Chapter 588:

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“Mr. King, you’re mistaken,” Luke said calmly. “Ms. King is a seasoned professional manager, invited by Mr. Marcelo King to assume the presidency. This is purely a professional appointment. It has nothing to do with you.” His tone sharpened slightly. “And in terms of competence, Ms. King surpasses both you and your son.”

Before Gary could respond, Luke continued, “As for your personal attacks, Ms. King shares your background. In addition, Mr. Marcelo King intends to grant her five percent of his shares as an incentive for taking on the role of president.”

Luke finished with a cold sneer. “Mr. King, do you think spreading rumors about Sir Marcelo will guarantee you control of the company? It won’t be that easy.”

By three in the afternoon, the internet was buzzing with the news.

“Joselyn King has been named acting president of King Group, following a vote at the shareholders’ meeting.”

Back in a private office, Gary and Andrew looked furious.

In a burst of rage, Gary hurled a laptop to the floor.

Crash.

The laptop shattered.

𝘘𝗎𝖺𝗹𝗂𝘵у 𝘵𝗋𝗮n𝘴𝗅a𝗍i𝘰𝗻s 𝘰𝗻 𝗀al𝗻𝗼𝘃е𝘭𝘀.с𝗼𝘮

“Dad, what do we do now?” Andrew asked through gritted teeth, clearly shaken. “I didn’t see it coming—Marcelo bringing Joselyn back.”

“What do you want me to say?” Gary snapped, anger vibrating in every word. “This happened because you’re useless.”

At the shareholders’ meeting, the issue of Andrew’s fake degree had become a major concern. The shareholders feared Andrew’s scandals would attract further backlash and send the stock price crashing again.

So, aside from a small handful of Gary’s die-hard supporters, most of the shareholders favored Joselyn as president.

Gary had never expected his schemes to end like this. The only consolation, in his mind, was that Marcelo was also in trouble.

Meanwhile, Renee was anything but pleased when she heard Joselyn had become president.

Renee glanced uncertainly at Marcelo, who was seated at his desk.

“What’s wrong?” He sensed her unease immediately.

“This means King Group is stabilizing,” Renee said. “But we still have our own issues to deal with.”

The media storm around KM Group showed no sign of easing.

“The real problem hasn’t changed,” she added, her voice firm. “Marcelo, I don’t want you to face criticism you don’t deserve.”

Renee was rarely this direct.

Marcelo smiled faintly. “Renee, I told you my brother died in a fire, and I didn’t set it. Yes, I was the last person to see him.”

He paused and set his pen down.

“I’m not a murderer, and I’m not a psychopath. The fire happened. And so did the psychiatric evaluation.”

“But why was there a psychiatric evaluation in the first place?” Renee asked. “If it was investigated, wasn’t the truth found?”

“They investigated,” Marcelo said, “but it led nowhere. Paul wouldn’t allow the family to be dragged into scandal. A psychiatric evaluation was the easiest way to close it.”

He didn’t elaborate further.

Renee understood two things immediately.

First, Paul had never truly prioritized uncovering the truth about Sebastian’s death, which was why the case had been wrapped up so hastily.

Second, Marcelo’s mother, Jessica, had been pushed aside. If she had been involved, Marcelo wouldn’t have been used as a scapegoat with a mental health diagnosis.

Renee’s eyes filled with sympathy. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

The truth of the past was buried with the dead.

No one could clear Marcelo’s name.

With Renee’s arms around him, Marcelo still managed a small smile. “Does my story make you sad?”

Renee bit her lip, hesitated, then nodded.

Marcelo lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “My dear, you were never shaken by the injustice and public judgment directed at you. Why would I be deterred by what people say about me now? Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

He had no hard evidence to prove his innocence, and Gary had already used every dirty trick he could to smear him.

Now, the best response was to do nothing at all—and wait.

Time was the only thing that could dull the scandal’s edge.

Renee understood that better than anyone. She had been torn apart by public opinion herself, and her own experience with injustice and defamation made her all the more sympathetic toward Marcelo now.

While Marcelo was busy in a video conference, Renee seized the opportunity to contact Harry. She asked him to quietly look into the circumstances surrounding Sebastian’s death, hoping he might uncover something that had been overlooked.

After all, bars were crossroads for gossip and secrets—often the best places to gather information.

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