Sometimes public opinion decides the direction.
Sometimes it could be controlled, and sometimes it could not. Lilith's disappearance was the reason the rumour was getting more aroused, as the collaboration between the Lakes and Lenard's family was huge. It intervened in many people's interests, and now Joseph could grasp the rein, so the solution could be made before the news went viral. However, Irish's case was more complicated. Obviously, it was a plan made for quite some time, and there was no omen before. Fredrick's statement led to a tsunami that was hard to stop and made all the preparation in vain.
Human beings tended to be afraid of being put into a trap, and more terrifying was the unknown conspiracy.
Irish became the victim. However, Joseph could do nothing at all.
And this time, he also became one in the plan and the target to be scolded.
The reason was that Irish's dismissal had resulted in a domino effect, and at last, the Runestone Group was the last domino.
Before that, the Runestone Group had noticed some different voices, and with Irish's being dismissed from the University, the shareholders couldn't bear it anymore, and they all threatened Joseph now.
This time, they were in one mind. In the meeting, the shareholders who belonged to the Lakes or Joseph's family all stood in the same frontline, and the submission with full signatures was put in front of Joseph. They all requested that Joseph dismiss Irish's position as the psychological counsellor in the Runestone Group.
Of course, Irish was a shareholder of the Runestone Group. They couldn't intervene in her status as a shareholder but could shake her position. Their reason was also reasonable: If there was a problem with the psychological counsellor, then employees' ability to deal with problems was also doubtful, and gradually it would affect the rights and interests of the shareholders.
Joseph was forced to the edge of a mountain. He looked through the submission for a long time, and then he glanced at every seated shareholder. The shareholders, once standing on the same frontline with him, were quite anxious, afraid that Joseph would only take his love for Irish into consideration, while the shareholders who were against him acted to gloat, seeming to attack him if he disagreed with it.
The situation was quite serious, and it was impossible to disregard it. Joseph's personality also decided that he would not ignore it. He closed the submission and turned to look at the secretary who was doing the record. Daisy was arranged abroad, and now the secretary became his most direct spokesperson.
"After the meeting, please let the HR director find me in the office."
The secretary nodded and was buried in her work again. Daisy taught many things to her before leaving, and most importantly, she should take control of her eyes. She should see something she should and not see anything she shouldn't. Daisy reminded her that once when the meeting was closed, she looked at Joseph several times, and Daisy noticed that. And then Daisy told her that Joseph hated it when his employees were absent-minded, so she hasn't done this ever since then.
After the meeting, Emily knocked at the office.
Like Bella, the director of the Public Relations Department, she was also a clever and able woman. She had been employed in Human Resources for many years and had much human resources management experience. She couldn't be counted as an old staff, and she was even a new staff compared to those growing up with the Runestone Group. Joseph hired her from abroad with a high salary, and as disclosed by the gossip, Emily and Joseph graduated from the same University. It was said that she was even Joseph's senior according to the year of entering the University.
Emily hadn't mentioned it nor kept close to Joseph in the company. She maintained good ethics. Even if they were in the same school before, Joseph was Emily's boss. Emily was a typical workaholic. She hadn't had dinner with her colleagues, so nobody dared to verify her hearsay despite so many rumours.
"Just sit down." Seeing her in, Joseph said while he was dealing with the files.
Emily sat down, "Is there anything to discuss?"
Joseph passed on a notification to her. As she took it over, she was so surprised. She looked up at Joseph, puzzled.
Joseph didn't explain it more and just said, "Do you have any comments on the group leader candidates for the psychological department?"
Emily answered honestly, "Yes, Joseph, I can't understand."
"Can't understand what?"
Emily put the notification on the desk, "It's okay to dismiss her position as the group leader, but why do you dismiss her position in the whole group? As I know, everyone in the group has a good impression of her, and they also appreciate her way of training. She is not only a psychological counselor but also a shareholder. But, more importantly, she is..." Emily didn't finish her words.
Joseph helped to finish her words, "More importantly, she is my wife."
Emily lowered her head. She didn't finish her words because she was clear that Joseph was upright and selfless. He was even hard on his parents and brother, let alone his wife. Just like the behavior shocking all the senior managers that Joseph bought his brother's shares, he successfully kicked him out of the game. Nobody was clear why he just did something bad to his brother.
Later his brother hadn't appeared at the meeting, and someone guessed that maybe the two didn't get along with each other.
Emily heard of it. As shocked, she still believed that he could do something like that according to his personality. But today, he was even more harsh in dismissing his wife and only kept her status as a shareholder. That was to say, his wife's right to manage the group would be grabbed, which meant that there would be a shareholder without any power again.
She couldn't understand Joseph's behaviour.
Although there were many negative comments about Irish, as the group's general manager, Joseph could protect Irish's status in the company. Everyone in the group was clear that Joseph had deep feelings for Irish, which could be seen from the hearsay that he once held Irish out of the company. He held different attitudes towards Irish; otherwise, he would not have thought to marry Irish.
But why did he just do that?
Maybe...
Emily had an idea suddenly.
Maybe what the employees were discussing was real?
The previous director of the board, Henry, didn't get along well with Joseph, and he even froze his running power as a general manager, which proved that their relationship was not good anymore. After Henry's death, Roy became the director of the board. Although Roy recovered Joseph's power since he knew nothing about the company's operation, Joseph was still under him, and he couldn't fully show his talent.