Chapter 7 Take the Shares

"Mr. Sterling."

"Hm."

"Mrs. Vivian, Mr. Billy, and Miss Teressa have arrived. The shareholders and the board of directors are already waiting in the conference room."

Revan gave a slight nod.

"They came early. It looks like everyone wants to witness today's share transfer," Aston continued.

"Of course," Revan replied with a faint smile.

The moment he stepped onto the executive floor, the lively conversations inside the conference room came to an abrupt halt.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sterling."

Respectful greetings echoed from every direction.

Revan acknowledged them with a brief nod, his gaze sweeping across every face in the room.

Several of them had once falsified financial reports, sold company secrets, and secretly helped Vivian and Billy seize control of Sterling Group.

Now they wore masks of loyalty once again.

"Revan." Vivian greeted him with a warm smile. "We've been waiting for you."

Billy smiled as well. "The day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived, Cousin."

Teressa was quick to join in. She slipped her arm through Revan's with practiced sweetness. "Darling, everyone's ready. Then let's begin."

Revan took his seat at the head of the table.

Aston stood at the front of the conference room and opened a folder.

"Thank you all for coming."

"Today, we will proceed with the transfer of a portion of Mr. Revan Sterling's shares."

He began reading the first document.

"Twenty percent of Sterling Group shares will be transferred to Mrs. Vivian Sterling for a transaction value of thirty million U.S. dollars."

The room remained silent, leaving Aston's voice as the only sound.

"Next, thirty-five percent of the shares will be transferred to Miss Teressa Gringer as premarital property, in exchange for a forty-million-dollar bridal gift."

Several directors exchanged glances.

Some raised their eyebrows.

Others concealed faint smiles, while several shareholders quietly whispered among themselves.

No one voiced an opinion, but the expressions on their faces said everything.

Billy leaned back comfortably in his chair. His eyes settled on the chairman's seat at the far end of the table, and the corner of his mouth curled upward. 'At the next annual meeting... that chair will be mine,' he said in his heart.

Seated beside Revan, Teressa gently took his hand beneath the table. Her smile was tender, her eyes filled with affection, convincing anyone who saw them that they were a couple deeply in love.

"Darling," she said softly, "even after these shares are in my name, you'll still be the one leading Sterling Group."

She tightened her grip on his hand and looked at him with innocent eyes.

"I don't understand a business this big. Without you, Sterling Group wouldn't be Sterling Group anymore. So don't ever think I'd take your position."

Several people in the conference room nodded quietly.

Her words sounded completely sincere.

Vivian smiled warmly as well. "Teressa is right. Revan, I'm not doing this to take anything away from you."

She looked at her nephew with apparent concern. "I only want to make sure the family's wealth stays within the family. Once the two of you are married, everything will still belong to both of you."

Revan studied them for a moment. Then he gently brushed the back of Teressa's hand, which was still holding his. "I know."

His eyes carried the same warmth they always had. "After we become husband and wife, I'll work even harder so you can live without ever having to worry about anything."

Then he turned to Vivian. "And Aunt Vivian... thank you for caring so much about my future."

Vivian's smile widened. "It's only natural. We're family, aren't we?"

"That's right... we're family." Revan nodded slowly with a faint smile. 'As if I'd ever want to be part of your family,' he continued in his heart.

Aston then slid the folder of documents in front of them. "If there are no further questions, we may begin the signing process."

Revan picked up the pen first. Without the slightest hesitation, he signed every document placed before him.

Vivian followed.

Then Teressa.

One by one, every signature was completed.

A moment later, the notary closed the folder and looked toward Aston, who gave a confirming nod.

"From this moment forward, the share transfer is officially valid and legally binding," the notary announced.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Vivian. Congratulations, Miss Teressa. Welcome to Sterling Group," one of the directors said.

"Thank you, everyone. I look forward to learning from all of you. Soon, we'll all be one family," Teressa replied before wrapping her arm around Revan's once again.

"I'll do my best to become a Mrs. Sterling who leads the Group to even greater success," she added confidently.

"We're looking forward to it."

Applause filled the conference room, turning the ceremony into a celebration.

Vivian quietly let out a relieved breath.

Billy stared at the signed documents with shining eyes, while Teressa couldn't hide the satisfaction on her face.

Only Revan remained silent. He slowly spun the pen between his fingers before setting it back on top of the folder. "Alright. The transfer is complete. Let's all get back to work."

"Yes, Mr. Sterling."

The directors nodded obediently and filed out of the conference room one by one, leaving only Revan, his fiancée, and his aunt's family behind.

"Well then, I'll be going," Vivian said.

"Take care."

"But before that, Revan... may I ask you for one favor?"

Revan nodded, giving his permission with a calm gesture.

Vivian concealed a smile. "Could Billy transfer to the main company? Isn't it about time he started helping you here?"

Billy nodded as well, maintaining a composed expression. "That's right, Revan. I've spent enough time at the subsidiary. It's time for me to help you at headquarters."

Teressa gently tugged on Revan's sleeve before leaning closer. "Darling, with Billy here, you'll be able to enjoy our honeymoon without worrying about work," she coaxed.

Revan didn't answer immediately. He let the three of them continue watching him with identical expressions before finally nodding. "Billy is my cousin. I should trust him."

His answer delighted all three of them.

Billy couldn't even stop himself from smiling in satisfaction before quickly composing himself again. "Thank you for trusting me, Revan," he said.

"In that case, report to headquarters tomorrow. Aston will handle your assignment." Revan glanced at his watch before gently slipping out of Teressa's embrace. "I have business outside the office. I'll be leaving now."

"Drive safely, darling."

"Take care, Revan."

"Hm."

With that, Revan walked out of the conference room.

Behind him, Vivian, Billy, and Teressa continued talking among themselves, their faces filled with satisfaction.

Revan didn't even bother looking back.

Instead, his eyes fell on the notification showing that his account balance had just increased by seventy million dollars.

The corner of his lips slowly curved into a smile. "It's time to build the fortress."

After reaching the front entrance, Revan got into his car.

A few moments later, he drove away from Sterling Group.

He wasn't heading home.

His destination was an empty plot of land on the outskirts of the city, one he had purchased just a few days earlier.