Our Love Story: Hard to Guard Against the Sudden Love Strike-Chapter 488 - 466: An Imperial Proposal (Part 4)

Bianca Fordham and Zane Forrester’s agreement to gift the shares left Old Master Forrester in a bit of a bind, so the elderly man had to turn his head to ask his wife, who hadn’t expressed her opinion yet.

Grandma Forrester glanced at her grandson resentfully and huffed, "Bianca and Zane both agreed, plus Simon himself, is there any use if I’m the only one not agreeing?"

The Forrester Group currently has only four shareholders, and with three agreeing, it meets the requirement that a proposal can be passed with a majority’s consent, leaving no room for change.

Especially with so many people present, including Quentin Thorne, a legendary figure in the legal world, and other senior officials from various major departments, Old Master Forrester couldn’t stop it if he wanted to.

No face for it, and afraid of offending people!

For personal and logical reasons, the elderly man had no choice but to agree. But agreeing is one thing; he’s still incredibly angry inside! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

As a seasoned player in the business world, having seen all kinds of situations, Old Master Forrester quickly adjusted his state of mind and chuckled, "Since the other shareholders have agreed, let’s settle this matter then!"

The old man raised his hand, waved vigorously at his grandson Thomas Reed, and said, "Leo, go prepare the relevant documents for the shareholder’s agreed gifting immediately!"

Thomas responded with "Alright," and promptly moved aside to prepare.

Despite his displeasure, Old Master Forrester still had to speak diplomatically.

He chuckled and told Quentin Thorne, "I’ve long noticed that Annie is a rare business talent. With her help, the Forrester Group can surely reach new heights!"

Afraid others would think he was insincere, the old man added with a smile to the guests present, "Our Annie is also a Bachelor of Economics and is knowledgeable in finance management!"

The guests understood Old Master Forrester was trying to mask the earlier awkwardness with a smile, and empathetically started to converse with him.

Meanwhile, on Quentin Thorne’s side, he was quietly asking his eldest daughter, "Annie, do you want to accept these shares from the Forrester Group?"

Sienna Thornton replied decisively and honestly, "I don’t want them!"

Understanding his daughter’s meaning, Quentin Thorne didn’t press further and stuffed the documents into a file bag, placing them in front of Old Master Forrester.

He patted the two red password boxes on the coffee table and smiled, "Uncle Forrester, we’ll accept these, but as for the shares of Forrester Group, I thank the Forrester Family for their kind offer on Annie’s behalf!"

Old Master Forrester glanced at his grandson. The two exchanged a silent conversation across the room before Old Master Forrester cleared his throat and collected the file bag, instructing the younger Forrester Family members to put it away and inform Thomas Reed not to draft the agreement.

Evidently surprised by this turn of events, the guests briefly fell silent.

Sienna Thornton also felt this situation was awkward for the elders, nervously poking Simon Forrester’s palm and giving him a sideways glance as if to say: You’re making this difficult for everyone.

Simon understood her message, mouthing silently: I’m sorry.

The guests, each astute enough to sense the silent and awkward atmosphere, promptly rescued the situation. One of Quentin Thorne’s longtime friends said, "It’s alright; we’ll all be family in the future. As long as the young couple is happy, these things will all belong to the children someday, whether given or received!"

Those were also diplomatic words.

With today’s gifts from the Forrester Family, even if the marriage between the couple were to break down, the bride could still claim half. Though the shops, hotel, mall, and jewelry offered by the Forrester Family were only the tip of their wealth iceberg, half would still be worth billions, not to mention an unknown amount in deposit notes.

If the bride were to take a quarter of the Forrester Group’s shares, it wouldn’t just be a matter of raking in gold daily—she could enjoy infinite resources from the Forrester’s industrial empire in the future.

Unfortunately...

Quentin Thorne’s friends expressed regret, but understanding his nature, they also comprehended the decision made by Quentin Thorne and Sienna Thornton well.

A few more words from the guests livens the atmosphere back up. Old Master Forrester’s expression slowly eased, and he engaged in laughter and conversation with Quentin Thorne. In the midst, Quentin Thorne got up to retrieve the two password boxes he brought into Melinda Linton’s room earlier.

He did it discreetly, taking the boxes as everyone continued their pleasant chats, unlike Old Master Forrester, whose two boxes were ceremoniously carried by the younger family members, opened one by one upon command, displaying lavish gifts grandly.

Quentin Thorne discreetly handed one box to Old Mrs. Thorne sitting beside Melinda Linton, then nodded toward Lawyer Caldwell, who sat next to her.

Everything went quietly, so stealthy that few noticed these subtle changes.

But Sylvia Langley noticed them.

She nudged Zane Forrester’s arm, signaling towards Old Mrs. Thorne. Zane also looked over.

Old Mrs. Thorne opened the password box, and Lawyer Caldwell assisted in organizing several documents swiftly.

By this time, everyone finally looked over.

Seeing folders, they assumed these were various property rights documents and grew curious about how Quentin Thorne and his wife, who’ve lived frugally, could offer dowries to Sienna Thornton that compare to the 58 prosperous shops, hotel, and mall provided by the Forrester Family.

Sienna Thornton finally confirmed her earlier suspicion. Lawyer Caldwell was indeed there to handle a case.

She quietly observed the documents in Lawyer Caldwell’s hands but could not see any information inside, as they were organized with covers.

Lawyer Caldwell finished organizing and nodded to Quentin Thorne. Only then did Quentin turn to the Forrester Family, smiling, "We’ve always been a family of public servants; our salaries are modest, and we lack investment insight, so profit-making projects and shops, we don’t have."

His humble tone and honest content inadvertently made Old Master Forrester feel somewhat embarrassed, probably realizing how extravagant his earlier gesture seemed in front of the reserved Quentin Thorne.

Old Master Forrester hurriedly waved his hand, "Thorne, your words make us feel distant. Marrying into the Forrester Family isn’t for profit; why bring these up? You’re making this old man feel embarrassed!"

Quentin Thorne chuckled and opened his own password box, laying it flat on the coffee table, and took out a bankbook, saying, "There is some money in the bankbook; it’s what I’ve saved for Annie’s wedding fund—not much, just a few hundred thousand, for Annie to buy something she likes."

These words were sincere indeed, and the guests all understood them well, not feeling that the amount seemed meager compared to the lavish Forrester Family. On the contrary, they felt Quentin Thorne put genuine thought into it.

Though Quentin Thorne held national-level positions, his salary was limited, and after accounting for his family’s regular expenses, educational costs for the younger daughter, and the lavish spending of his spouse Ian Grant, saving several hundred thousand wasn’t easy at all.