Chapter 433
“Dad, I’ve found someone for the plan Trevor suggested, but the issue is who we should approach,” Bryan said.
“Let’s go with Birgitte. Bree Technology has a lot of execs, but Birgitte and Vincent are the ones who know what’s going on. Aubree isn’t someone we can take lightly anymore. If we mess this up, all we’ll get is her brutal payback,” Ronald replied.
Ronald tapped his fingers on the table. After clashing with Aubree a few times, he couldn’t look down on her anymore. She’s become a force to be reckoned with, he thought. ‘My daughter is strong enough to stand against me.’
Ronald felt a bittersweet mix of pride and regret. He thought, ‘Aubree would have been my most trusted right hand if I hadn’t made that one wrong move and misjudged her.’
Thinking of Carmen, Ronald frowned and said, “Carmen’s another issue we need to deal with.”
Even though Ronald had always doted on Carmen, with four sons ahead of her in line, he never planned to let Carmen, an outsider, into the company or put her in his will. He just planned to leave her enough money to live out her days in comfort. Besides, as long as Daxton was around, nothing would ever happen to Carmen, even if she didn’t get any shares.
No matter how much he disliked Aubree, she always had her share of the stocks. Ronald always kept things clear-cut when it came to that.
It was that birthday when Aubree “pushed” Carmen down the stairs. Ronald felt guilty for missing her inheritance party, and Aubree’s attitude just made him even angrier. In a moment of clouded judgment, he ended up giving Carmen the shares that were supposed to go to Aubree.
Bryan knew that, too. The shares were already in Carmen’s hands, and getting them back now would be no easy task.
“We can sound her out first. If she’s willing to hand them over on her own, that’s the best outcome. But if she refuses, we can’t be blamed for taking some measures,” Bryan said.
“I’m just worried the Diamonde family might get involved,” Ronald said.
Alice was carrying a tray of coffee and had just started to open the study door when she overheard every single word of their conversation.
Her hand trembled, and the cup on the tray hit the floor with a sharp crash.
“Who’s there?” Ronald asked.
Panic flashed across Alice’s face. She instinctively turned and hurried away.
The study door was yanked open. Ronald leaned out, scanning the hallway. He caught a glimpse of someone’s back and narrowed his eyes. “Alice?”
“Mom?” Bryan asked, stepping up behind him.
The study was off–limits to the housekeepers and maids. Even cleaning was usually done by Alice or by themselves.
Bryan stared at the steaming puddle on the floor. ‘It’s late, and the only one who would bring us water at this hour is probably Mom,’ he thought.
“Yeah,” Ronald said, frowning. “What was she doing here? How much did she overhear? Did she drop the cup because she was feeling guilty?” he wondered.
Alice rushed back to her room, barely catching her breath when her phone rang. It was Ernesto, her brother.
She took a moment to compose herself before answering. “Hello?”
“Alice, I need to talk to you. Let’s meet up tomorrow,” Ernesto said. Alice didn’t ask any questions and thought, ‘No matter what, Ernesto is still a Diamonde. He’ll always be on my side when it comes to the big picture.’
“Okay. Where should we meet?” asked Alice.
“Let’s meet at the Rose Apartment on Green Street. I remember you have a property there, right?” Ernesto said.
Ernesto drew out his last word, his voice slow and heavy with meaning.
Alice felt as if she’d been dropped into a frozen lake. Her mouth hung open, but not a single sound escaped, like a swari with its neck caught in a vice. She couldn’t even manage a plea for help.
“Rose Apartment… That’s where I settled Kyler,” Alice thought, panic rising in her chest.
‘Does Ernesto know about it?’ she wondered, her heart pounding.
“You… You know about everything?” Alice finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.