In his heart, he harbored a deep fear that someday, someone might steal the affections of Mrs. Anderson away from his boss, leaving him alone and desperate.

Horace didn't believe that Tyler was just a kid who was completely clueless. At least, the younger man had a certain way with women that Theodore himself lacked.

As they walked through the doors of the Anderson Group's headquarters, Horace could feel the heavy weight of Theodore's power pressing down upon him, suffocating him with its overwhelming presence. The man's previous pleasant countenance had vanished, replaced by a cold, merciless mask that sent shivers down Horace's spine.

Horace wisely chose to hold his tongue, his normally jovial demeanor vanishing in an instant as he adopted a grave and serious expression.

The elevator doors slid open and revealed the grandiose meeting room on the top floor, crowded with thirty shareholders occupying each seat. And there, sitting on the main seat was none other than Darian himself, with Jasper seated at his left.

Horace's heart started to race as soon as he laid eyes on the intimidating scene. He had a feeling that this meeting was not going to be a walk in the park.

Darian didn't mince his words, letting his son Theodore have it for his tardiness.

"The meeting was set for half-past nine. What made you think it was acceptable to keep everyone waiting for thirty minutes? It's nonsensical," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of anger.

Theodore simply grinned, brushing off his father's scolding as if it didn’t matter.

"I was attending to a business matter within the company. Things tend to fall apart when I'm not around," he replied nonchalantly.

Jasper interjected quickly, his tone slightly smug, “Is that really the case? From what I can see, everything's been running smoothly. Our profits in the last quarter even surpassed last year's."

Horace struggled to contain his laughter, finding it amusing how ignorant Jasper was. Just last year, Theodore was in a coma, and the Anderson Group's profits had hit rock bottom under Darian's temporary management. Horace wondered if Jasper was intentionally taunting Darian or if he was genuinely ignorant.

Theodore remained composed, casting a cold and fleeting glance at Jasper. It was the first time he had acknowledged Jasper's presence since arriving, and his furrowed brow suggested confusion.

“Isn't this the general meeting of the shareholders? Why is an agent sitting here?" he questioned.

Jasper's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he was called out. He glared at Theodore, preparing to retort when Darian interrupted with a heavy cough.

Darian sliced through the tension between his two sons and shared in a low voice, "As one of the inheritors of the Anderson family, Jasper will eventually join the management. His current position is just a transition. In order to help him be well integrated into the company, I have transferred to his name three percent of my shares. That makes him an official company shareholder now."

Darian's voice was slightly hoarse, probably due to old age. He turned to his eldest son, who had always been against him, and flashed him a loving smile that reached both corners of his mouth.

"So your younger brother has earned the right to sit here and vote."

Everyone was silent at this announcement. Only Jasper appeared to be happy and complacent.

Darian didn't want to dwell on this matter further since the transfer of shares left him utterly heartbroken. He only had 35% of the shares at hand. After he divided them up, only 32% was left, which wasn't much higher than the 30% Theodore held.