Chapter 262
Fortunately, Tracy was level-headed. If she had been more naive Vincent and Karen might have gotten exactly what they wanted.novelbin
Vincent returned to the hospital, dejected. Karen already knew the outcome, and her face was dark with anger. She hadn't expected even the Gilbert family to side so blatantly with Elvira
"Mom, what are we going to do now? The company can't survive much longer. The bank won't give us any more loans. At this rate, we'll have to declare bankruptcy within the week," Vincent said, his voice filled with despair.
The money his mother had invested was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for the company's massive financial gap. It had disappeared without a trace. The company had turned into a giant cash-eating monster. Without hundreds of millions of dollars, there was no way to keep it afloat.
"You need to go to Elvira and hand the company over to her," Karen made the most drastic decision of her life.
Vincent stared at her, wide-eyed. "Mom... how can we do that? If we give her the company, we'll have nothing left."
"Right now, Elvira is the only one who can save the company. No matter what, she's from the Willis family. As long as the company belongs to the Willis family, that's all that matters," Karen said, her teeth clenched.
Willis Group had been her life's work, and she wasn't going to watch it crumble if there was even the slightest chance of saving it.
"Alright, Mom. I'll do it your way," Vincent said, realizing that there was no other option left.
"And those two bitches, what's going on with them now?" Karen's voice seethed with fury at the thought of Amber and Judy. Amber had made her raise another man's child for over twenty years, and she had even ruined the family, only to try poisoning Karen in the end. Karen was so angry, she almost wanted to kill Amber with her own hands. Judy disgusted Karen even more. She was nothing but an outsider, with no blood relation to Karen at all. Just thinking about it made Karen seethe with rage.
"Amber's been sued. I won't let her off this time. She and her bastard of a lover will rot in prison forever. As for Judy, she's been in the hospital due to her health, and she'll be sent to the detention center soon. I have people keeping an eye on her.
"She won't be able to escape," Vincent said, his hatred for those two women palpable. He used to love Judy so much, but now, he despised her with every fiber of his being.
Now, he had become the laughingstock of all of Jersten. Wherever he went, people mocked him, some openly, others more subtly, laughing at how his wife had cheated on him, making a fool of him, and how he'd been raising someone else's child. To top it off, his family's fortune had been destroyed by that bastard child.
"You go see Elvira. Make sure she helps the Willis Group through this crisis. Once we get through this, I'll give her the whole company," Karen said, her mind constantly in turmoil.
On top of everything else, her health had deteriorated due to the poisoning, and she was physically and mentally exhausted.
Vincent left to do as his mother had instructed. This time, he did meet with Elvira.
A
When he stepped into Elvira's company, he was struck by its massive scale. He hadn't expected the daughter he had always looked down on to have built such a large corporation at such a young age.
If he hadn't been tricked by Amber, if he hadn't favored Judy, and if he had handed over control of the company to Elvira, with her ability, the Willis Group would have already become a global enterprise by now. It certainly wouldn't have been on the brink of bankruptcy, laughed at by everyone.
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The receptionist led Vincent, to Elvira's office. The office was designed just like Zach's, quite large. It was elegant, with a style that balanced sophistication and formality.
Elvira was reviewing a new project. She wasn't very familiar with the details, so she was looking up related information.
When Vincent entered, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Elvira looked stunning in her business attire. Her slender profile, long, thick hair, and delicate features made her look both refined and beautiful.
At that moment, she was wearing a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses, adding a touch of intellectual charm.
Vincent couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong with him. He wondered why he had only ever loved Judy and why everything about Elvira made him feel uncomfortable.
Elvira heard the door and removed her glasses, tossing them onto her desk before looking up at him. "What do you want? Say it all at once. Don't come here again to bother me or my family," she said, her tone calm but firm.
Vincent understood she was referring to his visit to the Gilbert mansion. He felt embarrassed. Truthfully, he didn't want to approach her in such a way. But with no other choice, he had been forced to swallow his pride and make a move he never thought he'd have to make.
For so many years, everything had gone smoothly for him, with everyone flattering and supporting him. It had been so long since he'd experienced the coldness of reality.
"Elvira, we're family. I'm your real father. How can you say something like that?" Vincent said, forcing a smile.
"I remember how you and Amber kept suppressing me and my brother for Judy's sake, and later, you completely cut ties with me because of her. Don't you think it's a little ridiculous to pretend to be a good father now?" Elvira replied, showing no mercy.
Since he had come, she wasn't going to hold back.
"I was tricked by Amber. She made me raise another man's bastard child for over twenty years. Thinking about it now makes me sick. Elvira, I swear I will never acknowledge Judy as my daughter again. You're my real daughter. "Elvira, can you forgive me for my past mistakes? Can you give me another chance?" Vincent pleaded, his face twisted in
sorrow.
"No." Elvira rejected him decisively, her voice cold and firm. She wasn't about to give him any chance, not now, not ever. "Elvira, don't be so heartless... I know I was wrong," Vincent tried to play the victim, hoping to gain some sympathy. Elvira interrupted him sharply. "Do you really think an apology can undo everything I've been through because of Amber and Judy? All the unfair treatment I suffered in the Willis family growing up?
"Do you think I can just forget the way they both plotted against me, humiliated me, abused me, and tortured me... all because you allowed it and because you did nothing?
"So, you really believe I'm going to forgive you? I haven't forgiven my own mother, so why should I forgive you?"
Vincent's face turned pale and then flushed with guilt. For over ten years, he had favored Amber and Judy, letting them manipulate him, while he distanced himself from Elvira. But now, to his horror, he realized Judy wasn't even his daughter. If he had known that from the start, things would have been completely different.
"Stop with the useless talk. Why are you really here? If you're not going to say anything, just leave." Elvira's voice was cold, her eyes void of any warmth. Her gaze was as indifferent as that of a stranger who had no connection to him at all. Vincent distinctly remembered how, when she was a child, those same eyes had looked at him with love and admiration. 'When did her eyes turn so cold?' he thought to himself, feeling a chill run down his spine.