Chapter 729
729 Chapter 728
As Oliver stood there, his expression darkened, and his eyes filled with bitterness. Julius began reading aloud from the will: "The late Mrs. Horton held a 20% stake in Horton Group, three properties—two in Oceanion, one in Clance—and $900 million in savings, along with a collection of jewelry. As per her last will, she has left 5% of her Horton Group shares to her granddaughter-in-law."
Oliver let out a derisive laugh. "You all heard that, right? Even an outsider like Keera gets 5% of the shares, but what about us from the main branch? Nothing!"
Before anyone could respond, Julius glared at Oliver. "You'll shut your mouth until I finish reading."
Oliver sneered. "Finish it all you want. The result's the same, nothing for us."
Julius continued reading in an even tone: "The remaining 15% of her shares will be divided equally between her son, Nathan Horton, her grandson, Lewis Horton, and her great-grandson, Jake Horton. Each of them will receive 5%. The two Oceanion properties go to Lewis Horton, while the Clance property is left to Jake Horton. Her $900 million in savings is to be split equally among the three heirs. The entire collection of jewelry is bequeathed to Keera Olsen."
"..."
The room fell into an immediate silence after Julius finished.
No one moved or spoke. Even Oliver was at a loss for words, staring in disbelief at the document Julius held in his hand.
"How is that possible? This doesn't make any sense... There's no way she left something for us..."
Julius fixed his gaze on Oliver. "That's right, Oliver. Originally, the shares meant for the main branch were intended for you. But because of your actions, all inheritance from your branch is now transferred to Jake."
Oliver staggered back, his legs giving way as he muttered, "No... this can't be happening."
Lewis, who had been standing silently, finally spoke. "Grandma may have favored me in some ways, but she never neglected the main branch. Oliver, do you get it now?"
Oliver shook his head, eyes wide. "No, this is impossible..."
He turned to Jake, fury flashing in his eyes, and rushed toward him. "I'm your father! You better hand over those shares to me right now!"
Before Jake could respond, Lewis's voice cut in coldly. "You've been exiled from the Horton family. All shares that were once under your name have been transferred to Jake. Don't worry. We won't let the main branch disappear."
Oliver froze, blinking in shock.
"Not let the main branch disappear?" he stammered, his voice breaking.
But they were throwing him out. He turned to his father, Nathan, desperation flooding his voice. "Dad..."
But before he could get another word out, Lewis's demeanor shifted, turning ice cold.
He had tolerated Oliver's behavior for too long.
"Get him out of here!" Lewis ordered.
Nathan tried to intervene, but Lewis shot him a warning look. "Anyone who dares to plead for Oliver will be removed alongside him!"
Nathan's face flushed with anger. "Have you lost your mind? You think you can boss me around now?"
Lewis looked past him to Julius. "Uncle Julius, what do you think?"
Julius didn't hesitate. "Nathan, be quiet."
"But—"
Lewis stepped forward, his eyes locked on his father's. Any hint of warmth or filial respect had vanished. "After Grandma's funeral tomorrow, I think it's time you move back to the old house with Uncle Julius."
Nathan's eyes went wide. "What did you just say?"
Lewis's face remained calm but firm. "You've always said you miss your childhood in the old house, right? Well, now you can live there in peace."
Though it was phrased like a question, the finality in Lewis's voice left no room for argument.
Nathan stunned, stared up at his son—tall and imposing at six-foot-two, now towering over him in more ways than just height.
There was only coldness in Lewis's eyes.
Nathan swallowed.
Lewis turned to Julius. "Sir, I'll hand over my father to you."
Julius nodded, seeing what Lewis had in mind. "Don't worry, Nathan. I'll take good care of you."
Everyone else in the room remained silent, sensing the power shift. The Horton family had just entered a new era, one where Lewis held complete control.
The security team arrived and forcibly escorted Oliver out.
As they dragged him toward the entrance, Uncle Olsen leaned over to Keira and whispered, "You're really going to let him off that easy?"
Keira glanced at Lewis, then quietly replied, "His punishment isn't happening here. If Lewis decides to ruin someone, he'll make sure it haunts them for the rest of their life."
Outside, Jake and Melissa followed Oliver out the door, watching from a distance as the guards threw him onto the pavement.
Oliver stood there, dazed, trying to regain his composure. But before he could yell or make a scene, the family's head of security stepped forward.
"Mr. Horton, I suggest you think carefully before you cause a disturbance," he said flatly. "If you disrupt the memorial service, there's no telling what our boss might do." This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
The memory of Lewis's cold stare made Oliver freeze. He shut his mouth and straightened his back, trying to maintain what little dignity he had left.
Spotting Jake and Melissa, he sneered. "Here to enjoy the show? Well, don't worry about me. I'll be just fine. Unlike you two losers."
Melissa sighed. "I'll make this quick: are we finally getting divorced or what?"
Oliver sneered again. "Oh, you don't want a divorce now? Fine. I'll give you one chance. Apologize to me, and make sure Jake hands over those shares... No, better yet, let him work for me as a puppet. We'll tear down Horton Group from the inside, and then maybe, just maybe, I won't leave you."
Melissa snorted, not holding back her disgust. "I meant, when we file, how are we splitting the assets? Do we need Jake to pay you alimony?"
Oliver fumed. "No!"
His eyes filled with contempt as he glared at them. "You two are so obsessed with money. That's all you think about. Marisa and Selena would never stoop this low. They actually care about me, unlike you."
Seeing him still clinging to delusions about Marisa and Selena, Jake sighed and shook his head.
"Just remember what you said today. When they refuse to take you in, don't come crawling back to Mom."
"Refuse? What are you talking about? I'll call them right now. They're waiting for me!"
With that, Oliver furiously pulled out his phone and dialed Marisa's number.