Chapter 274

The unexpected arrival of this new group plunged the meeting room into a profound silence once more.

All eyes turned, astonished, towards them.

Isabella and Bianca widened their eyes in shock, while John slammed the table and angrily cursed, "Jasper, you damn bastard, you should go to hell!" John's roar snapped everyone out of their daze.

Isabella looked at the sudden appearance of the third group and asked, confused, "You're saying my father sold shares to you? What's going on?"

The person at the front smiled and said, "To be precise, it's not selling, it's borrowing. Ms. Taylor, your father borrowed a large sum of money from us before and used the company's shares as collateral. According to the contract, if the money isn't repaid by the specified date, then the shares belong to us. If you don't believe it, you can take a look."

The man handed the contracts to Isabella with a grin, and she quickly began flipping through the pages.

"Let me see that!" Bianca dashed over and snatched one from her. As she skimmed through it, her face went white.

"Isabella, your father is quite a clever man," Bianca muttered through clenched teeth.

Isabella's face was just as serious. The shares in these contracts made up 40% of the total shares in the three companies. This meant that whoever managed to scoop up all these small shareholders' shares could become the second-largest shareholder in the company!

Bianca quickly caught on. A new round of competition was about to kick off between her and Isabella. They needed to snatch up more shares. Even if they couldn't secure the majority 60% from Jasper in the future, becoming the second-largest shareholder would still give them significant influence in the company.

"Hey, guys, how about we have a little chat?" Bianca forced a smile.

But the leader, still smiling, shook his head. "Sorry, Ms. Bianca Taylor and Ms. Isabella Taylor, we're not in charge of this. We're just messengers here to inform you about the contracts. If you want to get in touch with the shareholders behind us, you can call the numbers on these business cards."

He pulled out a stack of business cards and handed them out to Isabella and Bianca.

"Alright, folks, our job here is done. We won't keep you from your meeting any longer. Goodbye." The man waved and left with his team.

Bianca and Isabella looked at the business cards in their hands, and their expressions darkened.

Bianca and Isabella weren't stupid; they knew exactly what was going on. These people weren't interested in competing for shares in the three companies; they just wanted to sell their shares at a good price.

Everyone in the room knew that Mason supported Isabella and John stood firmly behind Bianca. For some, this meant a chance to profit handsomely.

No one worried about offending the Williamses; they valued reputation above all else and preferred buying their way out of trouble.

John stood up with a cold expression, gripping Bianca's hand as he walked out of the meeting room. His face was dark, clearly indicating that he needed to rethink his next move.

Isabella reluctantly collected the business cards scattered on the table.

"Alright, everyone, it looks like we can't continue this meeting any longer. Let's wrap it up for today," Isabella said as she bid farewell to the executives before leaving the office.

Isabella planned to head home and discuss the situation with Michael. But as she reached the parking lot, a young man suddenly dashed in front of her.

"Ms. Taylor, please wait! Our supervisor wants to see you," the young man said, panting heavily and looking quite urgent.

Isabella frowned, puzzled. "Who's your supervisor?"

"Our supervisor is Ms. Lester," the young man replied.

Isabella thought for a moment about Carol Lester and quickly remembered her as the woman in the red suit from the meeting room.

"What does your leader want to see me about? Did she tell you?" Isabella pressed.

The young man shook his head. "She didn't say much, just that if you want these three companies, she can help you."

Isabella narrowed her eyes. Carol held a high position in the company, but compared to John, it was like an elephant versus an ant.

Isabella looked at Leo, who was in the driver's seat, and said, "Leo, wait here for me. I'll be right back."

Leo nodded.

Isabella followed the young man into the elevator and arrived at Carol's office.

Upon arrival, the young man knocked, ushered her in, and then discreetly withdrew.

Isabella spotted Carol again. She had noticed this woman during the meeting. While the executives were deep in conversation, Carol maintained a calm demeanor, as if nothing could ruffle her.

"Ms. Lester, I assume you're not here just to joke around with me?" Isabella said with a smile.

Carol looked at Isabella and replied with a grin, "You must have checked my background; I never joke around when it comes to work. Of course, I've looked into yours too."

Isabella chuckled and asked, "Looks like you've got quite the insight into me."

Carol nodded and replied with a smile, "Of course, Isabella. I know a lot about you, except for your mysterious husband."

Isabella arched an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in her gaze. "Ms. Lester, I wander what makes you think you can help me seize control of the three companies."

Carol didn't immediately answer Isabella's question. Instead, she said, "Before I answer that, I'd like you to answer one of mine."

"What question?" Isabella asked, puzzled.

Carol pointed to the ring on her hand and asked, "Did Mason give you a ring?"

"You mean this?" Isabella replied, reaching into her bag to pull out an antique ring.

Carol's eyes lit up when she saw the ring, and her entire demeanor shifted.

She picked up a stack of documents from the table and handed them to Isabella with a smile. "Now I can answer your question. I might not be able to get every single share in those three companies, but I can definitely help you become the second largest shareholder, no problem."

Isabella took the documents, looking puzzled. As she flipped through the papers, her eyes widened in shock. She turned to Carol, stunned.

"How do you have info on these people? Did you help Jasper get in touch with those people?" Isabella asked, her voice full of surprise.

The documents in Isabella's hands held the key to bringing down the company owners who'd given Jasper loans!