Footsteps echoed from the far end of the hallway. A group of people moved in, all clustered around one man. It was Joseph. He wore a sharp, expensive suit, his hair perfectly styled, and a confident smile tugged at his lips. Several shareholders and his inner circle followed close behind. When he spotted Matthew, Joseph''s smile faltered for a moment. Then his gaze shifted to Reese, who stood by Matthew''s side, and a flicker of disdain crossed his eyes. So the gossip was true. Ever since Sebastian got pushed out, Reese had been spending a lot of time with Matthew. Clearly, she was willing to do anything for a shot at the shares Mr. Ratcliff left behind. And Matthew, dragging himself here while still sick, just to show off for a woman. He should be more worried about his health giving out than impressing anyone.


    Joseph put on a look of fake concern. "Matthew, I heard you were in the hospital. You feeling any better?"


    "I''m fine." Matthew looked at Joseph''s phony smile and frowned. He didn''t want Reese tangled up in the drama brewing inside Ratcliff Global. He leaned closer and said quietly, "Go wait for me in the lounge, okay?"


    Reese''s eyes widened with surprise. She nced up at him and caught a mischievous spark in his eyes. After a moment, she yed along, pretending to be reluctant. "Alright."


    Joseph watched her walk away, obviously not thrilled about it, and a mocking grin appeared on his face. So much for all those rumors about them being inseparable. Looked like they were both just out for themselves.


    "Let''s go." Matthew didn''t like the way Joseph had been looking at Reese, so he headed straight for the boardroom without another word.


    Joseph''s face darkened at the brush-off. He let out a cold snort and mumbled under his breath, “Don''t get too full of yourself, Matthew. This is Ratcliff Global, not your yground. Today''s board meeting is for electing a new chairman. As an illegitimate son, you don''t even belong here."


    Matthew had spent years in the military. His ears were sharp, so he heard every word. He stopped and turned to Joseph, a cold smile in his eyes.


    "Whether I belong here or not isn''t your call. That''s up to the shareholders. And by the way, I have fifteen percent of Ratcliff Global''s shares. That''s double what you have. Care to tell me again if I belong here?"


    Joseph''s face went pale. He stared at Matthew,pletely stunned. “No way. How could you possibly have that many shares?"


    He''d always thought Matthew only had whatever Mr. Ratcliff left him, maybe ten percent at best. Nowhere near enough to be a threat.


    "That''s not your problem,” Matthew replied, his voice calm but tinged with sarcasm. Before he met Reese, his only goal in life was to get revenge on the Ratcliff family. Did Joseph really think he''d just show up without a n? Matthew had been quietly buying up shares for a long time, never making a fuss about it.


    "Did you really think I never wanted control of Ratcliff Global? I was just waiting for the right moment to clean house."


    Joseph was shaking with anger. He pointed at Matthew, but nothing came out. He never dreamed Matthew had been hiding so much, acting harmless while quietly building his power.


    "Enough. Let''s not stand around wasting time." Matthew didn''t want to argue anymore. He took Reese''s hand and led the way into the boardroom.


    Joseph took a deep breath, pushing down his rage. He shot a look at the shareholders and his loyal followers, then followed them inside.


    The boardroom was spacious, with a long oval table in the center. Around it sat more than a dozen


    shareholders, each wearing a


    different expression-cel


    cautious, Q


    tense The room


    inimèdiately


    went quiet when Matthew and Joseph entered. Every eye was on them.


    Matthew led Reese to one end of the table and took a seat. Mr. Riles and Mr. Lugo sat on either side of him and Karter stood behind his chair. Joseph sat at the opposite end his face dark and his gaze cold as he stared at Matthew.


    Joseph broke the silence. "Now that everyone''s here, let''s get started. I''ve called this meeting today to elect a new chairman for Ratcliff Global. As you all know, Sebastian has been removed from his position after being involved in several illegal activities. Thepany needs a strong leader to guide us out of this mess. I believe I have the ability and the right to be that leader." His confidence filled the room. "I''ve been a senior executive here for years, and know thispany inside and out. Besides, for the legitimate Ratcliff bloodline. That makes me more qualified than certain people whose backgrounds are... questionable." He shot a pointed look at Matthew.


    Matthew didn''t react. He just picked up his ss, took a sip of water, and lookedpletely unbothered.


    A shareholder spoke up. "Mr. Ratcliff makes a good point. He''s been here a long time and has done a lot for thepany. I''d feel better with him as chairman."


    Another added, “Mr. Wiles might have a lot of shares, but he isn''t really a Ratcliff, and he''s never worked here before. He doesn''t know how things run, so he''s not the right fit for chairman."


    It was obvious Joseph had already lined up his support. Seeing that, his smile grew even more smug.


    "Thank you all for your trust. I promise I''ll lead Ratcliff Global to new heights." He looked around the room. "Let''s vote. If you agree with me taking over as chairman, please raise your hand."


    He raised his hand first. Several shareholders followed, one by one. The votes were piling up, closing in on a majority.


    At that moment, Matthew finally spoke. His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the authority in it. "Hold on."