Evolution of Love 2

Charlie Wade

Charlie Wade was the live-in son-in-law that everyone despised, but his real identity as the heir of a prominent family remained a secret. He swore that one day, those who shunned him would kneel before him and beg for mercy, eventually.
Decorative lights and illuminants lit up the extravagant Wilson family mansion.
Tonight was the 70th birthday banquet of Lady Wilson, the head of the Wilson family.
Her grandchildren and their spouses gathered around her to hand her their luxurious gifts.
“Grandma, I heard that you love the Chinese tea. I looked high and low for this century-old Pu’er tea worth half a million dollars to present it to you.”
“Grandma, you like jade. This jade is carved from the authentic Hetian jade, it is worth seven hundred thousand dollars…”
Looking at the nicely wrapped gifts in front of her, Lady Wilson laughed heartily. The entire ambiance was harmonious and happy.
Suddenly, Charlie Wade, Lady Wilson’s eldest grandson-in-law, spoke, “Grandma, could you lend me a million dollars, please? Mrs. Lewis from the welfare home is diagnosed with uremia and I need the money for her treatment…”
The entire Wilson family gaped in extreme shock.
Everyone stared at Charlie with bewilderment and surprise.
This live-in grandson-in-law was overly atrocious and bold. Not only did he not prepare a gift for Lady Wilson on her birthday but he actually had the audacity to ask her for one million dollars.
Three years ago, Lord Wilson, who was still alive and well, had come home with Charlie one day and insisted on marrying him to their granddaughter, Claire Wilson. Back then, Charlie was as poor and miserable as a beggar.
Lord Wilson had passed away after they got married. Ever since then, everyone in the Wilson family tried to kick him out of the family. However, Charlie was always indifferent and nonchalant like a statue despite the insults and ridicule, and he spent his days in the Wilson family quietly as a live-in son-in-law.
He was at his wits’ end that he had to borrow money from Lady Wilson today.
Mrs. Lewis, who had taken him in and saved his life, had uremia. She needed at least one million dollars for dialysis and a kidney transplant. He had no other ideas except for asking for Lady Wilson’s help.
He felt that since it was her birthday today, she might be delighted to have some mercy and provide her assistance.
However, Lady Wilson was still laughing gleefully when abruptly her lips curled downwards and his eyes furrowed indignantly.
She hurled the teacup in her hand to the floor and growled, “Are you here to celebrate my birthday or borrow money?”
Claire hurried forward and said, “Grandma, Charlie is not thinking straight, please forgive him.” She then pulled her husband aside frantically.
At this moment, Wendy, Claire’s cousin sneered in disdain. “Claire, look at the person you’re married to. Gerald is only my fiancé and we haven’t even gotten married yet but he gifted Grandma the jade. Look at your good-for-nothing husband. Not only did he come empty-handed but he also has the nerve to ask Grandma for money.”
“You’re right. Charlie, we’re both the grandsons-in-law of the Wilson family but you’re such a disgrace.”
The man who was talking was Gerald White, Wendy’s fiancé, who was also the son of the wealthy family in town.
Although Gerald was about to marry Wendy, in his eyes, Claire was so much more beautiful and elegant than his fiancée.
Claire Wilson was the famous goddess of beauty in Aurous Hill, but Gerald was very frustrated and irritated when such a beauty got married to a loser.
“It’s best for this person to get out of the Wilson family now.”
“Yes. He is such a disgrace to our family.”
“Perhaps his intention is not to borrow money but to spoil the joyful ambiance of Grandma’s birthday instead.”
Charlie clenched his fists tightly as the entire Wilson family was humiliating and ridiculing him. If it wasn’t for the sake of the urgency, he would have left this annoying place.
However, his father’s words echoed in his head. He had taught him to be grateful for the help he received and to return the favor tenfold. Hence, he suppressed the fury and humiliation slowly building within him and said to Lady Wilson, “Grandma, whoever saves one life saves the world entirely. Please, I beg for your mercy.”
Someone in the room snorted loudly. “Mr. Wade, stop force-feeding chicken soup to Grandma. If you want to rescue someone, you can find a way on your own. Who do you think you are to ask for money from Grandma?”
It was Wendy’s brother, Harold Wilson.
The sinister brother and sister had always been prejudiced against Claire, who was superior to them in every aspect. Hence, they would always attack Charlie at any chance they could seize.
Claire, who was wearing a slightly awkward expression on his face, started, “Grandma, Charlie’s father died when he was eight. It was Mrs. Lewis at the welfare home who had brought him up. He is utterly grateful of her graciousness and that is why he wants to return the favor so badly. Could you please help him…”
Lady Wilson growled with an indignant face, “You want me to help him? Okay, divorce him now and marry Mr. Jones. If you do as I say, I’ll give him one million dollars right away.”
The Mr. Jones that Lady Wilson was referring to was Wendell Jones, a man who was always pursuing Claire despite her married status. The Jones family was one of the prominent families in the upper social circle in Aurous Hill, which was much more powerful than the Wilson family. Lady Wilson had always wanted to get on their good side.
At this moment, the butler sprinted in and said, “Mr. Jones sent a birthday gift to Lady Wilson. It is a talisman carved from the jadeite stone worth three million dollars.”
Lady Wilson broke into a large smile and quickly blurted, “Bring it to me. Let me see.”
The butler immediately presented the emerald green talisman which sent waves of exclamation across the living hall.
The emerald talisman was crystal clear with its vibrant and sharp colors, without any trace of impurities. It was of the finest jade quality.
Gerald, who had gifted the talisman, gloomed in irritation instantly. He didn’t expect Wendell Jones, who had nothing to do with the Wilson family, to be so generous and lavish.
Lady Wilson caressed the talisman cheerfully and said, “Oh, Mr. Jones is so sensible. It will be a sweet dream come true if he were my grandson-in-law.”
Then, she lifted her gaze at Claire and asked, “So, how’s that? Do you want to consider my terms and conditions?”
Claire shook her head decidedly. “No, Grandma. I will never divorce Charlie.”
A dark stormy cloud instantly hovered beneath Lady Wilson’s eyes. She shouted angrily, “You... What good is that person? Why do you want to waste your time on him? Kick that person out of my house. He is not allowed at my birthday banquet. I don’t want to see his face.”
Charlie heaved a sigh of dismay and regret. He didn’t want to stay with the Wilson family anymore, so he said to Claire, “Claire, I’m going to the hospital to visit Mrs. Lewis.”
Claire said quickly, “I’ll go with you.”
Lady Wilson shouted again, “If you leave now, you’re no longer my granddaughter. You can take your mom, your dad, and that person and get out of the Wilson family.”
Claire stared at her grandmother, shocked. She did not expect to hear such a harsh comment from her.
Charlie interjected, “You stay here, don’t worry about me.”
Before Claire could compose herself from the trance, he turned and left.
Harold laughed behind him. “Hey, my dear Charlie, if you leave with an empty stomach, will you go on the street and beg for food? If you do so, you’ll tarnish our family name. Here, I have a dollar, go buy a bun or something to eat.”
Harold produced a one dollar from his pocket and threw it at Charlie’s foot.
The entire family’s thunderous laughter echoed across the house.
Charlie gritted his teeth in annoyance and left the house without looking back.
***
When Charlie arrived at the hospital, he immediately went to the cashier department to try to negotiate an extension of payment for another two days.
However, when he approached the nurses, he was informed that overnight, Mrs. Lewis had been transferred to Fairview Hospital, Eastcliff’s top hospital, for treatment.
Charlie gaped in shock and quickly asked, “How much does it cost? I’ll find a way to settle it.”
The nurse said, “The bill is three million dollars in total. One million dollars has already been paid, the remaining two million needs to be settled without a week.”
“Who covered the one million dollars?”
The nurse shook his head. “I have no idea.”
Charlie frowned in confusion. Just as he turned around to figure it out, a person was standing behind him.
They exchanged glances, and the person bowed before him and said, “Young Master. We’ve finally found you. Sorry for all the troubles and misery you’ve suffered for all those years.”
Charlie furrowed and asked coldly as if he was a completely different person. “Are you Stephen Thompson?”
The person gaped in surprise. “Young Master, you still remember me.”
Charlie startled slightly and murmured, “Of course I do. I remember each and every one of you. You forcibly drove my mom and dad out of Eastcliff along with me and fled the city. My parents died along the way and I became an orphan. What do you want from me now?”
Stephen grimaced sorrowfully and said, “Young Master, Lord Wade was very sad when he learned about your father’s death. He never stopped looking for you. Come, let’s go home and meet him.”
Charlie said coldly, “Just go, I don’t want to see him.”
Stephen said, “Young Master, are you still mad at your grandfather?”
“Of course.” Charlie said loudly. “I’ll never forgive him in my entire life.”
Stephen sighed dejectedly. “Before I came here, the Master did say that you will not forgive him.”
“Good. Luckily he still has some senses in him.”
Stephen continued, “Lord Wade knows that you’ve had a hard life for so many years and he’s asking me to compensate you. If you don’t want to go home, he will buy the largest company in Aurous Hill and give it to you. Besides, here, take this card, the pin number is your birthday.”
Stephen handed over the premium black card from Citibank.
“Young Master, there are only five of such cards in the country.”
Charlie shook his head sternly. “No, I don’t want it, take it away.”
“Young Master, Mrs. Lewis is still two million dollars in debt for her medical bills. If she doesn’t pay up, she might be in danger…”
“Are you threatening me? Is this part of your sinister plan?”
Stephen waved his hands frantically. “Oh no. We wouldn’t dare do such a thing. Keep the card, then you’ll have enough money to pay the bill.”
Charlie asked, “How much is in this card?”
“Lord Wade said that he deposited some pocket money for you in this card. It’s not much, just ten billion dollars.”
Ten billion dollars?.
Charlie was shocked. His eyes wide open, his mouth wide agape.
He knew that his grandfather was very wealthy, but back then, he was too young to understand the concept of money. He only knew that the Wade family was one of the wealthiest families in Eastcliff and even the country, but he wasn’t sure what his net worth was.
Right now, he finally knew.
If ten billion dollars were just pocket money, it meant that the entire Wade family had a net worth of more than one trillion dollars.
Frankly speaking, at this moment, he was slightly touched and swayed. However, when he thought about his deceased parents and how his grandfather was part of the reasons why they had died, he knew he could never easily forgive him.
Sensing his frustration, Stephen quickly said, “Young Master, you are one of the Wade family members, so the money is yours. Besides, technically speaking, it belongs to your father.”
“The Master said that if you’re willing to go home, he will let you inherit the family’s one-trillion-dollar business empire. If you don’t want to go home yet, use this money for your living expenses.”
“Oh yes, another piece of news—Aurous Hill’s largest and most profitable company, the Emgrand Group with a market value of one hundred billion dollars, had been wholly acquired by the Wade family yesterday. All the equities are now under your name, you can claim your right at the company tomorrow.”
Charlie listened to him in a daze, completely in disbelief.
Wasn’t it a little too much investment from the Wade family for his sake?
A premium black card with a credit limit of ten billion dollars, Emgrand Group with the net worth of one hundred billion dollars.
Although Aurous Hill was a land of talents, the only constant honorable existence was the Emgrand Group. It was the champ of Aurous Hill’s business industry. Any prominent and influential family had to bow before the Emgrand Group, including those families that humiliated him today—the Wilson family, the White family, and even the Jones family who was still trying to pursue his wife. They were nothing but lowly servants in front of Emgrand Group.
And this magnificent company was his now?
Stephen handed him a business card and said, “Young Master, you might need some time to calm down and think about it, so I’ll excuse myself now. This is my card with my number on it, please call me if you need anything.”
At that, Stephen turned and left.
Charlie was still in a daze after he left.
He didn’t know whether he should accept the compensation from the Wade family.
However, he recalled the past decade of misery and hardship and the humiliation he had experienced when he married Claire. This was the compensation that the Wade family was giving him for his suffering, so why shouldn’t he take it?
Besides, Mrs. Lewis urgently needed two million dollars for her treatment.
He gritted his teeth as he clutched on the card tightly, then turned back to the cashier department. “Hi, I would like to settle the bill.”
The card was swiped, the password was keyed in, and the transaction was complete.
Two million dollars was credited into the hospital’s account just like that.
Charlie felt like he was still hovering in the clouds.
Did he just become a billionaire in the blink of an eye?
***
He went home in a trance.
At this moment, the house was fueled with the wrath of fury.
Claire and her parents did not live in the Wilson family villa but they stayed in an ordinary house instead.
Since Claire married Charlie and after Lord Wilson died, they were kicked out of the villa.
His mother-in-law was screaming in great dismay, “If you don’t divorce Charlie Wade now, your grandma might kick you out of Wilson Group.”
Claire said calmly, “If she does, I’ll just find another job.”
“You…” Her mother growled angrily, “What’s so good about Charlie Wade, anyway? Why can’t you just divorce him and marry Wendell? If you marry Wendell Jones, our whole family can hold our head up high.”
Her father added, “Your mom’s right. If you marry Wendell, our family will immediately become a precious treasure in the family. Your grandma will cherish you and pamper you every day.”
Claire uttered, “Just stop. I won’t divorce Charlie.”
“You.”
Both parents had wanted to keep on persuading Claire when Charlie pushed the door open and walked in.
His in-laws gave him a dirty look when they saw him.
His mother-in-law snorted in disgust. “I thought you’d forgotten the way home, Charlie Wade.”
Charlie sighed quietly inside his heart. His mother-in-law had always looked down on him, but what would she do if she were to know that he was now the owner of Emgrand Group and had ten billion dollars in cash?
However, this was not the time to reveal his true identity.
He had left the Wade family for a long time now, who knew how was the family doing now? What if someone from the family targeted him if he exposed himself?
Staying in the dark was the best option for now.
Hence, he lowered his head and said humbly, “Mother, I’m sorry for all the troubles I’ve caused today.”
His mother-in-law shouted, “Trouble? This is more than trouble, you’re putting us at stake. Can’t you have the slightest decency and get out of our house?”
Claire hurriedly interjected, “Mom, how could you say that? Charlie is your son-in-law.”
“No.” her mother growled, “I don’t have such a person as my son-in-law. It’s better if he can go as far as he can.”
Claire nudged Charlie and said, “Hurry, let’s go back to the room.”
Charlie nodded gratefully and fled back to the room.
They had been married for three years, but they had never consummated the marriage, not even once. Claire slept in bed while he slept on the floor at the side.
Tonight, Charlie found it hard to fall asleep.
What unfolded today was a real shock and consternation and he had yet to digest it.
Before going to bed, Claire said, “How is Mrs. Lewis doing? I have about one hundred thousand dollars with me now, you can use it tomorrow.”
Charlie said, “It’s okay. Someone paid her bill and transferred her to Eastcliff for treatment.”
“Really?” Claire exclaimed in awe. “Wow. So, Mrs. Lewis will be fine then?”
“Yes,” Charlie said, “Mrs. Lewis has done good deeds throughout her life and helped so many people. Now, someone is returning her favor.”
“Glad to hear that.” Claire nodded with a smile. “You can have peace of mind now.”
“Yes.”
“I want to sleep now. There’s a lot to handle in the company lately, I’m exhausted.”
“What’s happening in the company?”
“It’s not doing very well lately. Grandma wants to collaborate with Emgrand, but Wilson Group is too weak as compared to their scale. They wouldn’t even bat an eye at us.”
“Oh? Has there not been a collaboration between Wilson Group and Emgrand before?”
Claire laughed sarcastically. “Of course not. What are we in the eyes of Emgrand? I bet we look like a speck of insignificant dust to them. Even Gerald’s family, Wendy’s fiancé’s family, could barely scratch the tail of Emgrand’s business empire. This is also why Grandma is eager for them to be married soon so the White family can help our family build some connections with Emgrand.”
Charlie nodded knowingly.
The Wilson family had used all the tricks up their sleeves to collaborate with Emgrand Group.
However, Lady Wilson never would have thought that he owned Emgrand Group now…
Thinking of this, Charlie decided to take over Emgrand Group and lend Claire a hand in her business. The Wilson family did not treat her fairly and they bullied her too much. As her husband, he had the responsibility to help her improve her status in the family.
He said in his heart earnestly, ‘Claire, your husband is different now. I will not let anyone look down on you again. I will make the entire Wilson family bow down to you.”
The next morning, after preparing breakfast, Charlie rode his scooter to Emgrand Group’s office.
He parked his scooter on the side of Emgrand’s parking lot. As soon as he locked his scooter, a black Bentley slowly parked in a spot across from him.
He looked up inadvertently and saw a young couple getting out of the car.
The man was wearing a branded suit, looking very handsome and smart. Meanwhile, the lady was dressed up in a flamboyant style. Although somewhat gaudy, she was considered a beauty.
As it turned out, the lady was Wendy Wilson, Claire’s cousin, and the man was her fiancé, Gerald White.
Charlie didn’t know why they were here, but he knew that the best way to avoid trouble was to stay away from them.
However, the more eager he wanted to hide from them, the higher chances they would see him.
Wendy caught sight of him from the corner of her eyes. She yelped loudly, “Hey, Charlie.”
Wendy called out his name in a friendly manner, but Charlie felt goosebumps all over his back.
Out of courtesy, he could only stop where he was and wait for them to approach him. He smiled and asked, “Wendy, hey, why are you here?”
Wendy chuckled. “Oh, Gerald is here to see Doris Young, vice-chairman of Emgrand Group. I’m here to keep him company.”
Then she turned to look at Gerald with affection and said, “The White family has a lot of projects with Emgrand Group. Not only would it help the White family but also our Wilson family in the future.”
Charlie didn’t know that the White family was one of Emgrand Group’s business partners. After all, he had just taken over the company and he hadn’t had time to get through the details.
He didn’t show anything unusual on his face. Instead, he simply said with a polite smile, “Mr. White is very talented and magnificent, both of you make a great couple.”
Gerald glared at Charlie contemptuously, feeling a surge of anger within him.
This person had been scolded so badly by Lady Wilson yesterday in front of everybody, how was he able to smile like a clown as if nothing had happened today?
Why did Claire, such a stunning and wonderful lady, marry such a person?
If this person never existed, he would certainly have pursued Claire with great effort. Who would want to be engaged to Wendy, who paled in comparison in every aspect?
Gerald huffed a breath in dismay and asked in a pretentious tone, “Why are you here?”
Charlie casually said, “I’m here to apply for a job.”
“Apply for a job?” Gerald sneered disdainfully. “You? The person who can’t do anything wants to apply for a job at Emgrand? Are you kidding me?”
Charlie frowned. “What has it to do with you?”
The reason why Wendy called Charlie in the first place was to humiliate him. Now that Gerald had started, she immediately mocked, “Why? Gerald is right, isn’t he?”
“In terms of educational background, do you have any diplomas?”
“In terms of skills and abilities, do you have any achievements or results to show them?”
“Trust me, they wouldn’t even entertain a person like you even if you’ve come to apply for a security job. Know your place, you’re better off going to the streets to scavenge for trash, you might earn two or three thousand a month at least.”
Then, she hurled a water bottle to Charlie’s feet and smirked, “There you go, pick it up and sell it for money. Don’t say that I don’t care about you.”
Gerald laughed sinisterly. “We’re still relatives after all. I’ll have your back. It happens that I know the vice-chairman of the Emgrand Group in person, why don’t I say a few good words on your behalf and see if she can arrange a toilet cleaning job for you?”
Charlie curled his lips into a cold sneer and said, “What kind of job I’m applying for is none of your business, you should mind your own business instead. Emgrand Group is a big company, I believe they wouldn’t want to collaborate with anyone like you.”
Gerald’s face flushed with anger. “What”
Charlie replied disdainfully, “You.”
Then, he turned and walked towards the building, ignoring Gerald’s indignant screams behind.
“Stop. Stop right there, do you hear me?”
Very soon, Gerald strode quickly and caught up with Charlie at the elevator hall.
He wanted to teach Charlie a lesson, to give him at least two slaps on his face to let him know the consequences of offending him, but they were inside Emgrand Group’s building now. He was worried that the harsh action would tarnish his reputation and infuriate his business partner, so he had no choice but to dismiss the idea.
He gritted his teeth and warned, “I’ll let you go today, but you won’t be so lucky next time.”
Charlie snorted and walked into the elevator. Before the door closed, he said, “Gerald White, do you really think you’re so powerful? Trust me, you will soon know the price to pay for being so cocky and arrogant.”
“You little…”
Gerald’s face turned into an ugly shade of red. He wanted to rush into the elevator but Wendy pulled his arms and said, “Gerald, don’t take the same elevator as he, we might suffocate from his stench.”
He nodded, fully aware that it wasn’t wise for him to lay his hands here. Hence, he snorted coldly. “Huh, you’re lucky today. I’ll teach you a lesson next time.”
***
In the elevator, Charlie went directly to the top floor where the chairman’s office was located.
Stephen had already made all the arrangements for him here at Emgrand. The person in charge of the arrangements was a person named Doris Young.
Doris Young had earned her reputation as a renowned businesswoman in Aurous Hill. Not only was she a charming lady, but she was also extremely capable. She had been promoted to vice-chairman of the Emgrand Group at a young age. She was also among the factors behind the success of the company today.
Now that Emgrand Group had been acquired by the Wade family, the former chairman had abdicated and Doris stayed back to assist the new chairman.
Doris was quite shocked when she first saw Charlie. She didn’t expect to see such a young and charming person when she heard about him from Stephen.
She quickly composed herself and greeted him respectfully. “Welcome, Mr. Wade. Please follow me to my office.”
This was also the first time Charlie had ever met Doris.
He had to admit that Doris was a very stunning and alluring young lady.
Sitting down in front of Doris’s desk, Charlie started, “I will not come into the office often, so I would like you to continue looking over the company on my behalf. In addition, please do not disclose my identity to the public.”
Doris was aware that Mr. Wade, who was sitting in front of her now, came from the extraordinary Wade family. For a prominent family like theirs, Emgrand Group was nothing but a mediocre business, so it was normal for him not to manage it himself. Hence, she quickly said, “Sure. Mr. Wade, just tell me if you need anything, I’ll be at your service.”
At this moment, a secretary knocked on the door and said, “Miss Young, a man called Gerald White and his fiancé are here to see you.”
Doris said instantly, “I’m seeing a VIP now, let them wait.”
Charlie asked, “Do you know Gerald White?”
“Mr. White’s family is one of our partners and several of their major projects are linked to our company. They have said that they will be here to see me, they have been here several times too.”
Charlie uttered in a cold voice, “From now on, Emgrand Group would no longer have any business dealings with the White family. Halt all ongoing and preparatory projects. If the White family still earns a dime from our company, I don’t need you as our vice-chairman.”
Doris startled in shock for a while, figuring that someone from the White family must have offended the person. So, she nodded vigorously and exclaimed, “Mr. Wade, don’t worry, I’ll now order my staff to stop all collaboration with the White family.”
Charlie nodded satisfyingly and said, “Tell them that Emgrand Group has no interest in collaborating with them, then ask the guards to kick them out.”
***
Outside the office, Gerald and Wendy were waiting anxiously.
The White family had always wanted to be the key players in the collaboration with Emgrand Group, so he hoped that he could build a good relationship with Doris Young and thus bring the family closer to the connection.
However, the least expected thing happened. Doris’s secretary approached them with several guards.
Gerald asked in confusion, “Hi, may I know if Miss Young is available to see us now?”
The secretary glared coldly at him and said, “Sorry, our vice-chairman said that Emgrand Group has no interest in collaborating with you. From now on, we will cancel all the projects with your family.”
“What did you say?.”
Gerald gaped in extreme shock and his jaw almost dropped to the floor. Why did he find the remark so familiar anyway?
Oh, right. Charlie Wade said the exact same thing when they were in the parking lot.
What did Doris Young mean by that? Did she really intend to halt all the collaboration with the White family?
Gerald felt a surge of blood flooding her head, exploding inside.
What happened?
Canceled all projects?
A large portion of the White family’s profits came from working with Emgrand.
If Emgrand Group terminated their ties, didn’t it mean that the family’s net worth would be cut by half?
No, he couldn’t accept such a cruel fact. He growled loudly, “I want to see Miss Young. I want to ask her in person.”
The secretary simply glared at him coldly. “I’m sorry, Miss Young will not see you and you’re not allowed here in the future.”
Gerald shouted in great dismay, “Are you kidding me? We are a long-term business partner of Emgrand, it isn’t up to her to terminate our projects just like that. Don’t mess with us.”
The secretary ignored his screaming and directed the security guards around her, “Kick them out.”
The head of the security team immediately jumped on them. He grabbed Gerald’s wrist and twisted it hard behind him.
Gerald yelped in pain and Captain Cooper snorted coldly. “Hurry and get out of here. If you dare make a scene at Emgrand Group, I’ll break you in half.”
“You’re just a security guard, how dare you raise your voice at me? Do you know who I am?”
Captain Cooper gave him a slap across his face instantly and shouted, “What are you in the face of Emgrand Group?”
Gerald felt his face burning from the slap. He was about to burst in fury when his phone suddenly rang.
It was his father.
When he answered the call, a furious roar echoed from the other end of the line. “You. What did you do? Emgrand Group wants to terminate all projects with us. Who on earth did you offend?”
Gerald whined sorrowfully, “No, Dad, that’s not true, I didn’t offend anyone. I just came here to see Miss Young, but I haven’t even seen her face yet…”
Gerald’s father shouted again. “The people at Emgrand Group said that they’ve terminated their collaboration with us because of you. It’s all because of you that our family is suffering a great loss. Hurry and come back, explain this to your grandfather yourself.”
Grabbing the phone in a daze, Gerald and Wendy were forcefully escorted out of Emgrand Group’s main entrance.
Suddenly, Charlie’s face appeared in his mind. He turned to Wendy abruptly and asked, “Wendy, is it because of your cousin-in-law? Does he have anything to do with Emgrand Group?”
“Huh?” Wendy was obviously taken aback by Gerald’s remark. When she pondered the circumstances, it might indeed have something to do with him, but he...
Thus, she shook her head and uttered firmly, “No, it is absolutely impossible that he has anything to do with Emgrand Group. He is not even qualified to clean their toilets.”
“You’re right…” Gerald nodded numbly. He hung his head low when he thought about his angry father. “I have to return home right away…”
Very soon, the news of the White family being kicked out by Emgrand Group spread throughout Aurous Hill like wildfire.
No one knew of the reason, but they were certain that the White family must have offended Emgrand Group in some way.
At this rate, the White family was considered gone.
Their net worth had been cut short by more than half. They were originally close to the peak of the social ladder in the city, but after the event, they instantly dropped down several levels and became a second-rate family in terms of social class.
Lady Wilson was shaking with anger when she heard the news.
She wanted to call off Wendy’s engagement with Gerald, but even after the termination, the White family was still more prominent than the Wilson family and she couldn’t afford to lose the ties, so she could only bear with it for the moment.
***
Meanwhile, in Doris’s office, Charlie looked impressed and satisfied after he heard about the process. He highly appreciated her rapid and stern attitude in it.
He said with a satisfied smile, “Doris, great job, you did well. Starting today, your salary will be doubled.”
Doris gaped in astonishment. She stood up and bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Mr. Wade.”
Charlie nodded and continued, “Also, I want you to make two announcements.”
“Yes, please proceed.”
“The first thing is to announce the change of Emgrand Group’s ownership and nomination of the new chairman, but don’t disclose my identity. Just say that he is one Mr. Wade.”
“The second thing is the announcement of Emgrand Group investing two billion dollars to build a six-star hotel in Aurous Hill, and announcing the tender bidding for partners. Construction and interior decorating companies throughout the city are welcome to bid.”
The main business of Wilson Group was interior design and construction. The old lady would dream of hopping on Emgrand’s cruise. Whoever could win the bidding with Emgrand Group would surely become the most sought-after person in the company.
Now that he owned Emgrand Group, he should offer his wife some sweet deals.
The two announcements released by Emgrand Group completely shook the entire Aurous Hill like a high magnitude earthquake.
When the Wilson family learned about the ownership change in Emgrand Group, they figured out why the collaboration with the White family had been terminated.
It seemed that Emgrand’s new owner didn’t think much of the White family.
Back to the point, who was Mr. Wade? He simply bought Emgrand Group that was worth hundreds of billions of dollars without batting an eye—he was a little too powerful, wasn’t he?
All of a sudden, a lot of wealthy families were about to eagerly make a move. They wished to establish a connection with the mysterious Mr. Wade while on the other hand wished to marry their daughter to him.
Moreover, the announcement about Emgrand Group’s investment of two billion dollars for the hotel construction project also shook the construction and interior decorating industries in Aurous Hill like a great force surging the ground.
Two billion.
They could make a lot of money even tendering scraps of the project.
A lot of companies wanted a slice of the lucrative pie, including Lady Wilson, who valued money more than anything.
Lady Wilson was over the moon at the moment. Two billion dollar project. This was the perfect opportunity for the Wilson family to get a contract from the mega project. It would bring their family to the next level.
Hence, she called for an urgent family meeting at the mansion tonight to discuss ways to achieve a breakthrough in Emgrand Group’s mega project. Everyone had to attend.
Later that night, at the Wilson family mansion, Charlie tagged along since Lady Wilson had asked for everyone’s participation.
He knew about the old lady’s main agenda of the meeting, so he wanted to take this opportunity to boost Claire’s confidence.
When Harold, Claire’s cousin, saw him at the mansion, he mocked disdainfully, “Charlie Wade. Where did you find your courage to see Grandma now.”
With an indifferent expression on her face, Claire uttered, “Stop your nonsense. Grandma asked everyone in the Wilson family to come. Charlie is my husband, so of course he is a member of the Wilson family too.”
Harold laughed sarcastically. “He is part of the Wilson family? Haha. He is just a live-in son-in-law.”
Charlie rubbed his nose in slight agitation and said to Claire, “Dear, just let him be, don’t argue with him. Let’s go in quick, Grandma is waiting for everyone.”
Claire nodded and walked into the house without batting an eye at Harold.
Harold’s face twisted in an irritated grimace, anticipating their embarrassment later.
After entering the meeting room, Charlie and Claire found a place to sit in the corner.
Very soon, Lady Wilson made a great entrance and the family meeting officially began.
Lady Wilson sat on the head of the table. She knocked on the table and started cheerfully, “We, the Wilson family, have been waiting for a chance like this for so many years, a chance that will bring us to the next level, to the peak of the social pyramid in Aurous Hill. The chance is finally here now.”
She continued loudly, “This time, Emgrand Group has announced a mega project of two billion dollars. If anyone can tender a project from it, it will bring great and lucrative benefits.”
“Moreover, this is Emgrand Group’s first major project after its change of ownership. It is a great opportunity for us.”
“If we can collaborate with Emgrand Group and leave a good impression on the new chairman, we will become very powerful and prominent in the future.”
The attendees were rather indifferent and unpassionate as compared to Lady Wilson’s enthusiasm.
In fact, it wasn’t anything new for the Wilson family wanting to collaborate with Emgrand Group. However, for the longest time, Emgrand Group had ignored the Wilson family’s request. What made Lady Wilson think that they could get a slice of the mega pie from them now? It was impossible.
Annoyed by the silence, Lady Wilson’s face flushed with anger and she shouted furiously, “Why? Do none of you have any confidence in taking a tiny slice of pie from the two billion dollars project?”
Everyone exchanged nervous glances but no one dared to talk.