[So, all that patriotic flair and those vintage designs were just to reel in the fans? It turns out we’re the
clowns being played!] [People like that aren’t worth our admiration. Pack up her little studio and get out
of the country! Go grovel to her M Country sugar daddy!] That night Bennett and Simone were
summoned to the family’s old manor. Upon arrival, a servant informed them, “The master is in the
study, he instructed that you are to go straight there.” Bennett and Simone entered the study, only to
find Terrence engrossed in a book. “Take a seat, you two!” Terrence put his book aside and removed
his glasses before addressing Bennett, “How’s your company holding up these days?” Bennett caught
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSimone’s eyes, and with a hesitant voice, he admitted, “Barely getting by.” His company had suffered
greatly under the pressure of the Lamont Group, losing more than half of their clients in one fell swoop.
It was only with the old manor’s support that they had managed to stay afloat. Lately, supplier issues
had been causing a continuous drop in quality, which led to customer attrition and cash flow problems.
These issues had Bennett scrambling every single day. Terrence spoke up, “Today, I got a call from the
Crawleys in B City, who negotiated with me about their project.” Simone immediately responded, “Have
the Crawleys finally loosened up?” Terrence nodded slightly while sipping his tea, “But the Crawleys
have a condition.” “What’s the condition?” Bennett asked. “Estelle got into some trouble, didn’t she?
Now, there’s an old article surfacing online, which accused her of being ungrateful to her adoptive
parents who put her through college. After she made a name for herself, she supposedly cut ties with
them.” Terrence looked at Simone, “The Crawleys want you to make a public statement to confirm that
the story is true.” Simone was taken aback, and Bennett inhaled sharply. “The Crawleys have offered
us a deal. If we do as they ask, the B City project will kick off immediately, and they’ll partner with us,”
Terrence explained. Simone’s eyes darted around, “But, Estelle has the Lamonts behind her. We didn’t
even speak out last time, and we still got squashed by Jonathan. If we publicly
betray Estelle now, will the Lamonts let us off the hook?” “I’ve done some digging. Jonathan isn’t in the
country, and the Lamont parents are off on a vacation in the Country of S. So if we act quickly, the
Lamonts won’t have time to respond.” Simone was still wary, “But what if Jonathan returns?” A cunning
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmglint passed through Terrence’s weary eyes, “The Crawleys have given us a second condition. As long
as KING is blacklisted and never to rise again, they’ll assist our move to B City. Once we’re in B City,
which is the Crawley family’s territory, Jonathan won’t be able to touch us!” (Image) Before Bennett
could respond, Simone silenced him with her gaze. She smiled thinly, “You’re suggesting we release
this statement?” “It wouldn’t be the worst thing,” Terrence said slowly. “We’ve always told the public that
Estelle is our adopted daughter, after all.” (Image) Sacrificing Estelle for the family’s prosperity was
justifiable; after all, she was the Macclain’s daughter and could be seen as contributing to the family’s
legacy. Content belongs to Draмas.cоm Simone’s eyes flickered, “And what’s in it for us?”
Terrence looked at Simone with a stern gaze and said with a faint smile, “I’m securing advantages for
the Macclain family. Eventually, it will all be yours.” (Image)