"What's that?" Anastasia froze, almost believing she had misheard him.
"I said, if you wanted, I could give you Spark Enterprises and even more," Ethan stated, his tone assured and firm.
Anastasia stared at Ethan with a mixture of despair and frustration in her beautiful eyes. She doesn't understand where Ethan is coming from or if he is hallucinating for something. She may be clueless about her husband during the last seven years of their marriage, but she is not naive.
She raised her voice, shouting at him in a firm tone, "I can accept that my husband might be an average person who isn't exceptionally capable, but I don't want Sophia's father to be a hollow boastful liar!"
With a piercing glare, stomping her feet, Anastasia left the reception room without another word.
Ethan smiled calmly, thinking, It's alright. She'll understand one day that I meant every word.
He took out his phone and dialed Boysen. "Acquire Spark Enterprises immediately. You know what to do."
— —
The news that Thaddeus Reed had appointed Brendan Reed as the new general manager of Spark Enterprises spread quickly throughout the company. All appointment letters, seals, nameplates, and other necessary items were completed in less than half a day. With this news quickly spreading, everything inside Spark Enterprises was made in order and legally without delay.
Brendan sat in a spacious office, spinning around on the swivel chair and laughing madly. It was as if he had won a big jackpot on the lottery, and all his dreams were suddenly put in place one after the other.
When Thaddeus entered, Brendan quickly got up and approached him. "Grandpa," he greeted.
Thaddeus nodded in satisfaction as he looked at his grandson, immaculately dressed. He made the right choice. "Not bad. You look the part of a general manager. Brendan, I am entrusting Spark Enterprises to you now. Gain experience and train hard. In the future, you will also inherit all the businesses of the Reeds and be the head of the family."
Brendan's face lit up with joy. As Thaddeus Reed's only biological grandson, and with his father deceased, it was only a matter of time before the entire family was handed over to him. He knew his grandfather would never relinquish the Reed family to someone who wasn't blood-related. He knew he was the only person in the Reed capable of handling the whole family and putting it on the highest pedestal. This was his dream, his most coveted position in the family – to become the Reed's head.
However, he maintained a grateful expression. "Thank you, Grandpa, for your trust and for grooming me. I will excel in this role!"
Yet, as Brendan remembered Anastasia, who had once been a threat, he couldn't suppress his displeasure. He voiced his concern to Thaddeus, "Grandpa, I noticed Anastasia seemed quite upset about your decision to make me the general manager. I'm worried she might try to retaliate and harm the company. I'm really worried she might do something that will not be favorable to our family."
"If she dares to do that or harbors ill intentions, I'll kick her and her family out immediately!" Thaddeus declared forcefully.
Brendan felt reassured, wishing he could expel Anastasia at once. Her presence in the family is a thorn in his side, and it does not give him peace of mind.
Just then, his phone rang unexpectedly. Lifted by his new position, Brendan answered cheerfully, "Hello, who's speaking?"
However, his smile quickly faded, and he stammered, "Wait a moment! Is there a mistake? How could this be?" Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"What's the matter?" Sensing something was wrong, Thaddeus grabbed the phone rather than ask Brendan. Unfortunately, the caller had already hung up.
"What happened?" Thaddeus demanded, seeing the anxiety on Brendan's face.
"It was a call from Orion Industries. They want to end our collaboration and claim we breached the contract. We have to pay huge compensation! Grandpa, what should we do?" Brendan said, his voice trembling.
"What?! How did this happen?" Thaddeus panicked, nearly losing his balance.
Brendan rushed to support him. The unexpected news shook him, and he turned to Thaddeus for guidance.
"Grandpa, please sit down and have some tea. How could this happen so suddenly? We only signed the contract this morning. We need to analyze things first. There must be a mistake!" Brendan suggested.
"Yes, we haven't even started. How can there be a breach of contract? Did they explain what we did wrong?"
"No. Orion Industries' lawyers only mentioned a breach and demanded compensation. The amount is enormous. Shall I call them again?" Brendan proposed.
"Yes, call them and get clarification," Thaddeus instructed firmly.
However, Brendan's attempts were futile; each call was cut off after a polite thank you. They didn't want to engage in a detailed conversation.
Though exceedingly nervous, Thaddeus tried not to show it. He knew he was up against Orion Industries.
"Summon everyone for an emergency meeting!" Thaddeus ordered.
Soon, all the Reeds gathered in the conference room.
They entered with smiles and laughter, but when Brendan and Thaddeus's stern faces were seen, their expressions turned serious as they took their seats.
Except for Anastasia, nearly everyone was present.
Thaddeus frowned. "Everyone's here. Brendan, tell them what happened."
"Yes, Grandpa." Now in the general manager's seat, Brendan relayed the shocking news from the phone call.
The Reeds were stunned by what they heard.