After a short drive, Bella's expression suddenly changed. She clenched her delicate hands, which bore marks of Justin's kisses, into fists and began pounding on his chest.
"Bella, take it easy, or your hands will hurt." Justin's voice trembled from her blows.
Driving, Steven stole a glance in the rearview mirror, unable to suppress a smile.
"Justin, I have a question for you." Bella poked his firm chest with her finger, anger radiating from her. "Did you know about Carrie's engagement to Mayor Solloway's son?" Justin's dark eyes narrowed, and he grabbed her hand. "Bella, how did you find out about that?" "How did I find out?! The whole city of Savrow probably knows by now!" Bella recounted everything Axel had told her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Damn it!" Justin slammed a fist into the car window in a rage. "The Solloways are spreading this news to force Gregory to finalize the engagement plans with their family as quickly as possible!" "They can forget about it. In this day and age, you can't just force someone into marriage!" Bella bit her lip. "As long as Carrie doesn't want it, it doesn't matter. Don't they dare even think about touching her!" "But Carrie agreed to it." "What?! Why?!" Bella and Steven exclaimed in unison.
"She said being with Ryan was too exhausting." "That's a lie!" Bella said.
"She said being with Ryan would only bring trouble to him and Yasmin. She didn't want to be a burden to the people she loves." "She could just leave Ryan then. Why marry Jason Solloway?" Bella's dark almond eyes showed suspicion. "Did Chairman Salvador pressure her or say something to her?" Justin thought for a moment and spoke with a hoarse voice. "Gregory and I argued about the engagement with the Solloways in front of Carrie the other day. It must've scared her." Bang-! Bella slammed her fist into the car window. Fortunately, the luxury car was sturdy, or it would not have withstood the couple's abuse.
"Carrie... She's sacrificing herself to protect you!" Bella's eyes reddened, and her heart ached. "Carrie was worried that Chairman Salvador would hold a grudge against you. She feared he'd retaliate and strip away everything you've worked hard for! She doesn't know any other way to protect you... She could only sacrifice her own happiness to protect the dearest brother she cares most about!" "Carrie... That silly girl." Justin shook his head, pain tearing at his heart. "We can't let her marry Jason Solloway. Absolutely not!" Furious, Bella gritted her teeth. “Damn it... I'd rather Carrie be Ralph's wife than let her marry that jerk! That way, at least we get to keep her in the family." Justin pursed his thin lips. "Bella, do you think Ryan and Carrie still have a chance to be together?" "I don't know. Matters of the heart are always the most unpredictable and hardest to grasp." Bella sighed softly as she nestled in Justin's arms. "The path for Carrie and Ryan may not be as smooth as ours once was. Let's deal with the current mess first." * The day after Logan dealt with Ryan, the Hoffman Group swiftly sent Liam's dismissal announcement to everyone's inboxes.
The Hoffman Group had stripped Liam of all his duties and removed him from the board of directors.
From that moment on, Liam was nothing but a socially idle person.
Aside from the annual dividends from his shares, he had nothing more to do with the Hoffman Group.
That evening, feeling deeply frustrated, Liam called up sfriends and headed to the notorious den of indulgence in Savrow, Pivotage, to drown his sorrows.
After downing several bottles of liquor, he started ranting angrily about Logan in the private room.
He called Logan a self-righteous, cunning old fox who would betray anyone for his own benefit.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHis friends could only offer kind words, advising him to stay resilient. They also reminded him that he still had hope as long as he was still alive.
As long as Liam held shares, he was still a major shareholder in the Hoffman Group. To him, reclaiming his position and taking down that wretched Ryan was just a matter of time. Content belongs to en.sw"I heard... Burp... There's a girl named Yvonne here at Pivotage. She's said to be quite a stunner. Bring her out to drink with me!" Reeking of alcohol, Liam demanded that the manager bring Yvonne out. Content belongs to en.sw"I'm sorry, Mr. Hoffman." The manager smiled politely and replied, "Ms. Smith only entertains esteemed guests. I'm afraid you won't be able to meet her." Liam's eyes widened in anger. "What kind of nonsense is that?! If I'm not considered an esteemed guest, who is?!" "Weren't you just dismissed from your post today?" "You...!" Liam was infuriated. How did Pivotage get news so quickly?! "The last person who made a scene here didn't end up well. While we cover medical expenses, broken bones are a minor issue compared to the humiliation. Don't you agree?" Content belongs to en.swhovels"Who was it?!" "James Iverson." That response rendered Liam speechless.
Damn it. The saying was true that a dethroned king would be mocked by commoners.
Meanwhile, in the surveillance room, Yvonne watched the situation in Liam's private room closely.
Just then, one of her subordinates rushed in.
"Ms. Smith, another guest has arrived. The car has entered the underground parking lot." Yvonne asked nonchalantly, "Who is it?" "The Hoffman Group's CEO, Ryan Hoffman."