Chapter 68
Joseph looked over at Bonnie and took the suitcase from her hand. “I’ve got this.”
Bonnie didn’t argue. She just offered a shy smile and said in a soft voice, “Thanks.”
Senanville had a crispness in the air that Jinslenburg didn’t have; only a month into fall, and the wind already had a bite to it.
Lenore didn’t seem to like the cold. As soon as they arrived at their place, Bonnie turned on the AC, blasting it on high.
After reporting to his father Jason, Joseph came back in to see Lenore lounging on the couch, deep into her game as Wayne’s voice echoed from her phone in a mix of panic and excitement.
“Lenore, I’m in trouble! Hurry! There’s four of them to my left!” Wayne’s voice rose in pitch. “Lenore, please, I’m getting wrecked here! I need a health pack!”
Wayne’s cries made it clear that he wasn’t a gaming pro, and Joseph raised an eyebrow at how casually he called Lenore by her first name. Joseph half–smiled and murmured, “My dad’s planning a welcome dinner…“.
Lenore’s fingers danced over the screen as she mowed opponents down and rescued Wayne from a tight spot before she finally responded, tossing him some health packs. “Not going,” she replied to Joseph, her tone clipped and distant.
Knowing it was pointless, Joseph sighed. “While you’re in Senanville, my dad wants me to drive you around.”
“No need.” Lenore dismissed the offer with her usual brevity.
As the son of the Heartland Chamber of Commerce’s head, Joseph had status and looks that turned heads. He wasn’t about to risk upsetting Lenore. *I’ll head out then. Call if you need anything.”
Victoria’s art show was in two days, preceded by the Heartland Chamber of Commerce’s director meeting.
The meeting itself was nothing out of the ordinary; the board would discuss the year’s direction and investments.
However, rumors swirled that the successor Jason had chosen years ago might show up, piquing everyone’s interest.
Early the next day, in the meeting room, four directors were already seated, voicing their dissent with fervor.
“We all have a say in this chamber. A successor? Did we even discuss it?”
*If the successor were Mr. Joseph Chapin, we could live with it. Bringing in an outsider, keeping it from us, and stripping us of our vote–what kind of decision is that?”
“The chairman has his own plans.”
“What plans? Hmph. Besides the president, there are five major directors. The fifth one holds a third of the shares. Word is he’s coming today. Not just us. He won’t agree with the chairman’s plan, either…”
“The fifth one? He’s been with the chamber for five years, and no one knows what he looks like, not even his name. Maybe he’s someone who can’t bear to be seen…”
“Watch what you say. The fifth director isn’t someone to mess with…”
“Who cares if he hears? He…” The sentence dangled as the meeting room door was kicked open. The figure that entered wore a long black trench coat, standing tall with an aloof, regal presence.
A black mask obscured his face, the rigid material gleaming with a chilling shine, the upturned corners of his mouth giving off a slightly creepy vibe. It was none other than the mysterious fifth director of the Heartland Chamber of Commerce board.
The mask was the same one he wore when he joined the chamber five years ago. His presence was overwhelming. For a moment, everyone fell
silent.
At the long conference table, Silas made his way to the first seat on the left at the head, sat down, crossed his legs, and leaned back with his hands interlaced over his elbow, radiating authority.
His deep eyes, hidden behind the mask, scanned the four directors present rather casually. “Why stop now?” His voice was low, cold, and somewhat sinister.
The other four snapped back to reality but dared not speak. No matter how much they protested, they couldn’t refute the fact that this fifth director
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Chapter 68
held the most control in the chamber, second only to the chairman.
In the chairman’s office, watching the video on the monitor, Joseph furrowed his brow but said nothing. He shifted his gaze from the masked fifth director and said to Jason, “Dad, Ms. Smedley is on her way.”
With Lenore making an appearance and the fifth director of the Heartland Chamber of Commerce showing up, Joseph felt today’s meeting was going to be quite a spectacle.
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