Camilla stared at Jonathan who had just entered, her face a mask of astonishment.
"What are you doing here?"
Many of those present also wore thoughtful expressions as they observed Jonathan’s sudden appearance.
The news of Jonathan’s house arrest, ordered by the family patriarch, might not be public knowledge.
But as members of the Luther Family, they were all too aware.
Now, with the patriarch conspicuously absent and Jonathan standing before them, the situation reeked of something amiss.
Had something happened within the main family branch without their knowledge?
The air grew thick with unspoken tension.
"This is a shared transfer meeting for the Luther Corporation," Jonathan stopped in front of Camilla, his voice low and inscrutable.
"As a direct descendant of the Luther Family, why shouldn’t I be here?"
Jonathan paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as his tone grew more pointed.
"Or is there something you’re afraid of?"
Hearing this, Camilla’s delicate brows furrowed with icy tension, her fists clenching involuntarily.
What on earth do I have to be afraid of?
What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Jonathan arched an eyebrow, his gaze dark and penetrating.
"Then why don’t you explain to everyone why Dad couldn’t attend the meeting?"
The moment those words left his lips, Camilla’s expression shifted instantly, her eyes flickering with panic.
"Grandfather, he... he... I..."
Let me do it for you," Jonathan sneered, turning his attention to the crowd below.
Every ear in the room pricked up, riveted by the unfolding drama.
"The reason Dad isn’t here today is because this woman—"
Jonathan raised a hand, pointing directly at Camilla. "—has imprisoned him."
Aside from a select few who already knew the truth, the rest of the room reeled in shock at the bombshell revelation.
It was truly a single remark that stirred up a storm. After the initial shock wore off, the crowd erupted in hushed murmurs.
"House arrest? Locking up grandpa?
Does this woman even have the guts?"
"Could there be some misunderstanding?
Just two days ago, Grandpa had Carlos summon us for this meeting.
How could he possibly be under confinement?" Amid the whispers, Camilla sneered inwardly.
*What a masterful distortion of the truth—turning black into white.* She suppressed the cold glint in her eyes and hastily rose from her seat, feigning distress as she defended herself.
"I didn’t—" Before she could finish, Ramsey stepped forward, shielding her with his body as he fixed Jonathan with a steely glare.
"Sir, I advise you to choose your words carefully."
Jonathan’s palm struck Ramsey’s face with brutal force, his voice dripping with venom. "Just like your father, you’ve been bought off by this woman!
Have you forgotten who your real boss is?!"
The slap was so fierce that Ramsey’s head snapped to the side from the impact. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, then slowly relaxed as he remained rooted to the spot.
"Ramsey!!" Camilla never imagined Jonathan would lay a hand on Ramsey.
Panic flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by a chilling glint of cold fury.
"Ramsey is Sinclair’s right-hand man.
Who gave you the right to touch him?"
You tell me—what right do I have?"
The onlookers exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions shifting like shadows.
"Enough," Collins cut in sharply, his stern voice slicing through the tension.
"There’s no point wasting words over a subordinate."
His gaze hardened as he redirected the conversation.
"What did you mean by accusing Madam of imprisoning Grandpa?"
Jonathan’s voice was deliberate, each word weighted like lead.
"When I sent someone to the ancestral home regarding the stock transfer, I discovered the entire estate was under lockdown."
Jonathan paused, then turned his head slowly to pin Camilla with a piercing stare.
"Only after forcing our way in did we find Father—poisoned and unconscious.
"With Sinclair critically ill, who else but this woman could have mobilized the Luther Family’s forces to besiege the old mansion and poisoned grandpa without anyone noticing?"
Jonathan glared at Camilla, his eyes icy with malice.
"Who else could it be?!"
With the estate and the old mansion under his control, he could spin the story however he pleased.
The crowd erupted in shock once more, their expressions shifting dramatically.
That can’t be true, can it?"
"If what Jonathan says is true, then how did this stock transfer agreement come about?"
"Could this all be part of this woman’s scheme?
" "If that’s the case, she’s got nerves of steel!"
"No wonder she looked so reluctant when asked to have Grandpa attend—such a simple request!"
Santino slammed his palm onto the table with a loud bang, his face contorted with fury as he glared at Camilla.
"So she’d already harmed him?!"
"That’s not true—I didn’t do it!"
Camilla stood frozen in place, her hands clenched into tight fists as she shook her head repeatedly.
"Grandfather went missing after visiting Jonathan—it has nothing to do with me..."
"If that’s really the case, why didn’t you say so earlier?"
Collins cut her off, his brows furrowed in frustration.
"Are you telling me that in your eyes, company shares are more important than Grandpa’s safety?"
"I—" Camilla opened her mouth but faltered, seemingly at a loss for words.
At that moment, a bespectacled man with a stern expression voiced his skepticism.
"But Grandpa had already made it clear that he intended to entrust the Luther Corporation to Madam for temporary management.
Why would she do something ?"
"Because," Jonathan shot the man a cold glance before striding past Camilla and taking his seat at the head of the conference table.
"This equity transfer agreement was a forgery from the very beginning."
Under the scrutiny of the room, he continued, "Camilla bribed my father’s assistant and son to fabricate it."
Ramsey’s veins bulged at his temples, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Jonathan. "
my father nor I have done anything wrong. You’re lying!!"
Camilla bit her lip, struggling to keep her emotions in check.
"Jonathan, you’d better have proof before making such accusations.
If you keep slandering us without evidence, don’t blame me for what happens next."
"You want proof? I’ll give it to you."
Jonathan tapped the table calmly, his voice icy and devoid of emotion.
Goliath glanced behind him.
No sooner had he spoken than several servants from the old manor estate were ushered into the room.
As heads of various branch families, those present were no strangers to visiting the old estate to pay respects to the patriarch.
They recognized these servants—longtime employees of the Luther Family, some having worked there for decades.
The way they looked at Camilla now carried a weight of unspoken meaning.
Goliath eyed them and said in a low voice, "Tell everyone what you know."
The servants stared at Camilla with fearful apprehension, their words catching in their throats.
Camilla gazed down at them, her cool, distant eyes radiating a bone-chilling frost.
What had begun as mere pretense for the servants quickly turned into genuine terror the moment they met those dark, glacial eyes.
"Don’t worry," Collins interjected, casting a meaningful glance at Camilla.
"Just tell us what you saw or know. No one would dare lay a finger on you—not in front of all of us."
"Y-yes, of course," stammered one of the servants, a man in his fifties, who was the first to regain his composure at Collins’s reassurance.
The man kept his head bowed, his voice trembling as he spoke.