Chapter 600
Asher''s expression immediately tensed up when Sonia mentioned bringing in an arbitrator to settle
their dispute.
He was visibly starting to feel nervous because he knew that losing his shares meant losing his
influence and position in thepany. It would be equivalent to getting banished from Paradigm
Co.!
Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
"Sonia, you..."
Right when he was about to say something in an attempt to calm Sonia down, Jessica angrily
interrupted as she loudly banged the table and cried, "Don''t go overboard, Sonia!"
Everyone''s heads whipped in Jessica’s direction at her sudden outburst.
"Oh? What did I do?" Sonia asked with her eyes narrowed.
"Stop ying innocent! Uncle Asher is our rtive—not to mention, an elder. You should show him
some respect. Your attitude is an embarrassment to the Reeds!" Jessica reprimanded. The way she
pointed at Sonia made it seem as though Sonia had done something unforgivable.
Sonia could not help but let out a scoff at her sister’s answer. "Our rtive? Jessica, you even had it
in you to murder your own father. I doubt you really think of President Dafoe as an elder that you
respect." She then turned to Asher and reminded him, "President Dafoe, please don''t ever let down
your guard around her. She did not hesitate to push her father to his death. You know it will be much
easier for her to n your death if she wanted to."
As soon as Sonia said that, a guilty look shed across Jessica''s panicked face as she shouted,
"You better stop spouting nonsense! Who are you using of murder?!" Jessica''s heart felt as
though it could stop at any time at that moment.
Did Sonia know something?
No, she couldn''t possibly have known about the poisoning. Sonia must be talking about the
embezzlement incident that made their father take his own life.
Her eyes had started rolling around nervously at this point. Right. The embezzlement. That must be
it. Stop panicking, Jessica. You can''t give yourself away mow, Jessica convinced herself.
Unbeknownst to Jessica, Sonia had been observing her the whole time she was having inner
turmoil with herself. Seeing Jessica''s reaction only made Sonia clench her fist tighter.
It seemed that what Nancy had said about Jessica being the one who poisoned Henry was true.
Otherwise, Jessica wouldn''t have reacted so anxiously if she was innocent.
Sonia remembered how Jessica had reacted fairly calmly when Sonia had talked about the
embezzlement and suicide back when they were in Kosovo. All Jessica had mocked in reply was
how their father had ended his life because he didn''t have the mental and emotional capability to
endure a little bit of setback.
Her reaction now could only mean one thing—she did poison their father.
It was hard to believe that someone could actually do something so cruel to their own parents. Just
you wait, Jessica Reed, Sonia promised to herself. I''ll make you pay for your actions.
“I''m spouting nonsense, you say?” Sonia let out another scoff. “Jessica, you know what you did. You
know exactly how big of a part you yed in Dad''s death. I won''t get into it, but mark my words: you
won''t live another day in peace now that you have me as your enemy.”
Jessica disgruntledly rolled her eyes and retorted, “That''s your threat? Okay then. I''ll wait and see
what tricks you have up your sleeves. But first, we are all here to discuss who will be taking the
chairperson position!”
“No need for a discussion!” Sonia announced. She had her head held high as she coldly looked at
Jessica. “Anyone but you can have the position. Need I remind you again? You have neither the
power nor shares to qualify as a candidate. What exactly are you putting on the table to im that
you have what it takes to go against me?”
Unexpectedly, Jessica smiled as she swayed her arms and said, "Who said I don''t? I''ll admit that I
have no experience in running apany, but I have Uncle Asher to lead me through the process.
As for my shares... I am Dad''s biological daughter, aren''t I? That means that I’m entitled to half of
what you have! Lawfully speaking, I should have 25.5 percent of your 51 percent. Now tell me, am I
still unqualified for the position?"
Opinions were divided by Jessica''s words, and another discussion broke out among the attendees.
"That''s true. The previous chairman did not leave a will regarding the distribution of shares due to
his sudden passing. The second daughter should have half of what President Reed has."
"I have to agree with that."
Naturally, the ones who agreed were all Asher''s men.
The soft mumbles made Asher and Jessica exchange satisfied gazes as things were finally going
the way they wanted.
At the same time, the ones who disagreed also started to chatter.
"Even though Mr. Reed did not mention to leave all the shares to President Reed, he also never
said that the shares have to be split with the second daughter."
"That''s correct."
Jessica jumped and red at the people who still opposed, and before Sonia could say anything to
her people, Jessica quickly interjected, "Dad never said anything about giving me his shares, but as
his daughter, 1 am a rightful sessor of what he has left behind. Also, I am not wrong for trying to
get back what originally belongs to me. The only reason I don''t have any of those shares is because
I left Seafield too soon 6 years ago. You know that thew would naturally assign me half the
shares if we were to take this to court.”
Asher, too, started to persuade Sonia as he sipped on his cup of tea. “Jessica''s right. Why don''t you
just concede and let her have what is rightfully hers, hmm? I''m afraid that it will earn you a big
smear to your reputation if word were to spread that you have imed all of your father''s
inheritance for yourself and that you refuse to share it with your own sister.”
Despite hearing those words, Sonia still calmly looked at both of them before suddenly letting out a
laugh.
When Asher saw her reaction, his eyebrows instinctively knitted together. He was suddenly hit by a
feeling of foreboding.
He then slowly set his teacup back onto the table, and as calmly as he could, he asked, "Dear
Sonia, what are youughing about?"
"Oh, it''s just that... You had me wondering about the reason you were so enthusiastic about holding
this meeting at first. It''s not like it will benefit you in any way if there was a new chairperson in the
seat. I think I know why now," Sonia said before pausing momentarily.
She then leaned forward and rested her head in the palm of her hands that were propped on the
table. "I don''t know how you managed to get in contact with each other, but I''m sure you both have
come to an agreement of some sort. Let''s see if I can guess it correctly," she said in a mocking
voice.
"You," she said with a finger pointing at Asher. "You will aid her in taking away all my current shares
and then—manage Paradigm Co. on Jessica''s behalf. And as for you..."
This time, Sonia was pointing at Jessica. "Your role in this is probably to cause trouble for me so
that I will be too distracted from properly managing thepany, am I right? And when it gets
bad..." Sonia nced at Asher. "You willpletely take charge over Paradigm Co., and maybe
even rob Jessica of her shares if things somehow go your way. Did it get it right?"
Asher stiffened for a while before he could find his tongue again, where he then incredulously
looked at Sonia and managed to utter a word. "You..."
Was she really so observant that she had managed to urately read his mind?
Seeing him looking like a deer caught in the headlights, she sneered and sarcastically cheered,
"Bingo. But I have to apud you, President Dafoe. It is a wise move for you to use Jessica in
exchange for the things you want. Not only is she an idiot, but she is also a fairly useful idiot that
you get to bend at your will. It is a pity that you are so ambitious that you held no cards back. I could
see through you in a nce."
As Asher heard that, his grip on his teacup only further tightened as he thoughtfully stared at Sonia.
Jessica, on the other hand, couldn''t contain her rage any longer as she suddenly yelled at Sonia.
"Did you just call me an idiot?!" At that moment, she would have loved to carve a piece of flesh off
Sonia''s body if she could.
However, that short sentence alone had managed to show all of Jessica’s worst sides.
Everyone in the room, no matter if they were Sonia or Asher''s men, turned to scornfully look at
Jessica.
Was this woman stupid or something?
Sonia was just talking about how Asher was using her to ultimately get Jessica''s shares if she had
managed to im half of it from Sonia.
And yet, Jessica was so caught up with being called an idiot that she hadpletely missed the
point of the conversation.
It was almostughable that someone like this actually had the audacity to say that she wanted to
be the chairperson.