Chapter 99

Sophia handed the contract to Tabel.

Guinevere, standing nearby, gloated, “Isabel, you better be careful with that. Don’t mess it up. I worked hard to get this.”

Isabel glanced at the contract. There was no signature from Chris—just a seal. She had no idea how Guinevere had managed it, but she knew Guinevere was the real boss behind the scenes. Whether the contract was valid or not was up to her, and she had come prepared.

“Grandma, this contract is fake,” Tabel declared.

Everyone was stunned.

Guinevere demanded, “Isabel, you’re jealous! I signed this contract with Amy Lee, the person in charge of the Oceania Group. It even has the official seal. How can it be fake?”

Isabel said, “If I say it’s fake, it’s fake.”

“That’s hilarious! Who do you think you are, Isabel? Do you think just because you say it’s fake, it is? Prove it! If you can’t, you’re just jealous of Guinevere,” Tony scoffed, almost laughing hysterically. Their confidence stemmed from the signed contract.

“Proof, you say? Funny you should mention that. I also have a contract with the Oceania Group. This one is real, and yours is fake and invalid,” Tabel said, producing another contract. She had called Chris beforehand, who had sent her a copy just in case.

Guinevere and the others were shocked. They thought, Tabel has a contract too? What is going on?

Sophia took Isabel’s contract and examined it. This one was even more detailed than Guinevere’s and even had Chris’s signature. “Isabel, where did you get this?” she asked.

Isabel replied, “From Chris, of course.”

“Isabel, you’ll say anything to win, won’t you? Do you think you can just meet with someone like Mr. Jovian? And why would he sign a contract with you? Who do you think you are?” Guinevere sneered. In her mind, her contract was the only real one; Isabel’s had to be fake.

Sophia, too, was confused. She had no idea which contract was real.

“Isabel, what’s really going on!” Samuel pulled Isabel aside and whispered.

Isabel said, “Dad, the contract is real. I met with Mr. Jovian from the Oceania Group beforehand. He owed me a favor, and now he’s repaying it. Trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Although Samuel found it hard to believe, he still chose to stand by Isabel.

“Which one of you is telling the truth? Are you both trying to trick me?” Sophia asked, furious. One partnership shouldn’t have two contracts.

“Grandma, mine is real. You know me; I would never dare to fake a contract and lie to you. It’s Isabel who’s jealous. Her contract is the fake one,” Guinevere quickly defended herself.

“Yeah, Mom. This contract is the result of Guinevere’s hard work. It’s real. Samuel can’t stand us getting ahead. They’re just making up this ridiculous story about Chris signing it. That’s impossible,” William chimed in.

Sophia remained unsure.

“Grandma, I have proof. I know Amy Lee, the person in charge of the Oceania Group. I can call her right now and ask,” Guinevere said, quickly dialing Amy’s number.

Amy answered. “Guinevere, what’s up?”

Guinevere said, “Ms. Lee, I just wanted to confirm if the contract I signed with the Oceania Group is valid.”

Amy was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Of course it’s valid. Why would I lie? Tomorrow, your company should send someone over to discuss the details with us.”

“Great, thanks,” Guinevere said and hung up. She glanced triumphantly at Isabel and said, “Isabel, you heard that! Amy said we can start working on it tomorrow. Grandma, this isn’t fake!”

Isabel tried to speak, but Sophia cut her off sharply, “Alright, I believe Guinevere’s contract is real. Isabel, it’s a shame for you to make a fake contract.”

“Since Guinevere secured the contract, she’ll handle it tomorrow. William, you’ll go to the company as vice president and be in charge of the partnership with the Oceania Group. Samuel, you’ve worked hard lately. Take some time off at home and rest before coming back to the company.”

Samuel hung his head and agreed. It seemed Sophia was pushing him out. He felt useless.

“Dad, it’s okay,” Isabel comforted him. She didn’t want to explain anything now. She’d wait until tomorrow.

Samuel and Isabel left the Galvez residence. Samuel felt guilty and said, “Isabel, I’m sorry. I wanted to make something of myself and bring honor to our family, but instead, I’ve brought shame.”

Isabel said, “Dad, stop talking nonsense. This isn’t about shame. Trust me, tomorrow, Uncle William and Guinevere will beg you to come back to the company.”

Samuel was confused. “How is that possible?”

Tabel smiled. “Because my contract is real. Keep it safe. I’ll be useful later.”

Samuel said, “If your contract is real, then Guinevere’s must be fake, right?”

Tabel said, “No, her contract is real too, but it’s now invalid. Ours has Chris’s signature, and that’s what matters. Just wait and see. Relax tonight. They’ll come to you tomorrow.”

Samuel didn’t understand what Tabel was up to, but at this point, there was nothing he could do.

“Guinevere, you’ve really brought honor to our family this time. Grandma has never praised us like this before,” Fiona said, overjoyed.

William also felt a sense of relief. “Samuel was arrogant, controlling the company. Now he is out of the way. I have full control over the company.”

Guinevere felt especially vindicated, especially after putting Isabel in her place. She suddenly thought of David. If David hadn’t been disabled, she could bring him back into the company and fire everyone from Samuel’s side, replacing them with her own people.

“Guinevere, make sure you do a good job with the handover tomorrow. Show Grandma what you’re capable of,” William instructed.

“Sure, Dad. Don’t worry. With Amy Lee on my side, everything will be fine,” Guinevere said, totally confident as long as she had the contract.

After Tabel got home, Chris called her. “Boss, this is all my fault. I gave the order personally, but my people mistook Guinevere for you. But don’t worry, I will deal with the person in charge. That contract is invalid.”

Tabel coldly replied, “Stupid! How could you make such a mistake! My dad was kicked out because of this!”

Chris wiped the sweat from his face. “I’ll handle everyone involved. Wait and see. I won’t let them off easy.”

Tabel hung up without saying anything, which Chris took as acceptance. Chris breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he walked into his office, where a group of executives was waiting. Furious, he slammed the files onto the table. Everyone held their breath, too scared to make a sound.

“Who was in charge of negotiating the contract with the Galvez Group today?” Chris asked.

“Mr. Jovian… it was Amy Lee,” someone replied.

Amy stepped forward, nervous. She had never seen Chris this angry before.