The board members turned their heads to see who it was.
They immediately frowned when they saw the unfamiliar face.
Clinton Smith leaned back on his seat and turned his attention back to Jerry Sutton.
"Lumen Group is not as strong as it used to be, but now the secretary on the front desk doesn't even do her job well?"
"You don't run Lumen Group, but you should at least look after it while the man put in-charge has to take care of impromptu business."
Jerry clenched his jaw tightly and raised his eyes to glare hard at Kelsie.
"You heard him. You aren't welcomed here."
Kelsie wasn't offended. Instead, she flashed him a small smile and walked further into the room with her hands slid into her pockets.
"They're only saying this because you haven't told them who I am."
Suddenly seeing Kelsie, Laura suddenly recalled What happened in her engagement party yesterday.
Had the news of Jett Adler looking for a reliable hacker not spread throughout the country this morning, news of Bryan Baker saying he no longer wanted her as his fiancée would've been the most talked about topic.
Bang!
She slammed her palm on the table and lashed out at Kelsie, "Do you think you're now all grown-up that you can talk back to father?"
"You have no business here and you never will. Now get lost before I have the company's security forcefully drag you out!"
While the rest of the board members looked on in confusion, Clinton Smith caught on to what was going on and turned his head to look at Kelsie again.
This familiar asymmetrical face. Those lazy eyes and that unbothered look.
He had only seen her from a distance back then, but he never for once forgot what she looked like.
Oblivious of the thoughts running through the man's mind, Kelsie walked closer to the conference table and placed her palms on them, her eyes darting from one elderly man's face to the other.
"I believe this is the first time we've met. My name is Kelsie Sutton and I'm honored to finally meet the board members of my mother's company."
The words were yet fully out of her mouth when Jerry instantly shot up from his seat and yelled at her angrily.
"Kelsie Sutton, listen to me and walk out of here this minute!"
Kelsie remained unbothered and straightened up to look him in the eyes, a light smile tugging the corners of his lips.
"Why do you look so agitated, father? Does my being here inconevenice you in anyway? In what way, if I may ask?"
Clinton Smith cleared his throat and nodded in agreement.
"Yes, why do you look agitated, Jerry? This company was her mother's and the last time I recalled, shares were passed down to her at an early age which makes her a board member and gives her the right to be here."
Jerry turned to him and snorted.
"Don't speak of this as something so simple. She has been abroad for the past seven years. This is her first time attending a conference meeting!"
"I'm merely asking her to go outside so she doesn't disrupt this meeting given that she doesn't know how it works."
Kelsie began walking round the table for somewhere to sit as she hummed in agreement.
"Oh, is that so? If that's what you're so worried about, you have nothing to worry about. I'll just find somewhere and say nothing."
"It's my first time attending a conference meeting, after all. I won't speak up unless I need to ask a question."
Jerry was cautious of his reputation and had been walking on eggshells around the board members for almost 20 years.
He needed them to be on his side in the future and he had come so far to throw it all away by giving them a reason to be suspicious of him.
So when he heard her say something so reasonable, he knew better than to keep insisting she had no reason to be in room.
He no longer said anything and sat back on his seat.
Knowing everyone had their eyes pinned on her family, Deborah glanced at Kelsie and flashed her a pretentious warm smile before speaking up.
"Kelsie, before you came in, we were just about to calculate the votes of those who were in favor of your younger sister being the lead hacker for Jett Adler."
"Right. I'm sure you don't know what I'm talking about. Earlier this morning, Jett Adler announced he was hiring a tech or cybersecurity company."
"He is willing to pay whatever amount the company asks for as long as they are capable of carrying out the job he has for them."
Jerry placed his hands on the table and forced on a bitter smile.
"Why bother explaining to her when she just came in to watch? Laura, go on and count the shares of everyone in support of you."
Laura nodded and was about to speak to the first board member when Kelsie suddenly interrupted.
"I may have come in late, but I'm also a shareholder."
"You came in late. Your vote doesn't count now." Laura retorted without stopping to glance at her.
Kelsie leaned back on her seat and raised a questioning brow, "Are you saying this to a shareholder in Lumen Group or to Kelsie Sutton?"
In the past, Kelsie rarely responded whenever Laura insulted or said literally anything to her. So she was used to feeling superior and smug.
However, Kelsie suddenly seemed to have what to respond with to every word she said .
Laura was already deeply annoyed that a lot of people, including her fiancé found her to be more pretty than her.
Having her also talk back to her was something she wouldn't let slide.
"Hey, must you make everything hard for our father? Did you suddenly forget who has been taking care of you all these years?"
"Why is it so hard for you to do as he says? Has being abroad for so many years rendered you so ungrateful? You even talk back to your elders now."
"And didn't you say you'd be quiet during the conference meeting? If all you're going to do is disrupt us when we're talking about important matters, then you better take your leave now!"
For the second time that morning, she temporarily forgot the weak and timid act she used in public and bared her fangs in front of everyone.
The room instantly fell silent.
It was quiet for several seconds with the board members' judgy eyes scorching her body.
Kelsie almost laughed out seeing the shock on Laura's face.
The panic in Jerry and Deborah's eyes were even funnier and the urge to laugh out gree even stronger.
She pressed her lips into a thin line to hold it in. As a result, Laura took the opportunity to get up on her feet and bow slightly to Kelsie.
When she raised her head, she lowered her eyes to the floor and pretended to be sincere as she sniffled.
"Ever since you returned yesterday, you've had it out for me. You've frustrated me so much. Is it because I'm getting married to Bryan Baker instead of you"
"Or are you doing this because half of the board members are in support of me being the lead hacker if Jett Adler chooses our Lumen Group?"
"Whatever it is, I beg you to forgive me. It's not like I can ask Bryan to fall in love with you or give up this position as lead hacker since you know nothing about computer science."
"But even if you don't forgive me, please don't let our relationship with each other affect Lumen Group in anyway."
As she spoke, her eyes swelled with tears before they slowly slided down her face.
When the board members saw this, they immediately felt pity for her and the good impression they had of Kelsie drastically changed.
"You can't force a man to fall in love with you and you can't try to force a woman to fall out of love because you're in love with the same man."
"She must've bullied her so much that she couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears at a place like this."
"Didn't you hear she said this has been happening since yesterday? Poor thing. She must've been so traumatized when she saw her elder sister walk in here a few minutes ago. No wonder she yelled so loudly at her to leave."
Kelsie couldn't be bothered by their assumptions, but she was rather impressed at how good Laura had become to display some waterworks at will and successfully fool these middle-aged men.