"Return this to Mr. Burke," Sophie said, her facepletely nk as she unpinned a brooch from her shirt. The orchid brooch had once left her wondering who had given it to her, and after much pondering, only James came to mind. James nced at the brooch that had slipped from Sophie''s hand to the floor, his eyes flickering almost imperceptibly. But he quickly regained his usual calm and said coolly, "I''ve never seen it before. Ms. Sophie, you must be mistaken." "Maybe... I am mistaken," Sophie replied, her expression serene.


    James took ire''s hand and headed out of the conference room, not sparing a nce at the brooch Sophie had left behind. Sophie turned to face the shareholders and partners.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate your support. I assure you, I''m the only heiress of the Russell family and the sole leader of S Corporation. If anyone wants to look elsewhere for opportunities, feel free to do so. But if you trust me, I promise I''ll never let you down." "The choice is yours-stay or go."N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    "I''m not going anywhere! James waltzes in with some woman iming she''s the Russell family''s heir and demands a piece of S Corporation? Not on my watch!"


    "Exactly, we stand by Ms. Sophie, not some so-called heiress!"


    "If it weren''t for Ms. Sophie, we''d be in dire straits right now! When the Russell family was in crisis, Ms. ire was nowhere in sight. Now that things are looking up, she wants a slice of the pie? There''s no free ride in this world!"


    The room filled with more voices of support, even some partners began to waver.


    Just then, a group of business owners walked in. "I support Ms. Sophie!" one of them dered with a strong, resonant voice. Though they hailed from smaller families, they were well-respected in the


    Grayson, spotting his old friend Damian, rushed over, saying, "Brother Yue! What brings you here?"


    "I support Ms. Sophie!" Damian


    dered, looking at Grayson. "Old Liu, we''ve been friends for over a decade. trust my judgment. Remember, Ms. Sophie once helped you. You said she''s a good person, just a pity she''s a woman. But SO what if she''s a woman? Can''t a woman run a business? Can''t a


    woman lead?"


    Damian continued, "I, Damian, trust Ms. Sophie. The Damian family will work alongside Ms. Sophie as long as she''s in charge!"


    "My family tool" Old Wang chimed in, thumping his chest. "From now on, all my supply channels are open to Ms. Sopkie! Burke International and Aldridge Global can forget about doing business with me! And don''t even think about shipping anything out of Devonport!"


    Hearing this unwavering support, other partners felt their resolve strengthen. Sophie had always been generous and supportive in their times of need. How could they abandon her now?


    "Alright! I''m staying! I support Ms. Sophie too!"


    "Me too! I''m not leaving!"


    "Besides, teaming up with the Burke family might not be the best move. They might not even give us the prime retail spots they promised. We''re better off with Ms. Sophie!" Outside the conference room, Colby, who had arrived with arge entourage, suddenly paused. One of his men asked, "Sir, aren''t we going in to back up the madam?"