Chapter 172: Anastasiya Returns to Russia
William sat limply on the stage floor, staring at Eleanor. His eyes were vacant, like a man who had lost his entire world. Deep inside, he knew... it was over. Everything had been lost.
What Eleanor handed him was a paternity test result. There was no name printed on it, but he understood perfectly what Eleanor meant.
No one knew better than William what he had done in the past. He just couldn’t understand what had gone wrong now. After Esmeralda’s death, he had successfully fooled everyone and seized all her properties. Over the years, he had grown used to the illusion that everything belonged to him. It had never crossed his mind that one day, his carefully built empire would collapse in front of his eyes.
Now, realising that he had been utterly defeated, Eleanor gave a discreet signal to Laila to manage the situation.
Laila acted immediately. She walked to William, and with the help of two guards, escorted him backstage. William, still in shock, didn’t even think of resisting.
While this was happening, the attention of the room was focused entirely on their new CEO, Francesca Walters. No one noticed what was going on with William. After all, shareholders only cared about one thing... profit. Now that a prominent figure had taken over their company, all they could think about was how much money they might earn in the coming year.
Amidst the cheers and applause, Francesca concluded her speech and stepped down. She walked directly to Walter Langford, Earl of Birmingham, and bowed respectfully.
After all, it was their first meeting. Until now, she had only communicated with Eleanor.
Julian stepped up to the microphone and addressed the crowd.
"His Lordship, ladies and gentlemen... on behalf of the company, we kindly request everyone present today to keep what transpired in this meeting confidential. We don’t want word of our management changes reaching our competitors. The later they find out, the better. We trust in your cooperation."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"His Lordship has another engagement, so he will take his leave shortly. To mark the joyous occasion of His Lordship’s visit, we’ve arranged a luncheon for everyone present. Please bear with us while preparations are completed."