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Catherine sat in the meeting room, surrounded by the sneers and dismissive remarks of the shareholders, but her expression remained calm, her gaze unwavering. Despite their laughter, despite Korbin’s ridicule, she felt no fear, no hesitation. If anything, their mockery only fueled her determination.
The laughter slowly died down, and the room returned to a tense silence. Catherine leaned back in her chair, her fingers resting lightly on the table. “You all laugh,” she said, her voice cool but sharp, “but you forget one thing.”
Everyone in the room shifted slightly, intrigued despite themselves.
“Business is about results,” she continued, her eyes scanning the faces of the shareholders, one by one. “And I don’t need to prove anything to you with empty promises or credentials. I’ll prove it with actions.”
The atmosphere in the room shifted. Catherine’s words carried weight, and there was something in her voice, something in the way she spoke that made people sit up and take notice. It wasn’t arrogance—it was confidence. It was power.
Korbin narrowed his eyes at her. “Actions, huh? We’ve seen plenty of empty speeches, Catherine. What are you going to do? Turn water into wine?”
Catherine ignored the jibe, instead turning to Leonel, who had been quietly observing the exchange. He gave her a small nod, and she knew exactly what to do next.
“Leonel, if you would,” Catherine said, motioning for him to present the documents he’d brought.
With a practiced motion, Leonel slid a stack of papers across the table to Korbin. The tension in the room thickened. The shareholders exchanged curious glances. Catherine didn’t flinch as she watched them scrutinize the documents.
Korbin frowned as he glanced through them. His expression shifted from disbelief to concern, then to something else, something darker. The documents were airtight, and there was nothing he could do to contest them. Catherine had anticipated this move, and with it, she held the upper hand.
“What is this?” Korbin asked, his voice growing tight.
“This,” Leonel replied, “is the full financial report for the last two years. It includes all of the Swann Corporation’s investments, profits, liabilities—and most importantly, your mismanagement of certain key assets, Mr. Swann.”
Korbin’s face turned ashen. Catherine had come prepared—not just with legal documents but with hard evidence of his failures. He couldn’t afford to brush this aside, not in front of these influential shareholders.
The room was silent as Korbin skimmed through the papers, his hands shaking with a mix of anger and frustration. Every number, every discrepancy, seemed to confirm what they’d all suspected but had never dared to address. Korbin had been running the company into the ground, all while trying to maintain the illusion of control.
Catherine’s voice cut through the silence, her words deliberately measured and precise. “If I can turn this situation around, if I can restore the Swann Corporation to its rightful place, will you continue to laugh at me? Or will you see the truth?”
The shareholders were no longer laughing. Some looked at Catherine with respect, others with uncertainty, but none of them could deny the power she was wielding. Her calmness, her precision—it was clear now that she wasn’t just some naïve girl fresh from the countryside. She was a force to be reckoned with.
Korbin’s anger simmered beneath the surface, but he knew he was cornered. He hadn’t expected Catherine to come to the meeting prepared, nor had he expected her to be this capable. His position as the General Manager was in jeopardy, and he knew it.
“Fine,” he spat, slamming the documents down onto the table. “You’ve made your point. But the vote still stands. You’ll need more than just words and papers to convince them.”
Catherine stood, her confidence unwavering. “I don’t need words, Mr. Swann. I just need results.”
With that, she turned and walked out of the room, her footsteps echoing through the building. Leonel followed, leaving behind a room full of stunned, uneasy faces.
As Catherine stepped into the elevator, she finally allowed herself a small smile. The first battle had been won. But the war was far from over. She still had much to do—and many obstacles to overcome.
But she was ready.
And this was just the beginning.