The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 233: 20% Shares
Julian Sterling smiled, a radiant expression that chased away his earlier gloom: "Thank you. I shall take that as a sincere compliment."
Ethan Caldwell looked at Julian Sterling’s appearance, eyes still slightly red from crying, yet head held high with pride and confidence, and could only shake his head with a chuckle. Sometimes he had to admit this lad was truly agile and keen when it came to analyzing such situations. The man patted Julian Sterling’s back lightly, signaling for him to shift slightly to give him some room. Then, under Julian’s curious and puzzled gaze, Ethan Caldwell reached over to the wooden nightstand, pulled open the drawer, and retrieved a set of documents carefully encased in a hard leather binder.
Afterward, Ethan Caldwell wrapped his arms around Julian Sterling again, placing the documents firmly in front of him. Julian Sterling cast his eyes down, and what struck him were the bold capital letters on the cover: SHARE TRANSFER AGREEMENT. His heart suddenly quickened its pace. He shot an incredibly confused look at Ethan Caldwell, seeking an answer, while the man remained composed. Ethan used one hand to open the contract, leisurely explaining the core power structure: "One hundred percent of the shares of the Caldwell Empire are held strictly by those with the Caldwell surname. By that, I mean the concept includes members who marry into the Caldwell family. Currently, other branches of the family collectively share twenty percent of the shares. A few individuals with genuine talent participate directly in the management and operation of the Caldwell Empire’s subsidiaries, but most of them just sit back, holding shares to collect the massive annual dividends."
"The remaining eighty percent is held such that Grandpa Arthur has the highest veto power with forty percent. Years ago, before the incident, my father and mother each held twenty percent of the shares. After the accident that took their lives, my father’s entire stake was automatically transferred to me as the legal heir. As for my mother’s shares, Grandpa decided to hold onto them, declaring that they would eventually be reserved entirely for my official partner as a family wedding gift. Throughout these years, legally speaking, they have remained under my temporary ownership and management, but starting from today, once you sign this, they will be entirely yours."
Ethan Caldwell turned the pages very slowly, allowing enough time for Julian Sterling to skim through the important information printed within. In the section for the transferor, the name Ethan Caldwell was clearly written, and the recipient was indeed his own name, Julian Sterling. Based on his business knowledge, Julian could see this transfer agreement was an exceptionally clean and equitable contract. It was drafted very concisely, completely devoid of any special binding clauses, secondary covenants, or legal loopholes designed to trap or limit the rights of the recipient.
Julian Sterling’s breathing became heavy, and he snapped his head up to look directly into the man’s deep eyes, his voice carrying utter astonishment: "Do you really dare to transfer this to me? Ethan Caldwell, considering the current power distribution of the Caldwell family, it is true that on the surface, this twenty percent does not seem to have a subversive impact. Even if I had the ambition to gather all the shares from those other relatives, the maximum total would only be forty percent, which could never exceed the sixty percent held by you and Grandpa Arthur combined. But Ethan Caldwell, you must realize that this contract means you are voluntarily giving up half of your own immense economic interests. You are surrendering half of your decision-making power over the Caldwell Empire, indeed, its value on the open market is far greater than that. Do you understand how insane this action is?"
Everyone knew that shares in a powerful corporation, especially one with a long history and a closed structure under family control like the Caldwell Empire, meant that owning even one percent was equivalent to a massive fortune sufficient for a lifetime of luxury. Let alone twenty percent, which was a figure beyond imagination. If Julian Sterling were to ever be consumed by greed and sell these shares on the external market, or worse, intentionally let them fall into the hands of predatory rival companies, it would undoubtedly be a fatal internal strike, enough to send the entire Caldwell system reeling and facing a severe crisis.
"I am fully aware of those risks." Ethan Caldwell replied with absolute composure, without a flicker of hesitation: "But from the moment you put pen to paper on our marriage certificate and stepped through the doors of the Caldwell home, these assets were destined to be yours. I am merely returning them to their rightful place."
Julian Sterling stared at Ethan Caldwell in silence, and the man met his gaze with unwavering steadiness. Those ink-black eyes, as deep and silent as a bottomless cavern, made it impossible for Julian to discern any lingering doubt or hesitation, no matter how hard he tried. He truly did not know what was going through the mind of this powerful man at this very moment. However, his small hand pressed against the man’s broad chest seemed to convey the most truthful message. He could clearly feel every strong, steady throb of the heart beating beneath the warm skin.
In that moment of hazy silence, Julian Sterling felt as if the heart racing in his own chest was gradually synchronizing its rhythm with the man’s. This profound sincerity acted like a warm current, flooding through the most fortified defenses of his soul. Finally, after a moment of internal conflict, he let out a soft sigh, filled with both helplessness and relief.
"Ethan Caldwell, forgive me, but I truly cannot accept a gift of this magnitude ." He reached out and gently pushed the contract away.
"Julian, don’t be so quick to refuse..." Ethan Caldwell frowned, intending to persuade him.
"Let me finish my thought." Julian Sterling raised his index finger, gently pressing it against the man’s lips to block his words : "It is true that legally we are married, we share a bed every night, and our physical intimacy has reached a level of profound familiarity. We have experienced the most intimate acts possible between two men, but in the depths of our souls, do we truly understand the root of who each other is? I dare to guess that the answer from the bottom of your heart would be the same as mine: we really haven’t known each other long enough or deeply enough to reach that absolute level."
"Are you placing your entire trust in me? Perhaps you truly believe in me right now, but I don’t even dare to fully trust myself, Ethan. Human nature inherently harbors greed and selfishness. I cannot say for certain that in some distant future, in a moment of weakness, I won’t be manipulated or tempted by some force or interest into betraying you. Or suppose I am simply too careless or foolish, lacking the ability to recognize a malicious trap, and accidentally send these shares in the wrong direction, severely damaging your career. Ethan, at this very moment, I truly cherish you and this relationship. You are the first person, and the only one so far, who has genuinely treated me well, protected me, and unconditionally valued and indulged me to such an extent."
"So... let’s not let these worldly things affect our feelings, alright?"
