Chapter 450
At Horizonlead Group, Jonathan met with Chase. Chase produced the contract from the previous night and handed it over. “Mr. Lynn, looks like you lost this round.”
Jonathan merely glanced at it. For the project with Chase Group, he’d only conceded $180 million. The “18 billion” he’d mentioned to Irene was entirely fabricated.
“You really play dirty, Mr. Shelton. Got me to sign while I was drunk. That’s low.”
Chase smiled. “Mr. Lynn, we’re both businessmen. It’s all about profit. I’m just looking out for my company. I hope you understand.”
As he spoke, Chase extended a hand, hoping for a smooth partnership. Jonathan took a slow sip of coffee, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “I’ll give you three seconds. Tear up the contract.”
Chase froze, then said, “Mr. Lynn, you already signed it. Now you want to back out? If anyone’s being shady, it’s you.”
“I’m telling you to tear it up because I’m giving you a way out. If you want to call me ruthless, don’t blame me for going all the way.”
Just as Jonathan finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. “Mr. Lynn, here’s the file you requested.” The assistant handed it over respectfully.
“Thanks. You can go now.” Jonathan waved his hand. After the assistant left, he flipped through the file for a few seconds, then slid it over to Chase.
Chase looked confused, but as soon as he saw the document, his face paled. Seeing the panic in Chase’s eyes, Jonathan fixed him with a cold stare.
“Chase Group, huh? Interesting name. You’re supposed to be Dominic Shelton’s grandson, but you’re not even the eldest. Turns out, you’re not his grandson at all—you’re his son.”
Chase’s lips trembled. This was the family’s dirty secret. He was Dominic’s illegitimate child, given to his so-called uncle, Declan, to cover up the scandal. Chase had grown up with his “uncle” as his legal guardian, but hardly anyone knew the truth. Now that Jonathan had exposed it, Chase was completely thrown.
“Mr. Lynn, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Dominic is my grandfather. How could he be my father? If you spread rumors like this, I’ll sue you for slander.”
Jonathan tapped the table, clearly losing patience. He hated it when people argued with him. “Fine. I’ll leak this file to the press right now. Go ahead, sue me. I’ll be waiting.”
Chase panicked, forcing a smile. “Mr. Lynn, let’s talk this out. If you don’t want to work together, then we won’t.”
Right in front of Jonathan, Chase tore up the contract he’d tricked Jonathan into signing while drunk, and promised there were no copies.
“Mr. Shelton, glad you understand. And tell your sister—she’d better stay away from me and my family from now on.”
Chase nodded, taking a deep breath. Now that Jonathan had him by the throat, he had no choice but to give in. If this family scandal ever got out, he’d lose way more than just $180 million.
“I’ll do as you say, Mr. Lynn. We’ve got no beef, so I hope you won’t push me too far. About Sanford at dinner—he was out of line, and I sincerely apologize on his behalf. I’ll make sure to keep Winnie in check, too. Sorry for bothering you today. I’ll take my leave now.” Though clearly unwilling, Chase could only turn and walk away.
Chapter 450
It wasn’t long before Irene showed up at Horizonlead Group, rushing in to find Jonathan. Her face was pale, and she was practically out of breath. “What’s going on? What’s happening with the company? I tried calling Winnie, but that awful woman won’t even pick up!”
Jonathan hesitated, then shook his head helplessly. That only made Irene more anxious. She grabbed his hand tightly.
“Jonathan, don’t scare me. I’m getting old, my heart can’t take this… If you go bankrupt, how am I supposed to face our relatives? How do I face your late father? What am I supposed to do?”
Jonathan looked at her and asked, “You always said you could judge people. You said she was sincere, so I let my guard down.”
Irene wiped her tears, crying as she complained, “It’s all because of Teresa.”
Jonathan’s eyes narrowed. “What about her?”
Irene crossed her arms. “This is all your fault—making me swallow my pride and apologize to Teresa! And you expected me to grovel? My dignity’s worth more than that. I told Teresa I’d find you a gentle, caring wife, someone better than her. I really thought Winnie was good, but who knew she’d turn out to be so scheming?”
Jonathan was at a loss for words. He shot back, “Do you really think, with my status, anyone would be with me for pure reasons? If it’s not for my money, what else is there? My divorce? My age?”
“I—” Irene was speechless.
“Don’t think like that. There are plenty of divorced men these days. You’re only thirty; that’s not old at all. You’re good-looking, too. I thought anyone would be better than Teresa.”
Irene was desperate to prove that anyone would be better than Teresa, as if every woman in the world could outshine her. She’d even promised Teresa she’d find someone better, but now, after everything that happened…
Irene pressed a handkerchief to her red eyes. “I know, I misjudged her this time. There’s no point talking about it now. You worked so hard to get where you are, and it’s all my fault. You’ve lost everything because of me.”
Jonathan was silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, “It’s not that bad. It’s been handled.”
Irene froze, then quickly pressed him, “Really? You’re not lying, are you? Is it really over?”
“We didn’t lose 18 billion dollars. Just millions,” he said, completely unfazed.
Irene got even angrier. “You’re just going to let them take millions? Sue them! Don’t let the Sheltons get away with this!”
“How am I supposed to sue? The contract’s signed, clear as day. If you hadn’t pushed me to be with Winnie… Fine, lesson learned. Just stop setting me up, okay?”
But Irene just couldn’t let it go. The thought of losing out to outsiders, especially a woman who schemed against Jonathan…
Jonathan said, “This time it was just a small loss. What about next time? Are you going to push me to ruin, leave me out on the street? Would that make you happy?”
Irene nodded, defeated. “Alright, I get it. I won’t meddle anymore.”