Ch. 2166..2170
Chapter 2166
The clock slowly ticked along
It was growing quiet with every passing second.
Soon, it was 9:25, only five minutes left until the appointed time of 9:30.
Decker frowned and stared at the watch on his wrist.
One of the older shareholders remarked agitatedly, "It'll be half past nine in five minutes. Where is this Mr. Bright? Is he coming?" The others expressed a similar sentiment, "Yeah, is he going to come?"
"He's invested so much in us. I'm sure he'll be coming."
"Is he intentionally keeping us waiting to prove his superiority over us?”
As they continued to bicker on, both Master Rockwell and Decker's expressions darkened significantly.
If this was truly Mr. Bright's intention, it was certainly a snapshot of what was about to happen next. This must be the first step of his plans in taking over Rockwell Corporation, beginning with a show of power over Decker.
As much as they hated to stomach it, they had no other choice.
As it was, they had no choice but to yield the shares to him just as initially agreed. There was no backing out. Knock.
Suddenly, they heard a crisp knock on the door.
The few shareholders, who were beginning to grow agitated from the wait, quickly shut their mouths. All of them including Master Rockwell, Decker, and Clarice turned to the door in unison.
They had assigned two executives to wait by the entrance to usher Mr. Bright into the room. Or was it those two who were knocking on the door instead of Mr. Bright himself? Master Rockwell asked out loud, "Is Mr. Bright here?"
They heard the voice of a young man answer back, "Yes, | am his lawyer. Mr. Bright is here with me as well. Is it alright for us to enter now?"
Master Rockwell's expression shifted, and he quickly pulled himself to his feet with the help of his crutch.
Decker quickly paced toward the door as well, suddenly feeling a wave of nervousness.
None of them expected the revered Mr. Bright to already be outside.
Decker's lawyer whispered into his ears, "Master Rockwell, Mr. Decker, | recognize that voice. That's Mr. Bright's lawyer. | met him last time when we were sorting out the agreement."
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and invite him into the room.” Master Rockwell stepped forward as he spoke. Decker followed him closely.
Clarice and the other shareholders followed closely behind them.
Suddenly, a giant group formed, and they were all headed toward the door.
After receiving the signal, the two executives posted by the door promptly opened the door.
Both Master Rockwell and Decker put on their best businessman's smile.
The moment the door was opened and revealed the figure standing behind the door, their smiles turned into scowls. Because the person standing at the entrance was none other than Roland.
He was standing between his lawyer and Isabel. He stood tall and dignified, his expression confident and stoic. Decker cried out, "Roland? Why are you here?"
Still stark with surprise, he turned to the lawyer standing on Roland's left. "Where's Mr. Bright? He's-"
Wait a moment!
Mr. Bright... Roland?
Fear seized him the moment he drew the connection, and his tongue was tied.
The lawyer on Roland's left smiled and informed curtly," Good to see you, Mr. Decker. This is Mr. Bright."
This revelation seemed to take the air out of the room. Not a single person uttered so much as a whisper. Master Rockwell's eyes grew widened, and he nearly lost his balance.
Decker stared at Roland and drew two steps backward while expressing in shock, "No... That's impossible."
Clarice and the rest of the shareholders and executives were just as flabbergasted.
Chapter 2167
Never in their wildest imagination had they expected the rumored Mr. Bright to be Roland this entire time! He was the mastermind behind the scenes since the very beginning!
They were entirely appalled, thrown off, and befuddled by this monstrous revelation.
Roland was only in his late twenties. He was several years younger than Decker.
How was it that someone as young as him possessed such wealth and talent in business?!
After an extended silence, one of the older shareholders, who was known for having a remarkably cordial relationship with Roland, asked in a careful tone, "President Roland, were you Mr. Bright this entire time?"
Roland confirmed their suspicions, "Yes."
After a pause, he directed his calm gaze to Master Rockwell and Decker, both of whom were hardly in control of their wits at this point. "Master Rockwell, President Decker, are we going to finalize our contract as we agreed?"
He had come here today not only to reveal his true identity but also to finalize the contract that would grant him half of Decker's shares in Rockwell Corporation.
Master Rockwell suddenly felt weak in the knees and nearly stumbled over. Fortunately, one of the shareholders held him steady.
He had barely regained his balance when he jabbed his crutch in the direction of Roland, his hands trembling all the while. "You... What a presumptuous brat!"
Roland already owned 10% of the shares in Rockwell Corporation. If he was taking half of Decker's shares which came to 40%, it would effectively legitimize him as the majority shareholder of Rockwell Corporation with 50% of its shares. With that, he would fundamentally have control over the corporation.
His intentions could not be any clearer than that. He wanted to take Rockwell Corporation from Decker!
What further infuriated Master Rockwell was the fact that his grandson, who he had slighted the entire time, who he had tried to have banished from the family, had been Mr. Bright the entire time! The legendary figure who was greatly revered in the industry was his own grandson since the very beginning!
Decker's had grown unimaginably sullen by this point. He shot a vehement glare at Roland and pushed out the hateful words between gnashed teeth, ‘Roland, you're a lot more cunning than | thought you were. You b*stard, don't you dare think about taking my shares in the corporation!"
So long as he refused to sign and finalize the contract, Roland's plans would never come to fruition!
Roland barely acknowledged Master Rockwell who looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He regarded Decker with complete indifference and spoke in a harsh, dispassionate voice that only added to its oppressive tone, "Are you not going to sign the contract as previously agreed, President Decker?"
As Decker clenched his fists tightly, his words were suddenly caught in his throat. This was because he had suddenly recalled the terms of the agreement he had signed with Roland's lawyer previously.
The terms were rather cut and dry: so long as Mr. Bright was able to fulfill his end of the deal and save Rockwell Corporation from bankruptcy, Decker Rockwell would transfer half of his shares in the corporation to him within three days. If not, he would have to repay double the amount of funds Mr. Bright had injected into Rockwell Corporation within a matter of three days.
Rockwell Corporation had only just been steered into financial stability, it had no significant capital to speak of at the moment. Forget about paying back double the amount that Mr. Bright paid, he could barely afford to pay back a tenth of the amount!
That was unless he mortgaged Rockwell Corporation to him.
In which case, he would have completely yielded over Rockwell Corporation to him without putting up a fight! Decker was livid with rage when he considered this factor.
The atmosphere in the room was tense until at one point, Master Rockwell, who had to be held steady by someone else, sighed tiredly and gave in. "Decker, sign the contract."
This was checkmate. Roland’s plans were impeccable and they had no choice but to yield.
Decker had no choice but to relent as well. He clenched his jaw so hard that his teeth could crack. "Alright."
He turned around and sat at the table where the contract papers were laid out neatly.
Clarice and his lawyer joined him at the table.
Master Rockwell cast a troubled look at Roland, then he had a shareholder walk him to the table to join Decker.
Roland was not in any rush at all. He turned to Isabel, who stuck by his side the entire time, and motioned, "Come, let's go inside."
Isabel smiled and offered her hand. "Sure."
Roland took her hand and led her into the room with him.
Upon seeing this, the face of Decker, who already wore a look of defeat, somehow darkened by yet another shade. Master Rockwell's eyes sank into their sockets and darkened yet again.
Roland barely looked at them as he led Isabel to the table, and they assumed their seats directly opposite Decker.
There were three copies of the contract, each of which was promptly signed by the parties and verified by the lawyers, so it did not take long at all.
Roland put down his pen and prepared to leave.
That was when Decker suddenly said with a contemptuous sneer, "Roland, don't get too excited to celebrate just yet. | was the one who chased you out back then, so watch your back because | will do the same thing to you again!"
Roland was not intimidated at all. He mocked him without pulling any punches, "In your dreams, perhaps." Decker grew red.
"Pfft..." Isabel could barely stifle a laugh upon witnessing this interaction.
Chapter 2168
Chapter 2168 Decker scowled the moment he heard Isabel sniggering at him. He looked like he was going to shoot lasers out of his eyes. Isabel leaned in closer toward Roland for protection, then she cocked an eyebrow at Decker and continued taunting him.
That was when Clarice spoke up, her voice filled with temper, "Isabel, this is a business place, not a stage for third- rate actors like you. You have no place here!"
Isabel was in too much of a good mood to be provoked by her cheap taunt.
She flashed a smile at Clarice and returned the favor. "Who are you to tell me to leave? Why should | listen to you?" Clarice turned red with anger. "You...”
Isabel proceeded to laugh tauntingly in her face.
Clarice became so furious that she wanted to hurl herself at Isabel but could not because Roland was right next to her. She turned to Roland for help. "Roland, are you just going to let her behave like that?"
Roland cast a glance at Isabel before remarking nonchalantly, "Why, what's wrong with what she's doing?" Neither was she getting in the way of their contract signing nor was she intentionally picking on anyone. She was only here as a spectator, nothing more.
Clarice's voice was caught in her throat. She stewed in frustration for a while before exclaiming out loud, "She's just an actress. She shouldn't be here!"
Roland said briskly, "| wanted her to come with me. Do you have any problem with that?" Clarice was speechless.
It was as if a cat had caught her tongue. She continued glaring at the couple bitterly but could not come up with anything else to rebuke them.
"Speaking of which, Miss Houston, I'd suggest you stop blacklisting Isabel," Roland said with a pointed glare at Clarice, his voice dropping to a low, threatening pitch. "If not, I'll see to it that your fiance gets kicked out of Rockwell Corporation."
Clarice turned pale upon hearing this. While Decker clenched his fists, his expression was livid and it looked like he was going to resort to violence at any moment.
Most of the other members present were Decker’s allies while two of the older shareholders were on good terms with Roland. However, they cast their affiliations aside and chose not to interfere and only spectate in silence instead.
At last, Roland rose and held out a hand to Isabel. "Come, let's go home."
Isabel nodded curtly and linked her hands to Roland’s. With that, the duo walked out of the room completely unbothered by the way Decker and Clarice were glaring at them. The rest of them watched as the two disappeared.
The lawyers and assistants who came with Roland promptly collected the signed contracts and left as well. With that, an oppressing wave of silence washed over the room.
Infuriated, Decker swung a glass of water set on the table to the ground, smashing it into smithereens. Clarice took a step back in horror.
Nobody spoke.
After a while, it was Master Rockwell who tried to console him, "Roland, there are still many days ahead of us."
The other executives and shareholders chimed in as well,’ That’s right, President Decker. Even though President Roland is the majority shareholder now, you still have the largest shares in the corporation next to him."
"| believe that it's only a matter of time before you put him into his place and take back what's yours. | know what you're capable of."
The two shareholders who were friends with Roland were the sole outliers in this situation. They exchanged looks and held their tongues while the others began flattering and pandering to Decker.
Decker may be an effective businessman and strategist, but Roland was an entire stratosphere above him.
If not for Master Rockwell setting the foundation for him in addition to the support of the Houstons, he would have never managed to drive Roland out of the corporation in the past.
Besides, things were vastly different now. Even if Roland did not have any capable allies, he had countless resources at his disposal, unlike his previous self.
It was just as Roland said-the only way he could win out against him was in his wild fantasies.
While they were all busy trying to suck up to Decker, Master Rockwell rose to his feet by himself with the help of his walking stick. He addressed Decker and Clarice, "Who was that girl back there who came with Roland?"
As Decker frowned, the sheer remembrance of seeing Isabel and Roland holding hands together soured his mood yet again.
Chapter 2169
Clarice said vehemently, "Grandpa, that girl back there is Isabel Ross. She's just a common actress." It was not hard to recognize her disdain for Isabel in the tone of her voice.
Master Rockwell seemed taken by surprise.
The Roland he knew from his memory had always been a quiet and reserved boy, sometimes to the point of worrying him. Even his father, who was nothing special at all, was at least more likable than him, so how was it that someone of his quirky personality managed to score such a beautiful actor?
This Isabel Ross was certainly a beaut comparable even to Clarice, a lady from a noble house. It was not surprising at all to find that Roland had fallen for her.
The others were just as astounded by this. One of the executives commented mockingly, "She’s an actress? Considering the nature of the entertainment industry, I'm sure she has some history behind her. Who knows? Maybe she's gotten involved with more than a handful of men in her time. President Roland sure has questionable taste in women."
"Tsk tsk, it looks like I've thought too highly of President Roland. Turns out he's just like any other common man." ‘To think that he would get involved with a common actress." Clarice was more than pleased to hear their vicious comments about Isabel.
“Alright, let's wrap this up." Master Rockwell was not interested in who Roland was dating because he was still not over the fact that he was Mr. Bright this entire time.
He dismissed everyone while throwing a glance at Decker who still looked grim and depressed. With that, he grabbed his walking stick and walked out of the room, feeling just as defeated himself.
Meanwhile, Isabel and Roland walked out of the building and got into their car.
The driver promptly drove them back to their seaside mansion.
In his usual fashion, Roland held onto Isabel's hands tightly so that she could not leave her side. She was still in a state of trance. Her mind was still befuddled over what had gone down back there.
She remembered Roland saying something indistinct, then shortly after that, Decker obediently signed the contract that ensured the transfer of 40% of Rockwell Corporation’s shares to Roland.
Neither Master Rockwell, Decker nor Clarice made any objection. None of the other shareholders and executives had even spoken a word the entire time.
She was certain that they must have also contributed to banishing Roland from Rockwell Corporation back then.
How did Roland pull this off?
She cast a look at him.
To her surprise, Roland immediately caught her gaze. He lowered himself toward her and observed her closely.
Having been caught staring, she grinned and told him," Roland, you looked so cool back there. They didn't even dare to protest." Roland smiled faintly. "Do you want to know how | did it?”
She was more than eager to know. "Could you tell me?"
“Of course." He began, "It’s pretty simple. | used my alias as Mr. Bright to invest the funds Rockwell Corporation needs to keep itself above water. | previously signed an agreement with Decker that ensured that he would have to transfer half of his shares to
me if | helped him out. If not, he would have to repay double the amount of what I've invested into Rockwell Corporation, which he would not be able to afford.”
Isabel nodded with understanding. "I see." It did sound rather simple when he put it that way.
The grimy details were a lot more complicated than that. He had already expected Rockwell Corporation to face a significant financial crisis a long time ago and knew that a tremendous amount of money was needed to bail them out. Upon realizing that, he began formulating his plans to put
the astronomical funds together, which required careful planning and attention to detail.
Isabel doubted she could pull something like this off even with the help of her father and her brother. This man was truly something else.
She clenched his hand tighter. Roland returned the same gesture and looked at her strangely. "What’s the matter?” She asked, "Do you still have any other secret identities that | don't know about?"
"Mr. Bright is just my alias in the business world. | only did it because | needed a way to operate without people figuring out my connections to Rockwell Corporation." After a brief pause, he clarified further to prevent Isabel from worrying, " I'm me, Roland Rockwell. That's who I’ve been the entire time."
Chapter 2170
Isabel felt her emotions stirring inside her. After a brief pause, she remarked, "I see. | was just asking out of curiosity. | didn't mean anything else by it.”
Roland seemed relieved to hear this and stated, "Be sure to let me know if there's anything else you're curious about. I'll tell you everything.”
Isabel smiled upon hearing this. "Got it." She was not going to torture herself with needless suspicions.
Roland smiled warmly when he noticed her smile. He promptly segued to his primary concern, "Speaking of which, aren't you going back to Westchester this weekend?"
"Yeah, why?" "Can | go with you?"
"Sure." Upon giving her reply, Isabel suddenly realized something and was a strange look at him. There was a clear sparkle in his eyes.
She suddenly recalled his reason for coming to Southboro in the first place. He had returned to Southboro to reclaim Rockwell Corporation, thus fulfilling the promise he had made to Isabel's father.
Now that he had essentially taken Rockwell Corporation back, he was going to return to Westchester to make good on his promise to Odell.
The thought of it made Isabel smile, but she chose to not address it directly.
Roland returned an affectionate smile at her as well when he noted the way she bloomed like a flower. At midnight, inside Isabel's bedroom, she lay exhaustedly on the bed after the long ordeal with Roland. Roland kissed her gently on the forehead. "Get some rest. I’m going to take a shower."
"Okay."
With that, he went to the shower.
Isabel closed her eyes and promptly drifted off to sleep.
Ding!
Her sleep was interrupted by her phone buzzing beside her.
She reached for the phone that sat on the edge of her pillow. It was a message from Liam that read, "When are you coming back to Westchester?"
She replied curiously, "Why? Did something happen?" “Mom and Dad are beginning to miss you "
Come to think of it, it had been several months since she went home. She sat up on the bed and replied, "Oh, it’s fine. I'll be home this weekend."
Liam dropped the conversation after that.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to Isabel. She glanced in the direction of the bathroom and composed another text to Liam. "By the way, have you ever heard of the name Mr.
Bright?"
Based on the reaction of Decker and the others when she went to Rockwell Corporation with Roland earlier today, she figured that none of them knew that Roland was Mr. Bright.
She was wondering how was it that nobody ever made the connection between Mr. Bright and Roland. Roland had told her that it was because nobody had ever seen Mr. Bright in person since he always conducted his business from the shadows, always avoiding direct contact with whatever clients contacted him.
This was why she decided to probe and see if Liam had heard of the name Mr. Bright. Liam replied promptly, "Yeah, he's a business savant who emerged around two years ago.”
Even Liam knew about him! It was a true testament to Roland's abilities.
Shortly after that, it was Liam's turn to ask, "Why are you asking about him?"
Isabel snickered to herself and replied smugly, "I simply know him."
This stirred Liam’s curiosity. "How do you know him?"
Judging by the speed of his reply, he must be very curious about this mysterious Mr. Bright.
Isabel told him without beating around the bush, "He's Roland."
Liam stopped replying for a moment. He seemed to be processing the information.
After a moment, he asked, "Are you sure?”
Isabel chuckled. "You'll just have to take my word for it."
With that, she put her phone away.
Meanwhile, in a bungalow somewhere in Carter Tech City, hovering on the borders of Westchester. Liam and Caprice had moved and settled their family here after they got married.
Liam was sitting on the couch. He held his child in one arm and his phone in his other hand. He stared at the screen blankly.
Caprice had just woken up from a nap. She stretched lazily and walked downstairs where she saw Liam staring perplexedly at his phone. She called out after him and asked, "Liam, is everything okay?"
“Nothing.” Liam blinked a few times before remarking, "He’s asleep. Can you carry him back to the room? | need to give my father a call. I'll join you after that."