At the Grand Apartment.
Ernest felt bad because of the death of Lucas. He asked for a leave and went back home numbly.
As soon as he entered the door, he smelled the delicious food.
Rafael was cooking in the kitchen. She saw Ernest and said, “Ernest, come on, wash your hands first. A delicious dinner is ready.”
Ernest looked at the dining table. The hot food looked yummy in the getting cold weather.
Although he had no appetite at all, he still washed his hands and sat at the table.
Rafael put the soup on the table. “It’s cold outside, right? Drink some hot soup first.”
She handed a bowl of soup over to Ernest.
Then, she served Ernest the dishes. Before Ernest started to eat, his bowl was full of different dishes.
“Mom, stop.”
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like them?” Rafael became nervous.
Ernest pointed at his bowl.
Rafael looked down and smiled, “Okay, eat quickly. I’ll serve you more when you finish it.”
“No, I can help myself.”
Ernest picked up the chopsticks and began to eat. After a while, he looked up again. “Mom, have you decided to let me take charge of the Saint Group?”
Rafael paused for a moment when she heard this question. “Are you unwilling, Ernest?”
“I have never worked in a company and I don’t understand how to manage a company well. Why not ask Uncle to do it?” Ernest asked carefully.
Rafael put down her chopsticks. “Ernest, do you think that I’m cruel and heartless?”
“No, Mom, I didn’t mean it.”
“If your uncle takes charge of the Saint Group, you and I would be persecuted! You are their only fear. As long as you are in the company, they will not be at ease in that position!”
“Do you know what I suffered all these years?” Rafael was a little agitated.
Ernest lowered his head.
“I used to be a fair lady. I had been served all the time and had never cooked in the kitchen.”
Rafael raised her hands, with her palm facing herself. “I had used my hands to play the piano, play the zither and draw. I never thought that I would wash clothes for making money!”
“Wash clothes, cook, be a nanny, and work in the factory…” Rafael cried.
Ernest glanced at her hands covered in calluses. They were dry and old.
“It’s that woman’s fault! I thought that as long as I promised that I wouldn’t appear, you would be safe and sound. But she ate her words and dealt with you.”
“Mom.” Ernest walked over and stood behind Rafael. He put his arms around her shoulders. “Don’t cry. Don’t think about the past anymore, okay?”
“Alright, I wouldn’t.” Rafael wiped away her tears. “Ernest, you have to work hard and mom will help you.”
“Mom, do you think Uncle has gotten involved in all these things?” Ernest doubted.
“Your uncle was only a teenager at that time, so he probably didn’t participate in the previous matter, but he had to do with the will.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t want you to work in the Saint Group! Why? Because he was afraid that you would be a threat to him.
“I don’t believe the people that Lauren has brought up,” Rafael said confidently.
“Mom, it’s not true. My uncle asked me if I wanted to join the company at first, but I said I wanted to film, so he asked me to go to film,” Ernest explained.
“You don’t have to tell Mom about this. He should have stopped you from entering the entertainment industry, which depends on your youth and beauty. You can’t take it as a long-term career.”
“Mom…”
“Alright, I know you are simple-minded. It is too easy for you to be made use of like this. When you enter the Saint Group, you should work hard.”
Ernest sighed and kept silent.
He knew that Rafael suffered a lot overseas for the past two years, so it was not good for him to say anything more.
At a coffee cafe.
Lauren wore a big hat and finally met Zoe.
Zoe was still generous and gracious, while Lauren seemed to have aged a lot.
“Ms. Lauren, how are you going?”
“Alright, let’s come to the point. You said you have a way to deal with the current problem. What is it?” Lauren asked impatiently.
“Ms. Lauren, why are you so anxious?” Zoe smiled.
“Can I not be anxious?” At this moment, she no longer cared about her status. If Derek couldn’t inherit the Saint Group, then what else would she have?
“Okay, then I won’t keep you in suspense. Ms. Lauren, may I ask you, when Dalton was alive, how many shares did he have in the Saint Group?”
“40 percent,” Lauren answered slowly.
“What about the shares you and Derek have?” Zoe continued to ask.
“I have 10 percent. Derek also has 10 percent,” Lauren said coldly.
Zoe smiled, “I heard that Trevon, the second-largest shareholder, had 15 percent. The total shares of those small shareholders are 10 percent. The rest are the investors.”
“What do you mean?” Lauren still did not quite understand.
“Ms. Lauren, don’t you understand? I have been observing the stock price recently. Mr. Dalton died and the new chairman wasn’t appointed, which caused the stock price to drop.”
Lauren had been busy with the will these past few days, so she didn’t pay attention to the stock price.
“It drops sharply. Many shareholders have started to sell the shares of the Saint Group.”
“What you mean is…”
“Yes, the stock shares of these investors add up to 15 percent. If you are willing to buy the stocks that the investors sell while the stock price is falling, your stock shares will increase to 35 percent.”
“35 percent?” The number was close to forty percent.
“If you work hard and buy the shares of the small shareholders, you can directly exceed the shares left by Mr. Dalton.
“Then, even if Derek doesn’t get any shares according to the will, he will still be the biggest shareholder. Who will be the chairman then?”
Zoe raised an eyebrow.
Lauren sighed.
“That’s a good idea, but I don’t have that much money to buy shares. What’s more, how can I persuade the small shareholders to sell their shares to me?”