Chapter 107: Let Us Shake Hands
Caleb let out a laugh, though his expression carried an unsettling edge. A cold sweat unexpectedly formed on George’s forehead. “Caleb, what’s so funny?”
“It’s nothing,” Caleb shook his head. “I just can’t help but feel like you’ve been treating me so well—better than ever, actually.”
George, oblivious to the undertone, took it as a compliment. “Caleb, you’re too humble. When you take over Quixall Group in the future, I’ll make sure to treat you even better.”
With a faint smile, Caleb reached for the pen on the table. “All right, then. I’ll sign it right now.” He held the pen over the pristine white paper, hovering just before writing his name. Deborah stretched out her hand, her lips parting to say something. Yet, in the end, she stayed silent and watched as Caleb completed his signature.
“Now, stamp it, and seventy-five percent of the company’s shares will be yours.” George exhaled deeply, his tone noticeably more relaxed. Caleb pressed his hand into the seal clay. The sight filled George with an overwhelming sense of joy, but his smile quickly faltered. “Caleb, what are you doing?”
Caleb’s hands had turned nearly red from the effort, yet he wasn’t entirely satisfied. He dug into the seal clay, rubbed it firmly between his hands for a moment, and then finally set it aside with an air of contentment.
“Dad, you’re the chairman of Quixall Group, not me. I’m just a nobody. It doesn’t feel right for me to simply inherit the company like this. I was thinking, before I officially take over the company, why don’t we shake hands? Let’s treat it as a handover ceremony. What do you say?”
For Caleb, a written agreement alone wasn’t enough. He seemed intent on formalizing the arrangement, compelling George to solidify the “agreement” through his own actions.
George was somewhat perplexed. He cast a wary glance at Caleb. But considering the almost dried ink on the paper, he gritted his teeth and agreed, “Fine, let’s shake hands. But just so you know, I didn’t get a chance to wash my hands beforehand. I hope that’s not a problem.”
With a smile, George reached out and firmly clasped Caleb’s right hand. George froze in shock, instinctively trying to pull his hand back, but it simply hung stiff and motionless in midair.
“Caleb, what on earth are you doing? I was going to transfer the shares to you, and now you’re forcing me to leave my thumbprint on the document?”
Caleb let out a scoff. “You know exactly what you’ve been scheming. Go ahead, sign the agreement yourself. I’m not writing a single word on it!”
“But didn’t you—” George began, only to be rendered speechless mid-sentence. Instead of signing his own name, Caleb had written George’s. The paper clearly bore his name—George Quixall. It was written in a handwriting so familiar it was unsettling. It was the same handwriting that George used in his day-to-day paperwork.
A few days ago, Caleb had entered this study, claiming he wanted to borrow some books to broaden his horizons. Without a second thought, George agreed. After all, Caleb had spent so much time in prison that reentering society naturally came with the need to catch up. His interest in contemporary books seemed perfectly reasonable. Without hesitation, George allowed Caleb to browse the shelves, even picking out a few recently published works for him. What he hadn’t anticipated, though, was that Caleb would discover something hidden among the books—a project approval form from several months ago.
Chapter 108: I Am Your Father