Chapter 42: Powerless Trash

Jude Lawson had just boldly suggested expelling Donovan Pierce from the family trust.

In a fit of blind rage, Richard Pierce lunged forward, attempting to slap Jude across the face.

Having his son’s future ruined by someone he utterly despised, Richard naturally couldn’t hold back his temper.

And with the deep sense of superiority in front of Jude, Richard believed that, as a senior executive of Pierce Studios, Jude would just obediently cower and take the beating.

As Richard’s bulky body closed in on Jude, a slap was just about to land squarely on Jude’s face.

Jude gently sidestepped, his movements impossibly fast, and Richard swung at empty air.

Due to the uncontrolled force of his own swing, the senior executive nearly fell face-first onto the carpet.

"How dare you dodge me!" Richard shouted angrily, his face flushed red as he turned around and charged at Jude again.

Jude frowned slightly, watching the charging executive.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jude raised his leg and kicked Richard squarely in the belly, sending the man tumbling backward.

Richard hit the nearby boardroom table, scattering documents and finally stopping his momentum.

Jude stepped forward, grabbed Richard by the neck of his shirt, and lifted the bulky executive straight off the floor like a helpless chicken.

With only a slight application of force from Jude’s hand, Richard found it impossible to breathe, his face turning a bruised red as fear overwhelmed him.

The entire executive boardroom fell silent. Everyone was stunned.

He had lifted Richard Pierce off the ground with just one single hand!

"Lawson, let him go!" Chairman Maxwell Pierce shouted in alarm. He had to intervene before someone was killed.

But Jude ignored the Chairman. Holding Richard’s neck in a vice-like grip, Jude leaned in and said coldly, "So, Richard, do you still want to fight?"

Richard’s limbs struggled, kicking wildly at the air, but he couldn’t break free of Jude’s grip, looking exactly like a rabbit facing its inevitable death.

If this chokehold continued for another ten seconds, he really would die right there in the boardroom.

Richard hurriedly gasped out, "I won’t... dare again."

"Try moving against me again, and I’ll kill you," Jude said, tossing Richard aside like discarded trash.

Richard fell to the ground like a dead dog, struggling to get up, gulping for oxygen.

His throat bore the distinct imprint of Jude’s five fingers. With Jude’s unnatural strength, crushing his neck would have seemed an incredibly easy task.

Seeing this display, every single executive in the room was frightened.

Their previous gazes of corporate disdain towards Jude turned somewhat fearful and deeply cautious.

Only then did Jude adjust his cuffs, turn to Maxwell Pierce, and say smoothly, "Chairman, you saw it too. He was far too ashamed of his son’s actions and angrily wanted to hit me first. I was merely acting in standard self-defense."

Sweat dripped from every executive’s brow.

"Ahem," Maxwell cleared his throat nervously, trying to smooth things over. "We’re all civilized executives here. Let’s talk things out professionally. Both of you must keep calm."

Jude smiled slightly and looked down at Richard. "The Chairman is right. If we can reason things out like businessmen, let’s not fight in the boardroom. I sincerely apologize for my earlier actions."

Richard, still shaken and gasping for air on the floor, was angry and thoroughly startled, unwilling to let it go that easily.

But seeing Jude politely apologize, he simply snorted and clutched his bruised throat, not daring to retaliate.

Everyone at the table noticed that Jude possessed a remarkably broad mind, perfectly able to switch between violence and diplomacy, in stark contrast to the petty Richard.

They couldn’t help but drastically change their overall opinion of the young billionaire.

"Chairman, why don’t we finally get back to the main issue at hand?" Jude said, resting his hands on the back of a chair. "I cannot forgive what Donovan did to my lead artist. He either leaves Pierce Studios right now, or he goes to a federal prison. The final decision is yours, Chairman."

Jude looked around the table. "Give the Chairman some time to think," Jude said to the room at large. "This matter concerns the studio’s destiny on the stock market. To this conglomerate, Donovan is just a piece of rotten garbage. I believe Chairman Pierce will make the right choice."

Everyone simply looked at Maxwell Pierce, anxiously awaiting his executive decision.

Donovan was incredibly anxious, pleading from his knees, "Grandfather, you can’t listen to him! I’m the sole legitimate heir of Pierce Studios! Please don’t drive me away from the company!"

Maxwell Pierce was silent for a long moment, then finally sighed, his age showing on his face, and said, "Donovan’s actions are truly heinous, causing great harm to the family’s reputation. This cannot be forgiven. As of today, Donovan is permanently expelled from the Pierce family trust and stripped of all executive shares. Unless he miraculously gains the total forgiveness of Apex Media, especially Lyla, he will never be allowed to step foot into Pierce Studios again!"

"Grandfather, no!"

Donovan cried out in utter despair, his face deathly pale, as if struck by lightning, his very soul terrified.

His grandfather had actually expelled him from the family trust permanently!

Maxwell closed his eyes tightly, ignoring Donovan’s wails. Expelling his most beloved grandson made him feel terrible, but he had no other choice in the face of Jude’s leverage.

Not to mention the threat of a federal investigation, if he continued to protect Donovan in such criminal matters, the entire Pierce board would be dissatisfied, and his image as the respected Chairman would completely collapse.

Seeing that pleading with his grandfather was entirely futile, Donovan turned to the other executives at the table, "Say something! Plea for me! Didn’t you all always try to please me before this?! Why are you all completely silent now?!"

However, the other members of the Pierce board remained silent, exchanging nervous glances, and no one pleaded for Donovan.

Now, however, Donovan was officially nothing more than powerless trash...

Seeing this total betrayal, Donovan laughed angrily, pointing a shaking finger at everyone and swore, "You pack of greedy ingrates! You’re all damn ingrates!"

"Enough!"

Maxwell Pierce’s expression turned remarkably grim. "You are no longer part of this studio. Someone, take Donovan out!"

Several security guards quickly came over, lifting Donovan by the arms, pulling him away from the table.

Naturally, Donovan refused to leave quietly, struggling against the guards, howling like a ghost.

Even the two security guards had significant difficulty controlling his thrashing...