The unstoppable vengeance of Micheal Krux.

38; The Shareholder Meeting

Chapter 38 ; The Shareholder Meeting

Layla could barely concentrate during the drive to Luxter Energy.

Her father had not spoken since leaving the mansion, and Gabriel looked just as tense beside her in the back seat. The atmosphere inside the car felt suffocating, thick with the kind of silence people carried when they were expecting trouble but could not stop it from coming.

The moment their car entered the company premises, Layla noticed reporters gathered outside the building.

Cameras flashed immediately.

“Mr. Luxter! Is it true Michael Krux now owns part of Luxter Energy?”

“Sir, are the rumors about internal conflict true?”

“Miss Layla, do you know Michael Krux personally?”

Security hurried to clear a path while Gabriel’s expression darkened further.

Layla frowned as they entered the building quickly.

This was bad.

Very bad.

The company’s internal problems were no longer staying private.

Inside the executive elevator, her father finally spoke.

“That boy is trying to embarrass this family publicly,” he said coldly.

Gabriel adjusted his tie tiredly. “The media will lose interest eventually.”

“No,” her father replied sharply. “Not if Michael keeps feeding them.”

Layla remained quiet beside them, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

She kept remembering the calmness in Michael’s voice during their call the previous night. While everybody around her seemed panicked, Michael sounded almost relaxed.

That bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

When the elevator doors opened on the executive floor, the atmosphere outside felt tense immediately. Employees who normally greeted the Luxter family confidently now looked nervous and avoided direct eye contact.

Layla noticed small groups whispering near the hallways.

The news had already spread through the company.

By the time they entered the boardroom, several executives were already seated around the long table. Nobody looked comfortable.

Marcus, one of the older shareholders, stood up immediately the moment Layla’s father entered.

“Gabriel,” he said quietly, “have you seen the stock market this morning?”

Her father’s expression hardened. “I saw it.”

“We’re already dropping another four percent.”

A heavy silence followed.

Another shareholder adjusted his glasses nervously. “Investors are reacting badly to the news.”

Gabriel walked toward the head of the table slowly. “Then we reassure them. That’s what this meeting is for.”

Before anybody could respond, the boardroom doors suddenly opened again.

The entire room turned immediately.

Layla’s breath caught slightly.

Michael walked in calmly wearing a dark charcoal suit that fit perfectly against his tall frame. Unlike everyone else in the room, he looked completely relaxed, almost like he was arriving for an ordinary business appointment instead of a meeting that had thrown the entire company into panic.

Two men entered behind him alongside his assistant Aria, who carried several documents in her hand.

Nobody spoke for a few seconds.

Some of the older board members looked shocked seeing him there openly for the first time.

Others looked uncomfortable.

Michael glanced around the room once before his eyes briefly settled on Layla.

There was no smile on his face.

No anger either.

Just calm confidence.

Her father stood immediately.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” he said coldly.

Michael calmly removed his watch and adjusted the sleeve of his suit before finally replying.

“As a shareholder, I had every right to attend.”

The casual response irritated her father even more.

“You think buying a few shares gives you power here?” he snapped.

Michael slowly pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.

“No,” he replied calmly. “I think competence gives power.”

The room became uncomfortably quiet.

Layla noticed several board members avoiding eye contact immediately.

That alone told her enough.

Michael had already embarrassed them publicly before even starting the meeting.

Gabriel tried to step in before the situation worsened.

“Michael,” he said carefully, “what exactly is the purpose of this meeting?”

Michael leaned back slightly in his chair.

“I wanted to introduce myself properly,” he replied.

Marcus frowned immediately. “What does that mean?”

Michael’s gaze moved toward him. “It means Luxter Energy has been poorly managed for years, and now shareholders are beginning to notice.”

The statement landed heavily across the room.

One of the executives immediately looked offended. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Michael asked calmly. “Your stocks have dropped twice within forty-eight hours. Investors are pulling back. Internal information keeps leaking to the media. Should I continue?”

Nobody answered.

Because nobody could deny it.

Layla quietly studied him.

This was completely different from the man she first met weeks ago.

He was not emotional.

Not reckless.

Every word sounded deliberate.

Calculated.

Like somebody who prepared for this moment carefully.

Her father suddenly laughed bitterly.

“So this is your revenge?” he asked. “Destroying a company?”

Michael looked directly at him.

“No,” he said calmly. “This is business.”

The answer irritated her father instantly.

“You expect us to believe that?”

Michael’s expression remained unchanged.

“You taught me business yourself,” he replied quietly. “I learned from the best.”

The room became silent again.

Layla noticed something strange then.

For the first time since Michael entered the room, her father looked uncomfortable.

Not angry.

Uncomfortable.

Like Michael’s presence alone reminded him of things he did not want to remember.

Gabriel finally cleared his throat.

“What exactly do you want from Luxter Energy?”

Michael’s eyes moved toward him slowly.

Then he answered the question everyone in the room feared most.

“A seat at this table.”

A