The Charming Ex-Wife (Lysander and Josiah) novel Chapter 727

The conference room fell silent for a moment.

The next moment, Seth could no longer contain his anger. He retorted, “When Josiah was here, he always spoke to me with respect. Who are you to belittle me? Don't forget, you and him have been divorced for a long time!”

With a calm and composed demeanor, Lysander held her trump card close, saying, “But this doesn't mean his plans are no longer valid.”

The document, stamped with Josiah's seal, was legally valid no matter the circumstances.

Seth, feeling disrespected by Lysander's actions, continued to harp on their divorce. “Whether it's valid or not, it's not for you to decide. Everyone here is a shareholder, every one of them more qualified than you to voice an opinion.”

When Lysander realized that her efforts to mediate were futile, she quickly assessed the balance of power between the two sides in her mind. She knew that the shareholders who would definitely side with Josiah and those who were causing division at this critical juncture were in the minority. The true decisive force, in fact, was the silent majority.

How can I sway them to my side?

Given the options that Lysander and Carol had at the moment, she had no other choice but to go for broke. She exhaled deeply and stated, “Deciding with a vote is a serious matter. To just say we're voting like this is too abrupt. Are we supposed to raise our hands or something? That wouldn't be appropriate.”

Upon hearing that they might be required to vote by a show of hands, the other shareholders expressed their refusal even before the proposal was officially put forth.

“An anonymous vote would be more appropriate.”

“Exactly, by having a public vote, those in the minority would be targeted if there turned out to be a huge disparity in the numbers.”

“I also feel we should pick a suitable day...”

Someone was fishing in troubled waters, attempting to use the opportunity to drag the matter out.

Lysander observed the group, each with their own hidden agendas, and suddenly understood some of Josiah's past behaviors. Facing such a crowd of schemers every day, it was only natural to distrust others by reflex.

She wondered what he would have done if he was there.

Due to Lysander's silent prayer, the conference room door was pushed open amidst the chaos. The previously vociferous crowd instantly fell silent, turning their gazes toward the door in disbelief.

Lysander was seated with her back facing the door. When she noticed that everyone had suddenly fallen silent, she turned around in confusion to see what was happening.

She saw Josiah, who had been missing for more than half a month, standing right before her, very much alive.

Am I hallucinating again?

Lately, her mental state wasn't the best. She was constantly plagued by hallucinations, both auditory and visual.

She shifted her gaze away, then continued, “Regarding this sum of money...”

Squeak—

The chair beside her was pulled out, and a figure slowly took a seat.

Carol, who was standing next to the projector across the room, was overjoyed to the point of tears when she saw that it was indeed her boss who had returned. “Mr. Guerra, you're back!”

“Mmm-hmm,” Josiah responded with a subtle smile. “Aren't you in the middle of a meeting? Don't mind me. Please carry on.”

“Alright!”

Carol quickly wiped away her tears, not having the time to ask further questions. She steeled herself, ready to boldly confront Seth, who was attempting to sideline Lysander and take control of the company.

As for the majority of shareholders who were previously undecided, they fell in place without any hesitation.

Josiah asked nonchalantly, “Why has everyone gone silent? Weren't we just engaged in a lively discussion? I was only away for a short while. Why does it seem like everything has changed?”

On the surface, he seemed like he was joking, but coupled with the sudden frostiness that descended on his face as his gaze drifted away from Lysander, any fool could tell that he was implicitly referring to certain individuals.

He is dressed in casual attire, and on the surface, there are no visible signs of injury. However, his spirit seems unbroken, and there is no evidence of discomfort in his movements. Is it really him? Even the police couldn't find him. How on earth did he manage to...

Josiah chuckled lightly. “Everyone's waiting for you to chair the meeting.”

“Ah, so what about you...?”

Seeing him return, Lysander assumed he would immediately resume his responsibilities. Thus, when he surprisingly asked her to continue, she couldn't help but be bewildered.

Lysander saw the exhaustion in Josiah's eyes. The fact that he could still sit there was clearly a result of his sheer determination. As she thought about this, a wave of bitterness washed over her heart.

The meeting was called by her, so it was only fitting for her to conclude it.

Lysander succinctly explained her reasons for choosing the new partner. Previously, the shareholders who had been biased against her, quietly listened to her due to the pressure exerted by Josiah's presence. Subsequently, they subtly changed their stance about her perspective.

After stating her reasons, Lysander tactfully suggested, “Since Mr. Guerra has returned, it's time for me to relinquish the position I've been temporarily holding. This is the last task I'll be performing. If anyone has any objections, feel free to voice them.”

The shareholders cast their gaze toward Josiah, who was seated next to her, and tactfully maintained their silence. Even Seth did the same with a gloomy expression.

Now that Josiah had returned, all those who tried to take advantage of his absence were put back in their place. The most important thing now was to find a way to avoid retribution.

Josiah, due to his disdain for petty squabbles and because he felt the time wasn't right, remained silent throughout the meeting. He didn't confront those who had tried to cause trouble earlier. In fact, he barely spoke at all, maintaining a silent yet intimidating presence.

It was Lysander, along with Carol, who chaired the meeting until it was adjourned.

The attendees at the meeting, feeling a sense of relief, left the room as quickly as they could. Soon, only Josiah and Lysander were left sharing a knowing glance with each other. Carol, feeling pleased, briefly updated Josiah on recent matters before excusing herself, leaving the two of them alone in the room.

With a calm demeanor, Lysander rose to her feet and began to methodically tidy up the office materials she had brought with her.

Josiah sat next to her, seemingly never tiring of gazing deeply into her eyes. After what felt like an eternity, he finally found said, “I'm sorry. I should have returned earlier. You've suffered in my absence.”

“I'm fine.” Lysander turned her back to him, her voice trembling for no apparent reason. “What exactly happened...”