Mr. Chairman’s Devious Wife

"Mr. Lorne Lee, it seems that you have gotten even younger," Lawrence beamed at the shareholder. After a few pleasantries, the two then started walking towards the hallway that would lead them to the main meeting room of LI GROUP.

The sole meeting room was located on the topmost floor. They were somehow surprised that there were already a few people inside.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen and ladies," greeted Lawrence, and for a while, they enjoyed the moment. They walked inside the room, and Lawrence had a warm smile on his face. Everyone inside the room immediately exchanged pleasantries.

The conference room at LI GROUP stood tall on the highest floor, overseeing the landscape of the city through its glass walls. It was a large rectangular space, with a long table placed in the middle.

Each shareholder had their designated spot around the table, equipped with a microphone for effective communication.

At one end of the room, there was a simple stage elevated slightly above the floor, serving as a focal point for the speaker. The stage was modest, in line with the overall sophistication of the room.

"Since everyone is already here, why don’t we start the meeting?" one of the shareholders said. Just as he finished speaking, the door opened, revealing Sofia with her secretary.

"Miss Lockhart, fancy seeing you here," someone said.

"Good afternoon, Miss Paine," Sofia nodded with a smile. "As the current Interim CEO, I believe my presence is needed. Or did Miss Paine forget to read the emails that we sent weeks ago?"

Miss Brianna Paine immediately pursed her lips.

"Brianna, Sofia did not mean that," Lawrence immediately laughed. "Right, Sofia?"

Sofia wanted to say something, clap back, and tell Lawrence that she meant what she just said, but she maintained a smile on her face. "I was simply curious, father."

"Of course," Lawrence said. Then without waiting for anyone to say another word, he quickly introduced Sofia to everyone else before telling them that they were now going to start.

On the outside, everyone inside the room understood that Lawrence only wanted to maintain peace and avoid any possible problems. To them, Lawrence was doing it for Sofia’s sake.

Seeing this, Miss Paine arched an eyebrow but maintained her silence. She was not here to create trouble, although Sofia’s appearance really surprised her. She eyed Sofia, who made herself comfortable next to her.

Inside the room, there were more than fifteen people, yet out of them, there were only three women, including Sofia.

Brianna actually welcomed Sofia’s involvement in the company, but she was well aware that the accusations against her were devastating. Brianna would never want that to affect LI GROUP in general.

Right now, the media is already asking why the INTERIM CEO OF LI Design has yet to submit her resignation. Brianna did not want the media to start asking more questions that could possibly affect LI GROUP.

Soon enough, the meeting started with a welcome and introductions by the current Director or CEO of LI GROUP, Lawrence Miles Lockhart. Then they were given an overview of the agenda for the meeting, which included the future of LI DESIGN and its CEO.

"Mr. Lockhart, why don't we start the reporting of LI Design’s performance?" Mr. Lee suggested.

Sofia stood up. Today, she was specifically wearing an all-black pantsuit that hugged her figure. She paired this with black stilettos that accentuated her height. With a smile on her face, she walked towards the platform for the speaker and looked at everyone sitting around the table.

"Good afternoon, my name is Sofia Lockhart, and I am currently the interim CEO and the head designer of LI Design."

"Ms. Lockhart," Mr. Jer Anderson, one of the shareholders, called out for her attention. "The recent allegations have raised concern among the shareholders. Before we delve into the financial report, could you please address the issues surrounding the harassment and plagiarism? We need to have a clear understanding of these matters."

"Mr. Anderson is right," Miss Paine said. "Transparency is crucial in maintaining the trust of our stakeholders. Can you provide more information about the steps being taken to investigate and resolve the issues raised? We need to ensure the integrity of both the company and its leadership. Why don’t we start this report with the details of the allegations?"

"Miss Lockhart, you have to understand that these issues are not simple. They could easily affect LI GROUP. Can you please enlighten us about this matter?" Mr. Lee added.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lawrence immediately intervened. "Why not let Miss Lockhart finish her report before making your questions? I am certain that Miss Lockhart is already prepared with the answers, and I am confident that she can satisfy your concerns," Lawrence said.

Sofia was wondering what he was trying to do. However, she did not object and just smiled at everyone. Luckily, everyone agreed to have her report the financial situation of the company first.

She started with the reports about the current financial situation of LI Design. She started with why LI Design was created, its profit over the years, and then the profits last year.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I’m thrilled to share that our profits have experienced an impressive doubling since the implementation of our new strategy. This success reaffirms our belief in the power of adapting to the evolving landscape, especially through our strategic use of social media. Moving forward, we are committed to further embracing and capitalizing on these changes to ensure continued growth and success for LI Design."

Mr. Lee interrupted, "That’s nice to hear, but our priority right now is the fact that the head designer has been accused of plagiarism. The stock of LI Design has started to fall, and soon enough, people will start asking why the CEO has not yet resigned. This will not only affect the profits of LI Design but also the whole LI GROUP."

"So please, Miss Lockhart," he leaned and smiled at Sofia. "Why not tell us about this plagiarism issue?"

Sofia pursed her lips. She looked at Lawrence, who did not have any intention of helping her out. Seeing the kind yet demanding look on the man’s face, Sofia knew that Lawrence expected her to give up and tell everyone that they were still investigating the matter.

Without Alexander, Sofia would not have had the time to investigate this matter. This would immediately show how incompetent she was.

"My lawyer told me not to show anyone the evidence that I have. However, he suggested that I let everyone in this room sign a confidentiality agreement to safeguard this matter," Sofia said. Then she signaled Miss Annes, who was standing at the back, to start giving out the papers she was holding.

"Confidentiality?" Miss Paine arched an eyebrow.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

"This accusation could easily kill anyone’s career. It is only right that I take this seriously," Sofia said. "So let’s start with this agreement. Why don’t you sign it so we can start talking about the core issues that plagued LI Design?"