The Kingston Corporation (1)

''A-Ayana?'' Mark hesitantly called out his niece's name. He wanted to be sure he was not imagining things at the moment.

''Good morning, Uncle. Your face seems out of color, like you had seen a ghost.'' She joked with a sweet smile and also confirmed that he wasn't having any illusions.

His niece was presently in the boardroom of the Kingston corporation with him!

Why?!

Mark glanced around, hoping to see that he wasn't only the one perplexed about his niece's presence.

As expected, the shareholders and others were the same as him.

Why was this twelve-year-old in the board meeting right now? Everyone had the same thought.

''A-Ayana, did something happen at home?'' Mark plastered a force smile on his lips. He ignored the little joke on the side and tried to find out the purpose of his niece's presence in the Kingston corporation. ''Arabella is in school right now, and I was expecting you to do the same.''

In other words, you shouldn't be here right now.

''Of course, nothing happened at home, Uncle.'' Ayana countered calmly with a reply. ''Jason is safe and healthy, and I also have good news, Uncle!'' She added with a smile.

Would Ayana allow her uncle to have the last say? Of course not! She had prepared thoroughly and was ready to shed all cordiality with him and his family in the presence of others!

''Father and Mother's Attorneys have successfully imprisoned that deceitful housekeeper. Though I heard she tried to prove her innocence by claiming that you and Aunt were involved in her crimes, nothing was verified since there was no adequate evidence for her claims.''

If there was one thing Mark would love to do at the moment, it was to sew the blabbing mouth of his niece shut. His face flushed in embarrassment as she unintentionally aired their laundry in the presence of others, and practically exposed the stains that would bring down his reputation.

In the boardroom at that!

''The Eldest Master did something against the late president's children?''

''I thought the Young miss was close to the Eldest Master's family.''

''I wonder what happened.''

''It must be a serious incident that the late president and the Madam's Attorneys were directly involved.''

*murmur*

*murmur*

Mark could hear the words around him that would definitely work against his purpose today, and the culprit had not even finished humiliating him yet!

''Of course, I absolutely never believed her words Uncle, just like in the mansion. There's no way you would have wanted to murder your own nephew, right?'' Ayana's smile deepened when she noticed the piercing gaze of her uncle. Anything that could make this man glare angrily at her was a perfect way to begin her morning. 

She could feel the waves of rage emitting from him on the chair.

''W-Why would I want to do that, Ayana?'' Ayana watched as her uncle forced himself to speak with a strained smile.

''Exactly as I wondered, Uncle! Even Father would be in the same disposition as myself.''

''…..''

''And to answer your previous question, Uncle, I am here as a replacement for Jason until it comes of age, and inherit Father's position as the next president. Though I still need a guardian, but that can wait until there is some sort of agreement between me and everyone present in this room.'' Ayana announced and briefly scanned the faces of all in the boardroom. 

Her gaze paused on one for a fleeting moment. Shock flashed through her hazel eyes before she continued looking around the boardroom. Apart from that one face, she did recognize a few other ones.

After all, her uncle and his family had ensured that she and Jason had not been involved in the affairs of the Kingston corporation.

''School will naturally be on hold and the Principal has given me his permit. As the temporary heiress of the Kingston corporation, I can't allow the hard work of my parents to be sullied by another. Isn't that right, uncle?'' Her voice echoed in Mark's ears. 

'…Isn't that right, brother?'

At that exact moment, a familiar figure seated on the same president's chair overlapped Ayana's, and Mark's face subtly twisted as the memories resurfaced in his head, one after the other.

'….Brother.' His hands curled up into a tight fist on his lap. With the exception of her thin smile, his niece vividly resembled his younger brother at the moment. Their cold and blank eyes looking down on him, their indifferent words despite being family, the arrogant air around them that couldn't be denied by anyone….

She was definitely the trigger for him to recall these memories of his younger brother.

'…..' Mark unconsciously averted his gaze elsewhere. He couldn't deal with the fact that his late younger brother seemed to looking straight at him at the moment, even though the person was clearly his niece!

They were clearly two different people, and he was this uncomfortable!

Even at death, his younger brother just couldn't allow him to breathe in peace and have his chance!

'I did hear children closely resemble their parents after death. Was that the reason for her estranged behavior since the funeral?' Mark suddenly wondered, then inwardly shook away those childish thoughts.

'What am I even doing?' He outwardly faked a cough and forcefully held himself together. He then glanced at one of the shareholders that he had a good relationship with, and someone that could help him out of this attention.

''How rude of young miss Kingston.''

Ayana arched an eyebrow at the haughty tone of one man in a corporate suit like the others and seated on her left, opposite her uncle's.

''Not only did you disrespect the Eldest young master, but you also disrupted the board meeting that was for the success of the Kingston corporation!'' The same voice spoke in a righteous tone.

''…..''

''This is why women can not be involved in business. They always put emotions behind everything, not aware that in business, every second is about money!''

''…..'' Ayana still remained quiet and calmly stared at the fat slobbery man who couldn't even hide his sweat despite being in a very cool room. Perhaps talking this much must have generated the heat for him.

'He seems familiar….' Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she lowered her head in thoughts.

Meanwhile, the other shareholders assumed that Ayana had been intimidated by those words. One of them even glared warningly at the fat slobbery man.

''Why are you glaring at me, CEO Bentley? Are my words not right?'' He smiled provocatively, not backing down from his words.

In his opinion, the young miss Kingston had no right to have shares or inherit the Kingston corporation. An unmarried woman was like spoilt milk once she married out of the family. Sooner or later, the young miss Kingston would have to marry out, and put away the surname Kingston.

What was the point of having her involved in the business, after all?

The purpose of women was to beautify themselves and worship their respective husbands. They also had the duty of bearing children and strengthening the lineages of their respective in-laws.

The only appropriate person fit to be the next president of the Kingston corporation was the Eldest Master Kingston.

Not the young miss or that one-year-old heir!

'I can also become the next vice president…' The fat slobbery man's eyes flashed with greed. He had always wanted to be more than a mere shareholder of the Kingston corporation, and the Eldest Master had provided an opportunity for him!

All that remained was to chase away this young miss who had ruined everything right from the beginning!

''Ha…I remember now.'' Everyone watched as the young miss Kingston murmured to herself before raising her gaze that instantly sharpened at the fat slobbery and arrogant shareholder.

''Who would have expected Shareholder Mcclain to bully a twelve-year-old?''