Araceli POV
I smiled and whispered in Melany's ear, "Just remember, as soon as I have the evidence, I'll send you to jail."
After that, I gave a contemptuous smile and walked towards the conference room.
Zackary's angry voice came from behind me.
"Araceli! Stop!"
Melany said softly, "Dad, I'm sorry. I don't know why Araceli turned out like this. It's all my fault. Dad, please don't blame Araceli."
I heard her words with mockery in my eyes.
Compared to my ruthlessness, Melany's tenderness would make Zackary extremely protective. It was a trick Melany had used for so many years.
Zackary said gently, "It's okay, my daughter. I'll take care of everything. You don't have to worry."
Melany took a deep breath. "Dad, the shareholders' meeting is about to start."
I grimaced and stepped through the conference room door.
A dozen shareholders glanced at me in disbelief and said nothing.
Zackary sat down and said, "Our meeting today is to discuss the strategy of the next quarter. Araceli, do you have anything to say?"
Everyone looked at me.
I smiled and said slowly, "Yes. Eclipse Group's sales increased steadily in the first two months of the quarter, but since the rumor that Melany was going to kill me started to spread, there was a trend of boycotting Eclipse Group products on the Internet, which led to a backlog of products in the warehouse, and the stock price started to fall..."
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
One of the directors suddenly slapped the table hard and said, "Ms. Chancey, that's enough! Mr. Chancey asked you a question about the development policy for the next quarter, not how much money you have caused our group to lose recently! Are you deliberately trying to embarrass us?"
I stared at him.
His name was Benjamin Camden, and he invested mainly in emerging industries.
I smiled politely, "Mr. Camden, if you see the truth as shaming you, there's nothing I can do about it."
Benjamin gritted his teeth and stared at me. Then, he glanced at Zackary, who shook his head, signaling him not to confront me, so Benjamin turned his head away angrily and didn't say another word.
I smiled contemptuously.
The meeting began.
Zackary spoke, summarizing the quarter's sales and developments.
I looked at the screen and listened. By my rough calculations, Eclipse Group lost at least 150 million dollars in sales these months.
However, the cooperation proposed by Royal Group could enable Eclipse Group to have no worries for the next a few months.
I frowned slightly, thinking about which aspect of the project Royal Group and Eclipse Group were working on.
Suddenly, Benjamin spoke again, "Mr. Chancey, the project Royal Group is working with us on is the relocation of Orila Mall. The project will last at least three years, and the profitability of Orila Mall is not optimistic."
I narrowed my eyes.
It seemed that Royal Group did not give Eclipse Group any substantial help, but only wanted to eliminate the previous adverse impact, and Eclipse Group could not rely on this project to make money in the short term.
The shareholders knew this, of course, but they couldn't do anything about it.
Royal Group did lend a helping hand when Eclipse was in trouble, so what more could they ask for?
Zackary said, "Anyway, this project is good for our group. Now, Melany, would you please talk to us about the major projects you are responsible for?"
Melany opened the file and said slowly, "Okay. Recently, there have been doubts about the reputation of our group, both at home and abroad, because of public opinion. The marketing project I'm in charge of is not going well..."
Zackary frowned. "Melany, have you contacted the company I recommended to you last time?"
"I've done my best to get in touch with them, but they haven't gotten back to me yet."
Melany's face was awkward.
Zackary said, "Melany, tell me which clients you are currently dealing with. Maybe I can get in touch with their directors directly."
Melany froze for a second and immediately said uneasily, "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm not prepared today. I'll send you the clients' information as soon as I get back to the office."
Zackary frowned, but he didn't press Melany any further. Instead, he presented the marketing plan for the latest quarter.
"Benjamin, I remember that Orila Mall belongs to one of Royal Group's subsidiaries..."
"Sorry, I have to interrupt." I said, "Mr. Chancey, you've got it wrong."
Melany said, "Araceli, Dad is talking! How can you interrupt him? That's rude!"
Zackary's eyes filled with anger.
"Please let me finish." I said, "Mr. Chancey, everyone in New York knows that Orila Mall belongs to the Dobbs family's Oasis Company. If you want to work with them, you really should have your people do some research ahead of time."
Zackary's hands trembled with rage.
I raised my eyes and stared at him indifferently.
He snorted coldly, "You know quite a lot."
I stood up and said to all the shareholders, "Ladies and gentlemen, Eclipse Group has always focused on the digital industry and improving the quality of people's lives. Over the years, we all have a deep understanding of the growth of the group, and it all relies on 'Polaris' software that my mother developed at the beginning."
I walked to the front slowly and said, "I believe all of you here have seen the recent development of smart products and know that if Eclipse cannot keep up with the trend, it will definitely be left behind by the market. Therefore, I hereby declare that, if you guys believe me, I can upgrade 'Polaris' to make it more suitable for the present development."
I smiled confidently.
The shareholders frowned slightly.
Instantly, discussions rang out in the conference room.
Benjamin said mockingly, "Why should we believe you?"