Chapter 5: Shares Held Hostage

She showed up at our door again, this time with backup.

“She’s the one trying to take back the apartment Ryan gave your brother?” a middle-aged woman said, glaring at me.

“Yeah, Mom, that’s her,” Amanda replied.

A young guy with a wild haircut stepped up. “Mom, if we lose the apartment, how am I supposed to land a rich wife?!”

The middle-aged woman calmed him, then turned to her crew. “Alright, you heard me—start smashing!”

I grinned. There wasn’t a single item in this place worth less than a hundred grand. If they had the guts to break something, they definitely didn’t have the cash to pay for it.

She hefted a rosewood sculpture, aiming to smash it.

I called out, “That one’s worth two hundred grand!”

She switched targets to a porcelain vase.

I said, “That’s eighteenth-century blue-and-white. Half a million, easy!”

I crossed my arms, cool as ice. “Go ahead—break something. Even if Amanda sells her apartment, she won’t be able to cover the cost.”

Amanda weighed her options, then yanked her mom back.

“Marissa, don’t get cocky just because Ryan’s mom is on your side. I haven’t even played my ace yet!”

“Oh yeah? Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“What’s all this noise?”

My mother-in-law had just come home from work and walked in on our little standoff.

Amanda’s face flipped from fury to smug in a heartbeat.

She couldn’t hide her satisfaction. “Margaret, I bet you didn’t know—Ryan transferred five percent of his shares to me.”

My mother-in-law’s eyes narrowed for a second, but she pulled herself together fast.

“If I sell this five percent to another shareholder, you’ll lose control of the Lowell Group.”

“What do you want?” my mother-in-law asked, voice steely.

“Margaret, I just want to be part of the family. Recognize the kids as Ryan’s heirs, and I’ll keep the shares.”

Amanda had played this well, and it looked like we’d have to give in.

“How do we know you didn’t just forge my brother’s signature while he was asleep?” Erica shot back.

But Amanda had receipts.

“I have a recording of Ryan agreeing to the transfer.” She pulled out a recorder and hit play.

After listening, my mother-in-law’s face stayed unreadable. “Ms. Cross, we’ll consider your request. A lawyer will be in touch soon.”

Amanda relaxed, grinning like a cat who caught the canary. “I’ll wait for your good news, Margaret!”

She shot me a smug look. “Marissa, better start packing. Wouldn’t want you to get embarrassed when you’re kicked out.”

With that, she strutted out, her entourage in tow.

Once the door closed, Erica and I exchanged glances.

“Mom, you’re not actually going to let that woman’s kids into the family, are you? What about Marissa?”

That five percent was everything—it could decide the Lowell Group’s future.

We’d underestimated Amanda. We never dreamed she’d pull this. Compared to fixed assets, those shares were the real deal.

With Amanda holding the shares over us, it felt like she had us by the throat.