Chapter 600 Asher Dafoe’s True Colors
Asher’s expression immediately tensed up when Sonia mentioned bringing in an arbitrator to settle their dispute.
He was visibly starting to feel nervous because he knew that losing his shares meant losing his influence and position in the company. It would be equivalent to getting banished from Paradigm Co.!
“Sonia, you…”
Right when he was about to say something in an attempt to calm Sonia down, Jessica angrily interrupted as she loudly banged the table and cried, “Don’t go overboard, Sonia!”
Everyone’s heads whipped in Jessica’s direction at her sudden outburst.
“Oh? What did I do?” Sonia asked with her eyes narrowed.
“Stop playing innocent! Uncle Asher is our relative––not to mention, an elder. You should show him some respect. Your attitude is an embarrassment to the Reeds!” Jessica reprimanded. The way she pointed at Sonia made it seem as though Sonia had done something unforgivable.
Sonia could not help but let out a scoff at her sister’s answer. “Our relative? Jessica, you even had it in you to murder your own father. I doubt you really think of President Dafoe as an elder that you respect.” She then turned to Asher and reminded him, “President Dafoe, please don’t ever let down your guard around her. She did not hesitate to push her father to his death. You know it will be much easier for her to plan your death if she wanted to.”
As soon as Sonia said that, a guilty look flashed across Jessica’s panicked face as she shouted, “You better stop spouting nonsense! Who are you accusing of murder?!” Jessica’s heart felt as though it could stop at any time at that moment.
Did Sonia know something?
No, she couldn’t possibly have known about the poisoning. Sonia must be talking about the embezzlement incident that made their father take his own life.
Her eyes had started rolling around nervously at this point. Right. The embezzlement. That must be it. Stop panicking, Jessica. You can’t give yourself away now, Jessica convinced herself.
Unbeknownst to Jessica, Sonia had been observing her the whole time she was having inner turmoil with herself. Seeing Jessica’s reaction only made Sonia clench her fist tighter.
It seemed that what Nancy had said about Jessica being the one who poisoned Henry was true. Otherwise, Jessica wouldn’t have reacted so anxiously if she was innocent.
Sonia remembered how Jessica had reacted fairly calmly when Sonia had talked about the embezzlement and suicide back when they were in Kosovo. All Jessica had mocked in reply was how their father had ended his life because he didn’t have the mental and emotional capability to endure a little bit of setback.
Her reaction now could only mean one thing—she did poison their father.
It was hard to believe that someone could actually do something so cruel to their own parents. Just you wait, Jessica Reed, Sonia promised to herself. I’ll make you pay for your actions.
“I’m spouting nonsense, you say?” Sonia let out another scoff. “Jessica, you know what you did. You know exactly how big of a part you played in Dad’s death. I won’t get into it, but mark my words: you won’t live another day in peace now that you have me as your enemy.”
Jessica disgruntledly rolled her eyes and retorted, “That’s your threat? Okay then. I’ll wait and see what tricks you have up your sleeves. But first, we are all here to discuss who will be taking the chairperson position!”
“No need for a discussion!” Sonia announced. She had her head held high as she coldly looked at Jessica. “Anyone but you can have the position. Need I remind you again? You have neither the power nor shares to qualify as a candidate. What exactly are you putting on the table to claim that you have what it takes to go against me?”
Unexpectedly, Jessica smiled as she swayed her arms and said, “Who said I don’t? I’ll admit that I have no experience in running a company, but I have Uncle Asher to lead me through the process. As for my shares… I am Dad’s biological daughter, aren’t I? That means that I’m entitled to half of what you have! Lawfully speaking, I should have 25.5 percent of your 51 percent. Now tell me, am I still unqualified for the position?”
Opinions were divided by Jessica’s words, and another discussion broke out among the attendees.
“That’s true. The previous chairman did not leave a will regarding the distribution of shares due to his sudden passing. The second daughter should have half of what President Reed has.”
“I have to agree with that.”
Naturally, the ones who agreed were all Asher’s men.
The soft mumbles made Asher and Jessica exchange satisfied gazes as things were finally going the way they wanted.
At the same time, the ones who disagreed also started to chatter.
“Even though Mr. Reed did not mention to leave all the shares to President Reed, he also never said that the shares have to be split with the second daughter.”
“That’s correct.”
Jessica jumped and glared at the people who still opposed, and before Sonia could say anything to her people, Jessica quickly interjected, “Dad never said anything about giving me his shares, but as his daughter, I am a rightful successor of what he has left behind. Also, I am not wrong for trying to get back what originally belongs to me. The only reason I don’t have any of those shares is because I left Seafield too soon 6 years ago. You know that the law would naturally assign me half the shares if we were to take this to court.”
Asher, too, started to persuade Sonia as he sipped on his cup of tea. “Jessica’s right. Why don’t you just concede and let her have what is rightfully hers, hmm? I’m afraid that it will earn you a big smear to your reputation if word were to spread that you have claimed all of your father’s inheritance for yourself and that you refuse to share it with your own sister.”
Despite hearing those words, Sonia still calmly looked at both of them before suddenly letting out a laugh.
When Asher saw her reaction, his eyebrows instinctively knitted together. He was suddenly hit by a feeling of foreboding.
He then slowly set his teacup back onto the table, and as calmly as he could, he asked, “Dear Sonia, what are you laughing about?”
“Oh, it’s just that… You had me wondering about the reason you were so enthusiastic about holding this meeting at first. It’s not like it will benefit you in any way if there was a new chairperson in the seat. I think I know why now,” Sonia said before pausing momentarily.
She then leaned forward and rested her head in the palm of her hands that were propped on the table. “I don’t know how you managed to get in contact with each other, but I’m sure you both have come to an agreement of some sort. Let’s see if I can guess it correctly,” she said in a mocking voice.
“You,” she said with a finger pointing at Asher. “You will aid her in taking away all my current shares and then––manage Paradigm Co. on Jessica’s behalf. And as for you…”
This time, Sonia was pointing at Jessica. “Your role in this is probably to cause trouble for me so that I will be too distracted from properly managing the company, am I right? And when it gets bad…” Sonia glanced at Asher. “You will completely take charge over Paradigm Co., and maybe even rob Jessica of her shares if things somehow go your way. Did it get it right?”
Asher stiffened for a while before he could find his tongue again, where he then incredulously looked at Sonia and managed to utter a word. “You…”
Was she really so observant that she had managed to accurately read his mind?
Seeing him looking like a deer caught in the headlights, she sneered and sarcastically cheered, “Bingo. But I have to applaud you, President Dafoe. It is a wise move for you to use Jessica in exchange for the things you want. Not only is she an idiot, but she is also a fairly useful idiot that you get to bend at your will. It is a pity that you are so ambitious that you held no cards back. I could see through you in a glance.”
As Asher heard that, his grip on his teacup only further tightened as he thoughtfully stared at Sonia.
Jessica, on the other hand, couldn’t contain her rage any longer as she suddenly yelled at Sonia. “Did you just call me an idiot?!” At that moment, she would have loved to carve a piece of flesh off Sonia’s body if she could.
However, that short sentence alone had managed to show all of Jessica’s worst sides.
Everyone in the room, no matter if they were Sonia or Asher’s men, turned to scornfully look at Jessica.
Was this woman stupid or something?
Sonia was just talking about how Asher was using her to ultimately get Jessica’s shares if she had managed to claim half of it from Sonia.
And yet, Jessica was so caught up with being called an idiot that she had completely missed the point of the conversation.
It was almost laughable that someone like this actually had the audacity to say that she wanted to be the chairperson.
