Chapter 247: Trick (3) Hannah’s Eloquence

Miguel wanted to speak, but seeing his daughter’s cautious demeanor, he decided to trust her implicitly. They entered the hall together, their pace still brisk. They weren't the primary focus; Hannah's mother was the one facing the Cooper Residence contingent. Lorie was undoubtedly with Roger Cooper. Hannah and his father feared his wife's inability to handle the situation and the potential for her to be hurt.

However, upon entering, they heard Michelle's detached voice: "Mom, if you're here to see your son and granddaughter and rejoin our family, I welcome you. But if you're here to cause trouble, I won't cooperate."

Lorie's voice boomed, laced with contempt: "Michelle, how dare you speak to me like that? You're just a child-bearing tool, and not even a successful one at that! You have no right to talk to me!"

Another voice chimed in, "That's right. You couldn't even bear a son. I don't understand your arrogance. You should be ashamed!"

Hannah, unable to remain silent, interjected with sarcasm, "So, eldest aunt, you believe bearing a son makes you an exemplary tool for carrying on the family line?" His sarcastic voice echoed through the hall.

His mother, emboldened, no longer feared her grandmother, but the sheer number of adversaries meant inevitable hardship. Hannah felt compelled to defend her.

Esther, stunned into silence by Hannah's words, flushed crimson.

Hannah continued, "Auntie, you're a woman. Why reduce yourself to a mere production tool? Your mindset disgraces us all."

Esther's fury threatened to consume her. "Hannah, you're disrespectful!"

Hannah smiled, "It's not disrespect; it's that the people before me are disrespectful, and I cannot reciprocate."

This silenced Esther, leaving her utterly speechless.

Lorie's face darkened. "Hannah, that's enough!" she barked.

Hannah retorted coldly, "Whether it's enough depends on your behavior. Continue making trouble, and it's not enough. Want to discuss matters civilly? Then it's enough."

Lorie, unexpectedly threatened by Hannah, was taken aback. Roger, understanding his mother's need to de-escalate, quickly intervened. "Mom, ignore Hannah. You're lowering yourself and wasting our time."

Lorie complied. "I'm too old to argue. I'm here about Miguel's arrest today. What happened?"

Hannah anticipated this. She revealed, "Someone falsely accused Dad of bribery and tax evasion, and we'll resolve it."

Lorie was unconvinced. "It was a named report. Don't lie."

Hannah countered, "Until a legal judgment, none of you can claim my father is guilty."

Lorie's expression soured. Hannah's unwavering stance left her speechless.

Lorie insisted, "Regardless of guilt, this incident severely impacts the Cooper family. I won't accept this."

Hannah responded, "The damage is done. We must minimize the impact. What else can we do?"

Lorie, unusually conciliatory, agreed. Hannah, however, remained unconvinced of her genuine goodwill; Lorie's ulterior motives were transparent.

Lorie proposed, "The best solution is for your father to temporarily step down as chairman."

Hannah smiled, aware of her grandmother's long-held ambitions concerning Cooper Group. "Grandma's overreacting. Dad's situation doesn't necessitate his resignation."

Lorie argued, "It's about being prepared. If things worsen, Cooper Group could collapse, and regrets will be futile."

"So, what's your plan, Grandma?" Hannah asked.

"Your uncle will temporarily take over, pending your father's case resolution. The priority is securing a replacement, to prevent your father's issues from impacting Cooper Group."

After a pause, Hannah laid out Lorie's true intentions: "Grandma's plan, regardless of Dad's guilt, is for Uncle to permanently seize the chairmanship. He'll use this opportunity to force Dad to relinquish his shares. The argument will be that as long as Dad holds shares, Cooper Group will remain affected. Transferring the shares would isolate Dad's problems, protecting the company. Isn't that right, Grandma?"

Lorie's face fell. Hannah had exposed her entire strategy – a plan to force Miguel's resignation and share transfer, including influencing the board. Hannah's perspicacity had thwarted her before she even began. The change in Hannah astonished Lorie; when had she become so eloquent?