Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby
Chapter 169: A Dramatic Entrance

Chapter 169: A Dramatic Entrance

Hearing what Elliot Grant said, everyone present looked at each other. Many of them were new and didn’t know what had happened in the past. They began whispering amongst themselves, trying to understand the situation.

"What are they saying?"

"Who is Eleanor?"

"Was Mr Whitmore only the acting chairman? I thought he was the chairman."

"You didn’t know? He was always the acting chairman."

"But I saw his name listed as chairman on the company website."

"Oh, that’s because he used the title ’acting chairman’ at first. Later, he started calling himself the chairman. But technically, he was still acting chairman."

"How long has he been acting chairman?"

"I think it’s been around thirty years."

"That long? Are you sure?"

"I may not be exact, but it’ll be around that time."

Some of the older shareholders remembered what had happened and answered the questions around them. This also gave them a sense of superiority, knowing they were more informed than the newer shareholders.

Amidst the chaos, William Whitmore missed one critical detail from Mr Grant’s statement. He had referred to Eleanor as Miss Eleanor Langford. But William wasn’t in the right state of mind to notice the subtle implication in the old man’s words. He was just one step away from claiming the full company.

Suddenly, he burst into loud laughter. The unexpected outburst immediately silenced the room. Everyone turned their eyes towards him, anticipating a sudden twist.

William clapped slowly, mockingly, and said, "Great performance, Mr Grant. I never would have guessed you could deliver such theatrics at your age. You truly surprised me."

"But," he continued, his tone sharp, "this is a shareholder meeting, not a political rally where you can win sympathy votes. You have to talk with documents, not empty words. When Eleanor turned twenty, she transferred all her shares to me. This is the transfer deed, signed by Eleanor herself."

He opened the folder in his hand, pulled out a document, and extended it towards the board members on the high platform. Mr Grant gestured to Julian Rivers, who stepped forward, collected the document, and handed it to Amelia Hawthorne. Amelia examined it carefully, then passed it down the line.

William stood proudly, confidence returning to his posture. As the document made its way through the directors, he watched them with a smug expression.

When the last of them had checked it, he spoke again.

"As you can see, I’ve been the rightful chairman of the company for a long time. You appointed me acting chairman, and I accepted it without objection. I didn’t care for a petty title while I worked to hold this company together. But now, swayed by this old man’s words, you ignore my decades of service. This is nothing short of injustice."

A few of his supporters clapped from their seats. Some shareholders even began to feel that the meeting had been orchestrated to corner William Whitmore unfairly.

Just as William prepared to speak further, Henry Smythe raised his hand and called out loudly, "Stop your monologue, Mr Whitmore. Who do you think we are? Do you expect us to be fooled by a transfer deed that hasn’t even been signed?"

His voice rang through the room, sharp and angry.

William was startled by the accusation. He stammered, "W–what? She clearly signed it. It was also witnessed. Please check again."

Rupert Caldwell scoffed. "Now I see why the company’s performance has been so poor in recent years. We should’ve looked into this long ago. This man isn’t fit to run anything."

The document was now in Marcus O’Donnell’s hands. He held it up for everyone to see.

"Your deed looks well prepared," Marcus said coldly. "All the legal points are in order... except for one thing. No one signed it. Not Eleanor. Not any witnesses. You didn’t even try to forge the signatures. Honestly, it’s disappointing."

William’s eyes widened. He quickly stepped forward, snatched the document from Marcus’s hand, and scanned it with trembling fingers. But no matter how frantically he looked, there were no signatures. The document was blank.

"How could this be?" he muttered under his breath.

His mind reeled. It felt like the world was collapsing around him. His eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat. A sudden weightlessness overtook him, and he stumbled, collapsing to the floor.

In that moment, he looked like he had aged ten years.

Where did it go wrong? he thought. I’m sure the document was real. It was clearly signed by Eleanor.

After so many years of careful preparation, he couldn’t accept this outcome. Someone must have betrayed him. His gaze shifted to the members sitting at the high platform.

He rose shakily to his feet and pointed a trembling finger at them.

"You... you... You must have tampered with the deed. It was clearly signed. I made sure of it. You’re all conspiring against me. Give me back the original deed!"

His voice rose to a near roar by the end.

The shareholders watched with bewildered expressions. Those seated in the front rows had clearly seen that no one had altered or swapped the document. It was the same paper from beginning to end... untouched.

A murmur spread through the crowd once more. Everyone began discussing the spectacle unfolding before their eyes. None of them had ever witnessed a shareholders’ meeting turn so dramatic.

They didn’t know what to make of William Whitmore now. Had he lost his mind after being removed from power? Why would he make such a wild accusation against the entire board? What did he hope to gain?

At that moment, the door of the conference room suddenly opened and a squad of armed guards entered. Clad in bulletproof vests, tactical uniforms, and earpieces, they carried the militarised presence of an elite security detail. Each one held a Heckler & Koch MP5, looking less like company security and more like they’d just stepped off a battlefield.

The room fell into pin-drop silence. Only the heavy thuds of boots echoed across the marble floor as the guards took their positions. Once in place, even those sounds ceased. The crowd, stunned by the unexpected show of force, didn’t dare utter a whisper.

On the high stage, however, the directors and major shareholders remained calm. Those with keen eyes noticed this and guessed that they might have known in advance what was about to happen. Sensing their ease, the rest of the room relaxed ever so slightly... though the tension lingered in the air like static before a storm.

Then, more footsteps approached... measured, composed, drawing closer to the open doorway where two guards now stood sentinel.

A tall elderly man entered first, dressed in a black ceremonial suit that exuded authority. His appearance was unmistakably British aristocracy, from his upright bearing to the quiet dignity of his steps. One didn’t need to be told... he was a man of high status.

Behind him walked a strikingly beautiful woman clad in a rich purple business suit. Every step radiated confidence. The room seemed to pause in admiration of her presence.

From the front row, an older shareholder whispered in disbelief, "Esmeralda Langford!"

"No," murmured the elderly woman beside him. "That must be her daughter. Eleanor."

The atmosphere shifted dramatically. Upon seeing the newcomers, the major shareholders and directors on the stage all rose to their feet in unison.

As if on cue, Julian Rivers stepped forward and, with practiced solemnity, declared:

"My lords, ladies, and gentlemen... It is my great honour to present His Lordship, the Right Honourable Walter Langford, Earl of Birmingham and distinguished member of the House of Lords. Accompanying His Lordship, I also present the Lady Eleanor Langford, only daughter of our founder, the late Lady Esmeralda Langford."

A collective ripple went through the room. Hearing the announcement and observing how the VIPs on stage reacted, everyone present instinctively stood up in respect. All eyes turned to the pair.

Security personnel formed a clear path down the centre aisle. Walter and Eleanor made their way to the stage at a composed pace, followed closely by Laila, who moved with quiet precision.

Those on the platform stepped down from their places to receive them. Elliot Grant personally greeted them and guided them to the central seats on the stage. Once Walter and Eleanor were seated, the rest of the board followed suit and took their places.

Laila remained standing behind Eleanor, dressed in a sleek black uniform. She didn’t carry an MP5 like the rest of the security team, only a compact firearm on her belt. But there was something in her posture, in her presence, that made it clear: she was no less formidable. She carried herself like a battle-hardened veteran.

With the new arrivals seated, the crowd in the front rows began to settle. A few shareholders tried to discreetly take photos on their mobile phones... only to be sharply instructed by security to put their devices away immediately.

Seeing this, Julian remembered an important detail. He quickly returned to the podium and announced:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please refrain from taking any photographs or recordings from this moment onward. This is His Lordship’s private appearance. We do not wish for any details of this meeting to be leaked to the media or shared online."

There were a few looks of disappointment from shareholders hoping for keepsakes, but upon hearing the announcement, most nodded in understanding.

Julian continued, "I know many of you are wondering why His Lordship would attend a company shareholders’ meeting. Well, allow me to clarify. You all know that our founder was Esmeralda Langford. What you did not know was that she was the only daughter of the former Earl of Birmingham, His Lordship the Right Honourable Edward Langford, former Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Only the co-founders of EverBuild knew her true identity, as she insisted on building this company without relying on her noble lineage."