The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 2144

Leonard's sudden bout of romantic impulsiveness—transferring his equity to a completely unrelated woman—left the shareholders utterly disappointed in him.

Now, the board members who had once backed Leonard were pivoting their support to Harland Lerman.

Even Stella Cameron, who only occasionally attended The Lerman Group's board meetings, caught wind of the shift.

Stella looked at Leonard. "You knew Harland was plotting in the dark?"

Leonard nodded. "Yeah. I guessed his legs were fine and his eyes had recovered long ago. Or maybe there was never anything wrong with his eyes; it was just a ruse to lower my guard."

Stella couldn't help but give him a second look. "Are you really that easy to fool?"

Leonard's tone was calm. "I didn't let him off the hook out of mercy. The Lerman family and the board united to pressure me, offering a portion of shares in exchange. I was just short of that exact amount to become the majority shareholder and the head of the family, so I agreed to the deal."

Stella studied him. "You look like you regret it."

"Giving your opponent a chance usually backfires," Leonard replied. "He laid low for so long; he wasn't going to just let it go without a fight."

He spoke so evenly, as if recounting a story about someone else.

Stella knew the immense pressure he must have faced from his family when he handed those shares over to her. Making such a move when his position was already unstable was practically corporate suicide.

"Once I fully take over the Williams family, I'll return the shares to you," Stella offered.

Though her word was law at The Williams Group and she was effectively acting as the head of the family, Skyler Williams still held a significant amount of equity. Skyler's shares alone might not be a threat, but combined with Jonathan's, they could definitely cause headaches. In the short term, Jonathan and Skyler couldn't do much against her. But nobody is flawless forever; eventually, she would need to secure their shares to eliminate the risk.

Leonard refused. "No need. A gift given is a gift kept. I won't take them back."

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