Chapter 425

Before the first rays of dawn painted the sky, Eleanor had already finished another round of acupuncture,her hands steady with purpose.

As she stepped out of the dimly lit room, she caught sight of Nolan leaning against the opposite wall, his eyes closed, a profound exhaustion carved into the lines of his face.

At the sound of her soft footsteps, Nolan's eyes fluttered open, a flicker of hope in his gaze.

"How is Grandpa doing?" he asked, his voice low but urgent.

Eleanor shook her head gently. "No change,I'm afraid."

The spark in Nolan's eyes dimmed.

His hands, resting by his sides, tightened into fists,betraying the storm of emotions he fought to contain.

When she saw his distress, Eleanor's heart softened.She stepped closer, her voice warm. "Try not to lose hope, Nolan. It's only the second day. These things take time-sometimes even three days of treatment won't bring immediate results.Patience is our ally here." Nolan gave a faint nod, his trust in Eleanor's skill unwavering.

He knew that with her care, Norwood would one day open his eyes again.

Yet, the uncertainty gnawed at him, leaving his heart restless.

Just then, his phone shattered the quiet with a sharp ring.

On the other end, Erick's voice crackled with panic."Mr. Stewart, we're in deep trouble! The company's internal systems have been breached by the world's top hacker. Our tech team is outmatched,and the entire network has gone down in flames."

Nolan's expression turned to ice, his jaw tightening.

He ended the call and turned to Eleanor. "There is an emergency at the company. I have to go. Will you-"

"Leave Norwood to me," Eleanor interjected, her tone resolute and reassuring. "I've got everything under control here."

Nolan met her gaze, gratitude flickering in his eyes.Without another word, he turned and strode away,his steps swift and purposeful.

In the Stewart Group's conference room,tension hung in the air like a storm cloudready to burst.

Nolan sat at the head of the polished table, his brow furrowed in deep concentration as he absorbed the tech director's grim report.

The shareholders, seated around him, were a sea of restless murmurs and anxious glances.

"How much will this system failure cost us?"

"What on earth happened? How could we be blindsided by the world's top hacker?"

"Mr. Stewart, what is our plan to fight back?"

Across the room, Colson observed the chaos with a barely concealed smirk.

Clearing his throat, he spoke with a veneer of calm that barely masked his delight. "Let's all take a breath.I have full confidence in Nolan. He'll steer us through this storm."

His words dripped with false sincerity, and his eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of watching Nolan squirm.

Meanwhile, Brodie seized the moment to twist the knife. "Nolan, let's be honest. When Grandpa ran the show, we never faced a catastrophe like this.You'vebeen at the helm for barely a decade, and now look at the mess we're in."

His words were like gasoline on a fire, igniting the shareholders' unease into outright discontent. The room buzzed with their mounting frustration.

Nolan's face remained a mask of icy composure,but his eyes blazed as they locked onto Brodie.

Brodie felt a chill run down his spine, yet bolstered by his significant shareholding, he squared his shoulders and held Nolan's gaze defiantly.

It was clear to Nolan what game Colson and Brodie were playing.

Nolan saw it clearly. Their coordinated strike was a deliberate ploy to weaken him and snatch the CEO's seat.

Nolan swept his gaze across the room, his voice cutting through the clamor. "I understand your concerns, but rest assured, I will resolve this crisis swiftly and decisively."

Yet Colson seized the moment to tighten the noose.

With a calculated smile, he declared, "Three days,Nolan-just three days. If you fail to resolve this crisis by then, step down willingly and make way for someone capable of steering this ship." He turned to the shareholders, his voice smooth but laced with urgency. "I know many of you value Nolan's efforts over the years and hesitate to push him out. But consider the stakes-do you grasp the staggering losses we face with every day the system remains offline? Granting him three days is already an act of extraordinary generosity."

Brodie, quick to ride Colson's coattails, chimed in with fervor, "Absolutely, I second that!"

Together, their thirty percent shareholding, bolstered by a handful of allied shareholders and others swayed by their persuasive rhetoric, carried the motion.

As the meeting dissolved, the shareholders filed out,their murmurs fading into the corridor.

Brodie, emboldened by the victory, strutted toward Nolan, his face alight with smug triumph. "Nolan,you're up against the world's top hacker. What could you possibly have to counter him? My advice? Start drafting your resignation now."

His laughter rang out, unrestrained, as if he could already taste the power he craved.

Nolan,however,remained an island of calm amidst the storm.

Without so much as a glance at Brodie, he rose, his expression unreadable, and strode past the gloating pair to his office.

Erick trailed closely behind.