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Chapter 281
Chapter 281
The entire banquet hall fell into a hushed silence.
Everyone seemed to freeze in place, as if a pause button had been hit.
Sanderson stood there, shell-shocked, wondering if he'd misheard.
Yates, standing nearby, had risen to his feet, ready to intervene. He thought, if Bill gave Everard a hard time, he'd have to step in!
The old man couldn't just watch Everard get on Bill's bad side, forcing him to come to Everard's aid.
Helping Everard was essentially helping Lia.
His expression bore a trace of impatience, finding Lia's choice of boyfriend a real headache. Not only was he lacking in capability, but he also seemed to rub people the wrong way.
But then again, what mattered was Lia's happiness, right?
That impatience now froze on his face, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
Rachel and Juliana's jaws dropped, incredulous at the scene before them.
The evening had been Hanley's moment to shine, leaving them quite pleased, feeling they'd outshone the main branch of the family. But now... had Bill and Hackett called out the wrong name?
They weren't the only ones doubting; Kermit harbored the same suspicion.
Even Steward was lost for words...
The first to snap out of it was Cordelia.
She had turned her head the moment Bill appeared at the top of the stairs.
Initially, she thought about covering for her boyfriend, given how he'd been treating her lately.
But as soon as she saw Bill, she froze, only realizing the situation when Bill descended the stairs and approached them. Bill was none other than Vince?!
So, Everard hadn't fallen out with Bill at all!
Seeing Bill's respectful demeanor towards Everard at the Midnight Scent, it was evident he was like a subordinate. So, who exactly was Everard?! Hearing the term "boss," Cordelia was stunned, blurting out, "Boss?"
Everard, who had been idly playing with his phone, slowly looked up.
His tall frame exuded an aura of authority even as he sat on the sofa, once again becoming the center of attention.
A noble air enveloped him.
Ignoring Bill and Hackett, he first turned to Cordelia, a smirk playing on his lips: "Surprised, kiddo?"
Cordelia was speechless.
"Who... who are you?" Kermit voiced the question on everyone's mind, his gaze shifting to Hackett.
Bill might have been mistaken, but Hackett's acknowledgment was real!
The Griffin family was a powerhouse in Greenmeadow, and now Hackett stood before Everard...
Everard didn't answer. Instead, Bill straightened up, his voice tinged with a Western accent, "You deaf or something? Didn't you hear me call him boss?"
Kermit was puzzled.
Hackett slowly spoke up, "This gentleman is Mr. Watkins, the founder of Fortuna Group. He seldom gets involved directly these days, having handed over full control of Fortuna Group to Bill, stepping back into the shadows."
What?!
Founder of Fortuna Group?!
Everyone in the room gulped, staring at Everard in disbelief!
He looked to be in his twenties, yet the Fortune Empire had risen meteorically years ago, with ventures nationwide. Yet, no one knew the face behind it, all operations being highly confidential.Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
Like Greenmeadow, all of the Griffin family's assets were part of Fortuna Group.
Currently managed by the Griffin family, but should Bill need resources, they would unhesitatingly provide all their liquid assets!
And the Griffin family was just one entity in the vast Superiority Country, with countless businesses under the Fortuna Group umbrella.
In other words, Everard founded Fortuna Group before he was even twenty?!
Cordelia narrowed her eyes in thought.
She recalled Frankie mentioning that Everard had participated in national Olympiads at thirteen, securing a world championship trophy. Afterward, he vanished, with no one able to find him.
A promising star in the realm of mathematics disappeared, only for the business world to gain Fortuna Group.
She revisited her earlier judgment of Everard as a love-struck fool, now questioning... what doesn't Everard know how to do?!
The room erupted into a buzz of activity, everyone standing up, their faces a mix of horror and astonishment.
Everard, however, turned to Sanderson, breaking the silence, "Uncle, the meeting's over. Shall we go?"
Go?
It took a moment, but Sanderson nodded in agreement.
The others, who had followed Sanderson, shifted from despair to ecstasy!
They had braced for tough times, starting anew with their old boss and offending Bill in the process. They couldn't have imagined the turn of events from ridicule to glory in mere moments.
Being associated with Mr. Delaney, the son-in-law of the Fortuna Group founder, and having Bill show such deference, meant a bright future for their new venture.
The previously despondent crowd was now buzzing with energy.
They turned to Sanderson, voices united, "Mr. Delaney!"
Sanderson finally spoke, "Let's discuss the new venture tomorrow... for now, let's head home."
Sanderson, the once downtrodden son-in-law, who had been at the lowest point of his career, had suddenly shot up to stardom, leaving him in a daze.
furious
He should have been angry, even, wanting to blame Everard for deceiving them, but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling a bit grateful. If it weren't for Everard, he would've never seen the true colors of Steward and the Delaney family!!
At that moment, Sanderson's emotions were a whirlwind!
As everyone waited for Everard's next move, he graciously stepped back, paving the way for Sanderson to lead. With a gesture of invitation, he allowed him to walk ahead.
Stumbling forward, Sanderson was followed by Lorna, then came Everard and Cordelia, with Bill and Hackett trailing behind.
Once they left the party and reached the parking lot, Sanderson glanced back and saw Hackett, one of the most influential people in Greenmeadow, standing behind him. A sense of vanity unexpectedly
surged within him, and just like that,
his resentment towards
his
son-in-law vanished.
Steward didn't dare to stop them, only able to watch dumbfoundedly as they left.
When the convoy had disappeared from the Delaney family's driveway, their phone rang.
Rachel, in a daze, walked over to answer it. It was Hanley's mother on the line.
At the end of the party, Rachel, wanting to show off, had specifically mentioned that Sanderson was stepping down, and that the entire company's shares would go to their family.
Belinda was keenly interested in this news, asking directly, "Will the transition go smoothly? Has Sanderson truly stepped down?"
Rachel replied blankly, "He has stepped down."
"That's great!"
Belinda congratulated her, "Congratulations! Now that the head of the household is out, the issue with Cordelia's kept man offending Bill can be overlooked! From now on, the Delaney family is set to prosper!"
Rachel: ".
"
"You've finally shrugged off that
burden. You wouldn't believe the
rumors flying around lately; so many people have been asking after your family claiming they were
concerned. I was worried
now, I
can prepare for Hanley and Juliana's engagement party with peace of mind!"
After sharing this, Belinda couldn't resist gossiping a bit more, "By the way, when we left, Bill was still there. How did he deal with that kept man?"