Chapter 261
As Abigail remained silent, the online controversy escalated. As Abigail stayed silent, the online storm only intensified. Most netizens sympathized with Blanca for her years of sacrifice as a mother in the Gibson household. They believed the family had no choice back then and argued that the case should be retried.
Some netizens argued that Abigail could be acquitted, but that didn’t mean the entire Gibson family deserved to go to jail. Of course, no one could say for sure how many of these “netizens” were even real.
Abigail kept a close eye on the trending topics online every day.
The Gibson case continued surfacing in the top ten searches every few days. Public opinion was split – one side backed the law, calling for justice for Abigail and consequences for the accomplices. The other side sympathized with Blanca, arguing that the family had acted out of desperation.
And now, Abigail was losing ground. Rumors swirled that she was only taking the Gibson family to court to snatch control of Gibson Group’s assets.
The Prescott family dropped some serious bombshells. Her shareholding percentage had been fully exposed, along with Warren’s stake.
Since Abigail and Warren were frequently seen together, the industry had already labeled them as being in cahoots. Bright and early, Eli convened a meeting singling out Abigail and giving her a hard time.
“Gibson Group’s reputation was already in the gutter. We thought your takeover might help improve it, but instead, it’s only gotten worse,” Eli said from his seat, his tone filled with contempt.
Another shareholder chimed in with a sneer, “You know what people online are saying? They say the whole Gibson family is all cut from the same rotten cloth – parents shielding a murderer like Daniella, and a daughter greedily eyeing the family fortune. The whole lot of you are no good.”
“Exactly. Netizens are even questioning whether you had a hand in Mr. Wyatt’s death. In wealthy family inheritance battles, it’s not unheard of to stage self-inflicted injuries for sympathy,” Eli said with biting sarcasm.
Abigail shot Eli a cold glare. “So you think I burned my own grandfather to death just to fight over this rotting carcass of Gibson Group?”
Eli said with a solemn expression, “I never said that. But whether you did or not, the internet will dig it all up. I just hope you don’t end up like your parents and brother. Gibson Group’s stock can’t survive another scandal.”
Abigail’s voice was cold and sharp. “The stock was already trash when I took over. If it tanks further, that’s not on me. If anything improved, it was only because my story earned a shred of public sympathy. If it falls again, that’s on you, not me.”
“I didn’t summon you here today just to have you pass the buck!” another shareholder snapped.
The truth was, they’d never accepted her in the first place. In their eyes, she was just an orphan with no background, no experience. Without Sebastian and Warren backing her, they thought she could never earn her seat at this table.
Abigail shot back, “You all just sit around the office all day, playing cards and shooting the breeze. Don’t accuse me of passing the buck when at least I’m actually out there closing deals.
“If you think I’m not doing enough, go negotiate yourselves. Taking it out on me won’t solve anything.” With that, she stood up, clearly done wasting her time.
They dragged me here first thing in the morning just for this nonsense, Abigail fumed inwardly.
Just as Eli was about to say something else, the conference room door swung open.
Jeremiah stood at the doorway, trailed by a small group of well-dressed professionals in business attire. He stepped in first and asked politely. “Gentlemen, are we finished here?”
Everyone recognized him – Jeremiah was one of Sebastian’s top aides. Showing up with a whole team in tow made it obvious that he was here in support of Abigail.
Eli started, “Ms. Gibson, you should know who really controls Gibson Group. As for Sebastian’s people, they’re-”
Abigail cut Eli off with a cold, almost indifferent tone. “Oh, Sebastian is my boyfriend. And soon, he’ll be my husband. We’re a team here.”
Eli was instantly rendered speechless.
Abigail walked over to Jeremiah. “What brings you here?”
“Shall we discuss this in your office downstairs?” Jeremiah asked with a smile.
“Sure.” Without so much as a backward glance at the fuming shareholders, Abigail led Jeremiah out of the room.
As the group entered the elevator, Jeremiah was the first to speak. “Mr. Robinson will be back from Chesterwick in a few days. He had a major falling out with his father this time, so he probably won’t be in the best mood when he returns.
“But when I pass along what you just said, it’ll surely brighten his day.”
“So, you’re here to help me with work matters?” Abigail asked in her usual composed tone.
“Yes,” Jeremiah said respectfully. “Mr. Robinson mentioned that you’re new to these operations. Although Gibson Group is currently operating at a loss, its internal affairs are still quite complex. He asked us to help you so you can get up to speed and handle these matters independently soon.”