fool

Chapter 24 

“It’s Marcus,” Marcus replied succinctly. 

“Mr. White? I’m sorry, I thought it was…” Ella responded. 

“First, tell me. What did Harry threaten you with?” Marcus remained intimidating. 

“It’s… nothing,” she stammered, embarrassed to discuss this topic, especially since she wasn’t that close to Marcus. 

“Speak!” A single word, full of pressure, almost made Ella cave in. 

“I went to a party, and Harry set me up. Now… he wants to settle things privately, and he… he wants me to…” 

“Go on.” 

“He asked me to dress sexy tonight and meet him in room 2036 at the Hilton,” she blurted out, feeling reckless. 

“Okay, I understand.” 

“Well, Mr. White, why did you call me?” 

“Because of your personal mistake, the prospects of our cooperation are in jeopardy. You’re dragging me down, do you understand?” His voice remained icy cold. 

Ella felt too ashamed to lift her head. She remembered a clause in the contract: if personal reasons caused by one party led to changes in production or market prices, the other party could terminate the contract unconditionally. 

She had already set up the factory and purchased materials worth more than 20 million dollars. If Marcus decided to terminate the contract now, Willow Group would truly be finished. 

“Mr. White, please don’t terminate the contract. I’ll find a way to resolve this,” Ella said. 

“How will you resolve it? By going to him?” Marcus asked. 

“I… I don’t know…” 

This time, she was genuinely at a loss. She bit her lip hard, tears swirling in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back. She tried to keep her voice calm, but he still sensed a tremor. 

He paused, realizing he might have sounded too harsh. He softened his tone. “I’ll increase the investment.” 

“What?” 

“I’ll send over a new contract. If you have no objections, just sign it. As for the public opinion out there, leave it to me.” 

“Leave it to you?” 

This isn’t just your affair anymore. Since we’re cooperating, you’ve affected me. I’m a businessman; I don’t do losing deals. I’ve had a flawless record since I started. Understand?” 

“Oh, I see. Then, thank you, Mr. White!” 

Though his words weren’t pleasant to hear, actions spoke louder. Just because she couldn’t handle it didn’t mean Marcus couldn’t. 

After hanging up, Jaden redrafted a new contract and had Hank deliver it. 

Hank held the documents, giving him a strange look, thinking, “Isn’t the plan to bankrupt her? Isn’t this an excellent opportunity? If the contract is terminated now, since Willow Group has already bought equipment, rented factories, and produced so much inventory that no one wants, piling up over time will eventually bankrupt her. This plan will achieve bankruptcy even earlier than originally planned. But now, it seems like giving away money! 

“Is there a problem?” Jaden gave him a pointed look, his expression conveying a clear message, 

Hank immediately lowered his head obediently. 

“Get the car ready. I need to go out tonight, Jaden instructed. 

Ella didn’t specify exactly when in the evening, so he decided to leave earlier. He wanted to find out just what kind of person Harry was who dared to provoke his woman. 

Night fell. Ella was delayed by Hank discussing the new contract at the company. 

The driver picked Jaden up and took him to the Hilton Hotel 

1/2 

4:04 PM 

Chapter 24 

Harry was already waiting there, having taken a shower and wrapped a towel around himself, humming a tune while opening a bottle of champagne. 

At that moment, Grace had just undergone surgery and was barely conscious. Harry paid no attention to that, solely focused on the certainty that Ella would come tonight. Otherwise, she wouldn’t survive this ordeal. She could only try to please him and beg for his forgiveness repeatedly. 

The thought excited him. As he leisurely sipped his wine, there was a knock at the door. He hurried over to open it. 

“You’ve finally come…” Before he could finish, his smile froze at the corner of his mouth. “You… who are you?” 

“Denison Group, Marcus,” Jaden replied. 

“Mr. White? Your reputation precedes you! Please… please come in!” Though unsure, Harry welcomed him in, dressed somewhat indecently and quickly threw on a robe. “Mr. White, what brings you here…” 

“Ella. She’s my girl,” Jaden stated bluntly, causing Harry’s face to immediately darken. 

Harry flushed red. His initial reaction was whether he should confront Marcus head–on for vying for Ella. He was still unwilling to give her away. 

“I don’t understand what you means. Ella is my ex–girlfriend; we almost got married. We have a long history. Besides, she’s married now. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to say this?” 

“So, you know she’s married?” Jaden raised an eyebrow, looking at him coldly. 

That gaze sent a shiver down Harry’s spine. “Mr. White, aren’t you overstepping your bounds? This is a private matter between Ella and me…” 

Before Harry could finish, Jaden interjected, “The Rhys family doesn’t have just one bastard.” 

These words hit Harry like a bolt of lightning. 

Jaden continued, “Garrett is notorious for his promiscuity, indulging himself whenever he travels for work, never willing to be alone. Your mother was a maid in the house, so you, as his illegitimate child, were right under his nose. But what about the one not in Ardbert City? 

“All of Garrett’s sons–how did you manage to inherit while others could also claim? No wills were left; all are his biological children. You haven’t firmly secured your position yet; the board of directors may not all support you.” 

“What exactly are you up to?” 

“As for whether Ella pushed someone, you know in your heart. How you’ve manipulated public opinion, you need to clean up that mess for me. Otherwise, my patience has limits! By morning, if I don’t see results, get ready to fight for your inheritance. You’re probably not irredeemably stupid; don’t become my enemy, or you won’t be able to handle the consequences.” 

Harry broke out in a cold sweat. He wasn’t particularly afraid of someone coming back to claim the family fortune. It might be troublesome, but he was confident. What truly terrified him was gaining undeserved support; that would indeed be problematic. 

He hadn’t yet firmly established himself because the party incident had already offended the upper echelons of the company. Making an enemy out of someone like Marcus would be a sure path to ruin. 

Narrowing his eyes, Harry couldn’t hide the deep–seated resentment burning within him as he gazed squarely at Marcus. The horror on Marcus’s face was unmistakable, marked by the ugly scars left by the flames. 

He sneered, “Ella does seem to have quite a talent. She must have put in quite a bit of effort with you!” 

If Marcus claimed there had been no intimate dealings between them, Harry wouldn’t believe it, thinking, ‘Ella is reserved toward me, but in reality, she can accept even such an unattractive man. It must be because Marcus has more money and power. 

‘She’s just a fickle woman. Don’t let her appearance deceive you. She has her ways with me, and she’ll have different tactics with you! You’re just one of her playthings. Don’t think you’ve got her figured out; she’s much deeper than you think!” Harry said. 

Jaden’s eyes grew colder, thinking, “They have indeed been involved!‘ 

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