Chapter 826 As Ryder spoke up, the atmosphere around the dinner table shifted palpably. It was as if a hush fell upon the room in an instant.
Jared looked up, his gaze settling on Ryder with a mixture of surprise and contemplation.
Alyssaâs face was a picture of disbelief as she scrambled to make sense of the situation.
âYouâre now the General Manager of Thomas Enterprises, isnât one massive corporation enough for you? What on earth do you want with shares in the Tim Group?â Alyssa demanded.
Ryderâs voice remained level, betraying none of the turmoil that seemed to grip the others. âItâs not the same. Grandpa said Iâm as much a Whitfield as my uncle is, and therefore, shouldnât half of the shares in the Tim Group be mine by right?â
Tim, the venerable patriarch of the Whitfield clan, seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
Jared broke the silence. âIâll transfer half of my shares to you.â He looked directly at Ryder, his voice calm but firm. âIâll have my lawyers on it first thing in the morning. Donât worry, all the paperwork will be sorted out within three days, and youâll be the major shareholder of the Tim Group. Of course, if you want a position at the Tim Group, I have no objections.â
Alyssa tried to intervene, âNo, Jared, you canât do this.â
But Jared was resolute âAlyssa, Ryderâs right. Heâs a Whitfield, and the Tim Group was always partly his. If Ryder hadnât gone into medicine, this is what you all would have expected Now that heâs chosen to join the business world, itâs not too late to redistribute everything.â
With a heavy heart, Tim sighed deeply. âDo as you will, just donât run the Tim Group into the ground.â
Agnes, who had been quiet throughout the meal, couldnât help but wonder â Ryder already had Thomas Enterprises, why was the share in the Tim Group so important to him? Was it merely a matter of pride and fairness?
In her mind, Ryder seemed like a man in a fortress of his own making. He kept his heart securely locked away, and from the outside, all one could perceive was his stony exterior. His thoughts and emotions completely obscured.
After dinner, Nocturne, the familyâs cherished little guy, was ready for bed.
Agnes carried the sleepy boy to the room, but while inside, she caught a glimpse of a shadow passing by the door.
It was Tim, likely wanting to check on Nocturne, but upon seeing Agnes, he refrained from entering.
Agnes deliberately stepped out of the room and made her way to the secondâfloor conservatory.
From the balcony, she could see the vast expanse of the Whitfield Manorâs grounds.
Below, Jared and Ryder stood in the yard, their presences equally commanding, their conversation lost to the night breeze Ryder had grown, matured into someone she no longer recognized.
Now he shared with Jared not just a familial bond, but an air of regal authority, a sartorial elegance that made them seem cut from the same cloth From a distance, Agnes could almost believe there were two Jareds standing in the yard.
In time. Ryder returned inside, leaving Jared alone under the moonlit sky Watching from above, Agnes felt an unexpected pang of sympathy. She couldnât comprehend exactly what Jared was feeling.
Ryder, who used to be Jaredâs weak spot, had now turned into an irremovable thorn in his side, and it was all because of her Lost in thought, Agnes didnât realize how long she had been standing there until she turned to find Ryder right behind her.
Caught off guard, she stammered, âRyder.â
He spoke first, breaking the silence, âSorry about making you drink so much last nightâ
Recalling the embarrassment, Agnes quickly responded, âNo, itâs my fault. I was drunk last night, and everything I said and didâ
just forget it okay? Pretend it was just drunken nonsenseâ