Chapter 7

Eira sat in the main seat, casually spinning the pen in her hand. The shareholders, seeing her expressionless face, dared not say a word. Seeing the room fall silent, she said calmly, "Since no one objects, let's move on to department updates." One by one, department heads stood up to give their reports, their voices tight with nerves. When a few long-standing partner companies were mentioned, Eira finally looked up with mild interest, her sharp gaze lingering on the screen for a moment. Once everyone had finished, Eira walked up with her laptop, signaling someone to pull up the old collaborative projects with the other companies. "These projects-we're shutting them down." The moment the words left her mouth, several managers froze. The one who just gave the report looked like he'd just swallowed a bug-those were basically the only achievements he had to his name. Under the weight of everyone's stares, Kane Brightman finally couldn't hold back. "President Johnson, even if we want to terminate them, shouldn't we give a reasonable explanation?" He hesitated for a second before adding, "These are long-term contracts that have been running for years. Canceling them now would mean hefty penalties." Eira swiped across the screen with her finger and looked over at him coldly. "Then tell me-which of them are still making money?" Kane opened and closed his mouth, mumbling, "Well... they were profitable at the start..." These projects touched on the interests of several shareholders too. Their faces darkened, but what happened to Caspian earlier silenced them all. Eira pressed her red lips together with a dismissive smile. "So, tell me, do we really have a reason not to terminate them?" With that, she hit delete on multiple old projects-most of which had been signed around the time she ran into trouble. The project teams were completely restructured-some folks reassigned elsewhere, others, especially those with connections, let go entirely. These changes finally rattled the boardroom. Some shareholders couldn't sit still anymore. "President Johnson, you're still the interim CEO. Shouldn't decisions of this scale go through the board first?" "Halting so many projects all at once-our stock price this quarter could crash hard." "Even if they're not very lucrative, these are legacy projects. A company shouldn't forget its roots... we shouldn't blindly chase trends-" Smack! Eira slammed the folder in her hand onto the table, cutting the speaker off mid-sentence. "You all know perfectly well what's dragging us down!" "The higher the company flies, the bigger your dividends. You seriously don't get that?" She gave a sharp, cold smile. "If anyone's not on board, feel free to give up your shares. No one's stopping you." Silence. The shareholders who had been whining all lowered their heads, not daring to speak again. Sure, the Johnson Group wasn't what it used to be, but the annual dividends were still solid. Only a fool would let go of their shares. Everyone couldn't help glancing at William. Something was off with him today. Just a few days ago, he was the loudest voice of opposition...After all, those axed projects? He was the one who kicked them off. Eira followed the others' gaze, lifted an eyebrow slightly and said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "Uncle, any thoughts?" William stiffened. The moment their eyes met, an uneasy guilty feeling crept up on him. His hands clenched under the table, and his eyes flicked over the red-lined projects. It felt like a knife to the heart. He forced a stiff smile. "You're the CEO now, of course I don't object. As long as the company does better, that's what matters." Eira sneered inwardly. She'd love to see how long he could keep up this little act. She flipped the presentation to a new document. "All of you are veterans here, but if you want to make money, then follow my lead. Here's the future roadmap - stick to it, and I'll make sure you all get your piece." Her presence filled the room like a pressure wave. "But if you can't deliver, don't expect me to show mercy." With that, Eira turned and walked straight out of the conference room. Everyone stared at her receding figure, then looked back at the plan she just laid out - and gasped. "Two hundred mil in pre-sales in a month? Has she lost it?!" "Shhh! Keep it down. If anyone hears you, that might be the last day you work here." One of William's guys, Lorenzo Kestrel, leaned in and asked, "Mr. Johnson, what do we do now?" A dark glint flashed through William's eyes. What choice did they have? Play by her rules for now. But whether they succeed or not... well, that was another story. ***** After stepping out of Johnson Corp, Eira sank into the back seat of the Maybach, eyes fixed on her phone. Ever since her memory came back, she had John hack into the company system and pull every shady deal from William's computer. Turned out, his ambition ran way deeper than she'd imagined. John noticed her silence and looked over, worried. "Boss, everything go according to plan?" "Yeah. All smooth, thanks to you." He finally let out a breath of relief, his tone lightening up. "Told you. There's nothing you can't handle." Eira chuckled behind her hand. "You and that mouth." "By the way, there's a masquerade ball tonight. You in?" He kept glancing her way as he drove, hyping it up, "Good chance to chill a bit. Once you go back to your heiress life, chances like this won't come often." Eira thought about it and agreed. Back home, she quickly changed and grabbed a white fox mask before heading out. When they arrived at the venue, John opened the door for her. She stepped into the room, dressed in a flowing white gown that shimmered under the chandeliers. With every movement, the sheer fabric hinted at the elegant lines of her long legs. As eyes traveled upward, the dress cinched perfectly at the waist, accentuating her hourglass figure and the subtle curve of her hips. The strapless neckline revealed her graceful collarbones and swan-like neck. Eira's hair was swept up in a loose chignon, with a few soft strands framing her delicate face. The moment the grand doors opened, the once-lively ballroom fell into sudden silence. Every gaze turned as one, drawn to her-Alexander's included...