Chapter 363: Step Down!

Zachary looked at William for a brief moment before turning toward his parents, a faint smile on his lips, though there was no warmth behind it.

“Yes, I owned shares in Cresswell…”

Before Zachary could explain anything further, the room erupted in shock.

Kennedy’s eyes widened as he stared at his youngest son, clearly struggling to process what he had just admitted.

Hannah looked equally shocked, her expression filled with confusion and disappointment.

Zoey’s mouth fell open as she looked between Zachary and Riley, apparently unable to believe that her twin brother had secretly held a stake in one of the country’s largest companies.

Samuel also looked stunned, his usually controlled expression giving way to clear disbelief.

William, however, reacted differently. His face tightened with irritation, and his anger quickly overtook his initial surprise. “Zach, you really hold a stake in Cresswell?” he asked sharply. “…And you never told us about it?”

Zachary remained silent.

Then, William stood from his seat and looked at Zachary sharply, his frustration growing more obvious.

“Zachary Sterling! Do you realize what this means?” he demanded. “Cresswell is taking legal action against Sterling Tech while you are sitting here holding a major stake in their company. How are we supposed to understand that?”

“I’m not involved with the daily operations of Cresswell Group,” Zachary replied calmly.

“But you own a major share of Cresswell,” William shot back. “How can you expect us to believe you have nothing to do with what they’re doing? Do you really want to ruin my name through my son?”

Zachary looked at him without answering.

William turned toward Kennedy, clearly trying to gain their father’s support.

“Dad, how can we allow this?” he said firmly. “Sterling Tech is already under pressure, and now we discover that our own family member has a financial interest in the company that is fighting us in court.”

He then looked back at Zachary.

“You are part of Sterling, Zach. You should be helping this family protect its businesses, not standing on the other side.”

The accusation hung heavily in the room. ℯ𝐥.𝒄ℴ𝓶

William’s voice became colder as he continued. “If you really care about this family and the Sterling Group, then prove it. Tell Cresswell to stop the lawsuit against Sterling Tech.”

Zachary’s expression remained unchanged.

Kennedy looked at his youngest son, disappointed. “Zach, why didn’t you tell us about this? Sterling Tech is going through a difficult time, and you didn’t help the company at all. Instead, you were sitting on the other side as one of Cresswell’s shareholders.”

Zachary listened quietly. He could have explained everything. He could have told them why he invested in Cresswell, how his ownership was structured, and why his investment had nothing to do with the lawsuit against Sterling Tech. But as he looked around the room, he realized that no one was really waiting for an explanation. They had already made up their mind the second he didn’t react to the accusation.

Even his father was looking at him as though he had betrayed the family.

That realization left Zachary deeply disappointed to learn that no one in his family cared what he thought.

William, seeing that Zachary wasn’t responding, pressed the matter further. “Zach, if you refuse to stop the lawsuit, then you should step down as CEO of Sterling Capital.”

Hannah’s expression immediately changed. “William, that’s enough,” she said. “You don’t need to take it that far.”

Kennedy also frowned, clearly not agreeing with his older son. “Will, I agree that Zach should speak to Cresswell and try to resolve the lawsuit, but stepping down from Sterling Capital is unnecessary.”

“Exactly,” Hannah added quickly. “Oh dear, Zach… you don’t have to listen to your brother. We can discuss this properly.” ℯ𝓵.

William shook his head. “Dad, Mom, this isn’t just about a disagreement between brothers. He’s holding a stake in Cresswell while serving as CEO of Sterling Capital. How can the company continue like this? This might not be the first time he has betrayed us. This cannot be tolerated!”

Zachary was left speechless as he looked at his parents and older brother. He had expected questions and anger. What he hadn’t expected was his own father looking at him as though he were a traitor.

He no longer wanted to defend himself.

If they wanted to believe he had betrayed the family, nothing he could say would change their minds.

Zachary slowly lifted his eyes and fixed them on William. His expression was still calm, but something had changed in his gaze. The warmth he usually showed his family was gone, replaced by a coldness that gradually silenced the room.

“You want me to step down? Fine,” Zachary finally spoke.

Everyone looked at him.

“You will have my resignation letter within an hour from now, and it will be effective immediately.”

Hannah stared at him in shock. “Zzach, don’t do this.”

“Brother, what the hell are you thinking? Why are you the one who stepped down?” Zoey protested.

But Zachary had already taken his phone from his pocket. He made a call without another word. Everyone in the room watched him closely as the call connected.

Once someone answered, Zachary spoke in the same calm voice he had used throughout the entire confrontation. “Issue an announcement. I’m stepping down from Sterling Capital, effective today.”

He ended the call before anyone could respond.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Zachary slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked at his parents. A faint smile appeared on his face, but it held no affection this time. He had already made his decision.

“I will take my leave now,” Zachary said, then turned around and walked toward the entrance.

“Zachary!” Hannah called after him.

He didn’t stop.

Kennedy remained seated in the living room, staring at his youngest son as he walked away. William was equally stunned, apparently having never expected Zachary to accept his demand so easily.

Zoey stood frozen, still trying to understand how quickly the situation had changed. Samuel also remained silent, unable to find the right words.

Riley, meanwhile, watched Zachary leave with a mix of satisfaction and surprise. He expected his uncle to deny everything, but instead Zachary stepped down as CEO of Sterling Capital. He instantly felt good.

Zachary ignored everyone behind him. He walked out of the house without looking back, his expression calm as if nothing had happened.

But behind him, the entire Sterling family remained in shock, unable to believe that a single revelation had just changed the future of the family and its businesses.