Jeremy reminisced about the day when he went to Catherine to propose his deal.
“Ms. Turner, you only have one last chance right now.”
Jeremy was comfortably sitting on the sofa, his finger interlocked.
He looked at Catherine and calmly said, “If you hand over the Turner Group’s shares, I will help your husband recover.” Catherine glared at Jeremy.
Hate made her eyes red.
She didn’t hesitate at all and rejected him on the spot.
“No! If you think you’ll get your hands on the shares of the Turner Group, then you’re dreaming!”
At that time she had been running around to find a way to cure his husband’s illness. The exhaustion had taken a toll on her. She was extremely haggard.
The elegance and nobility she once had as an upper-class lady had been long lost.
Jeremy took pleasure in seeing Catherine’s distress. His smile grew wider and crueler.
“Do you really think you still have any options left?” He taunted.
Unwillingness was obvious on Catherine’s face.
She clenched her fists tightly and bit her lower lip but said nothing, only stared at Jeremy.
If her daughter hadn’t died, perhaps she would still have the privilege to make a choice.
But now, she was left with no choice. There were only two paths in front of her. And both were dead- ends.
If she refused Jeremy’s offer and let Luke suffer, she would still have to give up the Turner Group if Luke died. She could end up watching the Turner Group get taken and divided among the Turner family members and other shareholders. She would have no share in it. Or she could agree to Jeremy’s demands, hand over the shares of the Turner Group, and save Luke’s life. And regardless of who owned the Group, she would have Luke to rely on.
Once he had recovered, she wouldn’t have to live a difficult life from that day forward.
Jeremy knew full well and understand she would only have two options.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to approach Catherine so brazenly to demand the shares.
In addition, Jeremy knew deep down that a pampered and spoiled wealthy lady, without the courage or ability to handle the fallout after Luke’s death, would be powerless against the ensuing chaos.
Jeremy was at an advantage for multiple reasons.
With a calm expression, he waited for Catherine to make her decision.
Minutes passed but Jeremy remained patient.
He did not pressure Catherine nor showed any signs of irritation.
Watching his prey struggle helplessly, without any means of escape was his favorite thing to do.
After a long while, Catherine lowered her noble head as if accepting her fate, and spoke in a despondent and desperate tone.
“Please save my husband.” Her back slumped down as soon as the words left her mouth. It was hard to believe she had been a dignified lady.
All of her pride and haughtiness vanished like smoke.
Jeremy let out a hearty laugh.
“Ms. Turner, you and Mr. Turner do love each other so much. Don’t worry, I will make sure the two of you are reunited.” Under Jeremy’s care, it didn’t take long for Luke to wake up from his coma.
However, he wasn’t fully recovered yet.
With the stroke-like condition he was suffering from, he was unable to walk and his speech was limited.
The power and prestige he once had slipped from his hands.
He was not one of the most successful men in the business world anymore.
Catherine, having lost her pillar of support, had no choice but to swallow her bitterness and resentment as she watched her husband become a virtual invalid.
She had to resign herself to her fate and leave with Luke.
Before leaving the hospital, Catherine reluctantly asked Jeremy, “Why did you insist on taking over the Turner Group? There had never been any conflict between us and it didn’t look like you were holding grudges against us, were you?”
Outside the window, a flock of birds flew by.
Jeremy watched them pass with a vile smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Ms. Turner, of course, we have no grudges against each other. On the contrary, I’m quite grateful to you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have an ace up my sleeve to go against Brandon. Someday, | will ruin him and watch him kneel at my feet to beg for mercy.”
Jeremy spoke deliberately, his tone laced with murderous intent.
Merely listening to it felt suffocating.
Catherine’s heart quivered in her chest.
She couldn’t understand why this young man would go to such great lengths to plot against Brandon.
What grudges were there between the two to drive him to do so? A vicious and dark future loomed before them.
Perhaps, a terrible storm of bloodshed and violence would sweep up Barnes at one point in time.
Jeremy studied each of the Turner family members.
With a sigh, Jeremy feigned regret.
“I understand your concerns,” he said solemnly.
“That’s why I’m willing to give all of you an option.”
The atmosphere inside turned heavy as the Turners grew tense.
Yet none of them dared to speak.
They silently watched Jeremy.
A small smile appeared on Jeremy’s face.
“Mr. Turner and Ms. Turner are getting on in years and their health has never been very good. They wanted to find a quiet, remote town where they could rest and recuperate for a while. Before they left, they told me that they would not be coming back.”
Murmurs of disbelief filled the air.
The look on the Turner family members’ faces grew tenser.
“So, if you want to follow Mr. Turner, you can leave now. I won’t stop you. But…” Jeremy’s eyes suddenly turned cold.
“But if you want to stay, you must continue to be loyal to the Turner Group as you did before. If I find out that any of you have any ulterior motives, my punishment for traitors will not be any less severe than Mr. Turner’s,” he said, speaking slowly so they would understand each word.
As soon as Jeremy ended his sentence, the entire room fell silent.
The Turner family members glanced at each other in silence, their eyes revealing the cold fear that ran down their collective spine.
After months of secret investigation, they suspected that Luke’s departure was most likely the result of one of Jeremy’s schemes.
They just couldn’t figure out exactly how he had done it. Luke was no ordinary man.
Under his steady leadership, the Turner Group had quickly grown into a major corporation in Barnes— sufficiently demonstrating his competence and ambition.
The mere fact that a young man like Jeremy had been able to force Luke to resign was proof that his methods were far more radical than Luke’s.
This made the Turner family deal with the frail young man before them extremely cautiously.
After pondering over the pros and cons for a while, all the members of the family smiled obsequiously at Jeremy.
“Well, of course. We’re completely loyal to the Turner Group! With Mr. Button… No, with our CEO, Mr. Button, at the helm, I’m confident that the Turner Group will reach even greater heights than it already has!”
“Precisely. Mr. Turner has reached retirement age, and it’s time for him to pass the torch to someone more qualified.”
Showered with compliments from the Turner family, Jeremy smiled softly.
“I’m glad you all think so. I hope we’ll be able to work together to make the Turner Group even more successful.” As he spoke, he raised his glass and made a toast to the Turner family members.
