Chapter 561: Chapter 561: Because I Am His Wife
Immediately, the door of the meeting room was pushed open, and a slender, elegant figure gracefully stepped in, followed by three bodyguards and a lawyer.
Seeing her, Harold Hawthorne’s expression changed instantly, "What are you doing here? Who allowed you to come in?"
"In such an important occasion, it seems inappropriate not to have me here, doesn’t it?" With these words, Ann Vaughn walked over to the head of the meeting table and elegantly took her seat under everyone’s gaze.
This position used to be Cyrus Hawthorne’s exclusive seat. Even though Harold knew Cyrus was no longer here, he didn’t dare to sit there without permission.
But now...
"Old Master Hawthorne is severely ill in the hospital. You’re not with him but instead come here to make trouble. What are you trying to do?" Harold Hawthorne suppressed his temper, his gaze sinisterly fixed on Ann Vaughn.
His words were indeed quite sanctimonious.
The hospital where Old Master Hawthorne was staying was arranged by Harold Hawthorne, and Ann Vaughn had yet to see Old Master Hawthorne.
But the executives didn’t know the underlying reasons, and they looked at Ann Vaughn with a sense of inquiry.
Besides The Hawthorne Family, the fact that Ann Vaughn and Cyrus Hawthorne were not divorced was unknown to outsiders.
To them, Ann Vaughn was only Cyrus Hawthorne’s ex-wife.
So when she appeared in the meeting room, the executives were shocked and puzzled. Did she plan to get a share of Hawthorne Corp.?
Ann Vaughn noticed their scrutinizing and questioning looks but wasn’t annoyed; her lightly powdered face always maintained a perfect smile.
"Make trouble? Uncle, you are mistaken," Ann Vaughn chuckled lightly, "I’m only here to prevent some people from overstepping their bounds."
Overstepping their bounds.
These words immediately made Harold Hawthorne’s expression look worse, his eyes burning with anger, "What do you mean by that? Now that Cyrus is gone and Old Master is hospitalized, is it wrong for me to manage the corporation for them?!"
"Lawyer Lynch, please." Ann Vaughn didn’t answer Harold Hawthorne but instead turned to Lawyer Lynch behind her, nodding slightly.
Lawyer Lynch immediately opened the briefcase in his hand, took out the original of the will, and placed it on the table, "This is the will Mr. Hawthorne set up in July of this year. In the unfortunate event of his demise, all assets under his name will belong to Miss Vaughn."
A will?!
Harold Hawthorne, standing on the platform, was greatly astonished, his body stiffening.
Cyrus Hawthorne actually set up a will in advance?!
Why did he know nothing about such a big matter?!
In just about ten minutes, the original of the will had already spread throughout the meeting room.
After reading all the contents, the executives who were previously calm could hardly sit still.
The wealth under Mr. Hawthorne’s name... also included 65% of Hawthorne Group’s shares!
In this way, Ann Vaughn undoubtedly became the new president of Hawthorne Group.
And compared to Harold Hawthorne "temporarily" managing the group, she clearly had the credentials and capital!
"This, this can’t be—" The original will finally reached Harold Hawthorne’s hands, and as he looked at the contents written on it, his face alternated between purple and green, his hands shaking.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s net worth ranked among the top in the domestic and even global wealth rankings, so it’s conceivable how astronomical his wealth must be.
Even a bits and pieces would be enough for others to squander for a lifetime without running out.
A large part of this source came from Hawthorne Group’s annual profits.
Otherwise, Harold Hawthorne wouldn’t single-mindedly aim to take over Hawthorne Corp.
But who the hell could have thought Cyrus Hawthorne had a backup plan that left everything to Ann Vaughn!
"Cyrus couldn’t be that muddle-headed, leaving Hawthorne Family’s company to you, an outsider!" Harold Hawthorne’s chest ached with anger, covering it with one hand while bitterly pointing at Ann Vaughn, "What right do you have to inherit these? I ask you, what right?!"
The three bodyguards standing next to Ann Vaughn immediately stepped forward, glaring at Harold Hawthorne in warning, making him quickly lower his finger.
The executives remained silent, thinking that letting an outsider manage such a large corporation indeed seemed unreasonable.
Is this a joke?
"Just because I’m Cyrus Hawthorne’s wife." Ann Vaughn lightly tapped her slender white fingers on the meeting table, and her cold voice reached everyone’s ears: "Besides, even without me, we still have our son. In terms of inheritance... where do you rank?"
Mr. Hawthorne has a son!??!
No wait, Mr. Hawthorne and Miss Vaughn have remarried!?
The executives looked at these two revelations, unsure which one to digest first.
"Ridiculous! If Cyrus submerged in the depths knew his assets were taken over by those who killed him, he’d probably not rest in peace!" Harold Hawthorne, unable to contain his anger, threw down these words before angrily storming off.
Elite family feuds...
These words popped into the executives’ minds, nearly choking on the final revelation.
Ann Vaughn was well aware that Harold Hawthorne, cornered, would retaliate, and if he couldn’t get Hawthorne Corp., he certainly wouldn’t let her have it easily, thus never missing an opportunity to tarnish her.
However, she never intended to take Hawthorne Corp. into her own hands from the very beginning.
Reflecting on this, Ann Vaughn turned her gaze to the uneasy-looking executives and spoke slowly: "You’ve all made it to this position; you’re smart people, so you must understand the importance of discretion."
This was a warning to keep quiet.
The executives understood very clearly and remained silent.
"Then I’ll assume everyone heard me clearly. If there’s nothing else, go back to work." Ann Vaughn didn’t care about the attitude of these executives, finished speaking, and took the lead to leave the meeting room.
Anyone exceptional enough to work at Hawthorne Group had a bit of temper, and only the elite among elites were employed there.
Except for Cyrus Hawthorne, it’s unlikely they would comply with anyone easily.
Ann Vaughn understood this quite well, so there was no need to bother over it.
In the President’s office.
Ann Vaughn walked in alone, her mood starkly different from the last time she visited.
Previously, upon entering, she’d immediately hear that deep, magnetic voice, "Come here."
As she approached, she’d see that man sitting behind the desk by the floor-to-ceiling window, a figure elegantly painted but aloof and unmatched.
Ann Vaughn’s mind wavered, taking a step forward as if instinctively—
There was no one behind the black desk.
No familiar figure stood before the bright floor-to-ceiling window.
For the first time, Ann Vaughn felt that this place was so large, so empty, even the breathing felt cool and devoid of any warmth.
She pressed her red lips tightly and walked step by step to the desk, imagining the times he worked here and sat down.
On the desk was a pile of documents still awaiting review; Ann Vaughn, momentarily distracted, forced herself to focus and reach for the pen.