastered on a smile, attempting to coax her.

Evelyn smirked. "I said no one touches it. That’s final."