Chapter 599 Candidate for the Next Chairperson: Jessica Reed
The other shareholders and executives present, including Asher’s own men, were left shocked by the unexpected turn of events.
“There is another candidate for the chairperson position? President Dafoe, what could you possibly mean by that?” one of the attendees asked before another continued the questioning.
“Well put! President Dafoe, who other than President Reed would be qualified for the position?”
As those who held no more than 10 percent of the company’s shares were normally ineligible for the position of the chairperson, even the shareholders who had the second and third most shares would not even dream of becoming the next chairperson as they knew it was an automatic disqualification on their part.
As of now, the only person in the room who had more than 10 percent of the shares was none other than Sonia.
Just who was this second candidate that Asher mentioned?
Could this person actually be holding just enough of Paradigm Co.’s shares to make him or her a candidate?
However, what Sonia and the shareholders had should have been all the shares available. Where on earth could this extra 10 percent come from?
Furthermore, Paradigm Co. had not been selling its company shares. Thus, there shouldn’t be anyone who would have an extra 10 percent to compete with Sonia.
Asher looked at the confused attendees for a moment before his eyes suddenly shone.
Sonia, on the other hand, pursed her lips as an uncomfortable thought hit her.
Could Jessica be the other candidate?
Sonia had been observing the faces of everyone in the meeting room when Asher dropped his announcement and judging by how clueless they were as she was, she could only come up with the conclusion that the other candidate was not someone from within the room. It must be an outsider, she thought.
Also, Jessica had made an appearance in Sonia’s company today. Her sudden appearance only further convinced Sonia that Jessica was the other candidate Asher had in mind.
After connecting the dots, Sonia turned to look at Asher with narrowed eyes as she spoke up, “President Dafoe, since you are suddenly mentioning there is another candidate for the position, I’m sure everyone here is curious to know who it is. Why don’t you bring that person here so that we can get to know that person?” She then turned toward everyone else and asked, “Don’t you all agree with me?”
“She is right. We want to know who––other than President Reed––qualifies for the position!” someone quickly agreed.
Despite the commotion the crowd was gradually making, Asher stayed calm while he put down the teacup in his hand. “I will have that person come in since that is what everyone wants. Oh, President Reed, just a heads up, it is your blood-related sister. I’m sure you know who it is,” he casually said.
Sonia’s pupils dilated as her hands unconsciously clenched into fists upon hearing his words.
It was as she had expected.
Sonia never expected Jessica to join hands with Asher––it seemed like Sonia had underestimated her sister.
Confused, the other attendees of the meeting asked, “Sister? Since when did President Reed have a sister?”
However, the ones who were puzzled by the situation were the shareholders and executives that had only joined Paradigm Co. in the last 6 years. The old-timers, on the other hand, showed only the least bit of surprise at the news.
In fact, they had known that Sonia was not an only child all along. Though they might not have known what her name was, they knew that the sister was Henry’s second child.
Besides that, all they knew about Henry’s second child was that she embezzled the company’s funds with her mother––which ultimately led to Henry’s suicide 6 years ago.
If Asher had not used his personal savings, on top of getting a loan from the bank just in time to save Paradigm Co. when it was on the brink of destruction, Paradigm Co. would have ceased to exist right there and then.
Those who knew the story behind Paradigm Co.’s revival could not help but feel uneasy at this moment. They then started voicing their dissatisfaction.
“President Dafoe, could Mr. Reed’s second daughter be the candidate you are talking about? How can she even be considered for the position?”
“Exactly my thoughts. Did you forget about what had happened 6 years ago, President Dafoe? That woman and her mother were the reason why Paradigm Co. was in such shambles then. Someone like that can’t possibly be the face of our company. Also, she doesn’t hold any shares of the company!”
“That’s right!”
At that moment, both Asher and Sonia’s men joined forces as they opposed Asher’s decision in making Jessica a candidate.
The ones under Asher were especially fervent as they had zero ideas of what had led him to make a choice like that.
They were reacting in a way that it was hard for Asher to not feel the anger they were holding back.
However, he was unaffected by the commotion Sonia’s people were making, as all he did was throw his men a glance implying that they should calm down, and he would give a proper explanation at a better time.
After acknowledging Asher’s gaze, his men immediately quieted down. They obediently held back the questions they had regarding Jessica being the other candidate for the position.
Seeing that, Asher nodded in satisfaction where he then waved at his secretary who stood behind him.
Seeing his cue, his secretary promptly nodded in response before walking toward the door to the meeting room and opening it.
The clear clacking of high heels against the floor could soon be heard reverberating throughout the space as it gradually loudened.
With her lips pursed, Sonia coldly stared at the door, and soon enough, Jessica finally appeared by the entrance. Clad in a women’s suit with her hair tied back into a ponytail, she looked every bit like a female boss. However, she failed terribly at concealing the excitement and zeal in her eyes, and that had immediately ruined everyone’s first impression of her.
After Jessica entered the room, she casually looked at all the people in the meeting room before landing her eyes on Sonia. A smirk appeared on Jessica’s face as soon as she saw Sonia, but it only lasted for a while as she quickly looked toward Asher. As soon as she did that, the smirk on her face turned into a genuine smile.
“Uncle Asher,” she called out warmly.
Sonia’s face instantly fell when she heard that.
Uncle Asher?
Jessica actually has the nerves to call him that?
Did she not know how bad Asher’s and Henry’s relationship was when Henry was still alive?
But then again, Jessica wasn’t someone who would care about the details. After all, she was someone who did not mind poisoning her own father!
“Jessica, my dear niece, you are finally here! Come. Take a seat beside me,” Asher laughingly said as he moved to pull the chair beside him for Jessica.
Their interaction would have easily convinced people who did not know better that they had a good relationship.
Asher was seated directly across Sonia, and now that Jessica sat beside him, she too was face-to-face with Sonia.
“Sonia,” Jessica called out with a smile. “Did my return surprise you?”
Sonia couldn’t be bothered by her existence so she chose to not answer her and only frowned in response.
Jessica––who was easily provoked––was immediately angered by Sonia’s silence.
She would rather Sonia retort than give her a cold shoulder like this.
Sonia’s silence only made Jessica feel like she was unworthy. It was as though she was trash that Sonia would not even want to spare a glance at.
“Hmph! Stay on your high horse all you want. We’ll see how much longer you get to keep your act up,” Jessica scoffed. Her expression changed the next moment as she turned to Asher and said, “I will be in your care then, Uncle Asher.”
Asher’s eyes darted at Sonia as he swiftly replied, “Don’t worry, Jessica. I will get you the position you deserve. And even if I can’t get you in, I will make sure that she can’t have what you don’t.”
Asher’s reassurance got Jessica so excited that she could hardly stop herself from shaking. “Thank you in advance for your help, Uncle Asher!”
Surprisingly, Asher’s eyes held a glint of disdain as he briefly looked at Jessica. However, the emotion quickly disappeared as he said, “Sonia, as I said earlier, I am not against you being the chairperson. But now that your sister is here, you will have to show us what you got if you want the position. It all depends on both of your performances from this point on.”
“I have a question for you, President Dafoe.” Sonia’s cold voice rang out as her fingers slowly tapped on the surface of the table. “What makes you think that Jessica has the right to compete with me for the position? Does she have what it takes? Does she even have the shares to qualify for the position? Aren’t you being a little too impulsive to let someone like her compete with me? You are making me doubt your capabilities as the company’s president, President Dafoe. I might just disregard your contributions to Paradigm Co. in the past, remove you as a shareholder, and arbitrarily take over as the chairperson!”
Sonia had always had the power to do so but had constantly restrained herself as Asher was undeniably Paradigm Co.’s messiah when times were tough for them.
She would have gotten rid of him years ago if she had not let her conscience stop her.
