When he thought of Olivia, his daughter, Cameron couldn’t help but think of that woman. That woman and his daughter were his real family; the two of them were the only ones who stayed with him and gave him happiness without any complaints regardless of his financial situation!
Cameron clenched his fists tightly before he turned around. Just as he was about to leave, Myra—who could no longer hold back the anger within her—questioned the man before her and asked, “Did you ever love my Mom when you were together with her?”
Myra couldn’t believe that the man in front of her—this selfish, treacherous, deceitful, and narrow-minded man—was actually the person her mother used to love. Not only did he have an extramarital affair with Rachel, he had also been keeping a mistress behind everyone’s back and even fathered a daughter! Neither Rachel nor her mother was the woman he loved the most, for he dealt with these two women while secretly building another home of his own. Just how filthy has his heart become?! she thought to herself.
“What do you think?” Cameron laughed mockingly. He then turned around, fixed his eyes on Myra, and said disdainfully in the most merciless voice, “Do you think I would marry your mother and even father you with her if it weren’t for the bit of business acumen and means that she had?” Upon seeing the sudden change in Myra’s countenance, he laughed heartily with a touch of cruelty on his lips. “That’s why you’re not strong enough, Myra. Everything can be exploited in the business world—that includes family connections, friendships, and even love and marriage! Your mother loved me back then, and it just so happened that I needed her to help me expand the Stark Group. Since she presented herself to me, why couldn’t I take advantage of it?! To be frank, aren’t you taking advantage of Tony as well? You’re using him to get rid of your failed marriage and your reputation as a loose woman! Not only are you using him to help you snatch the Stark Group away from me, you’re also using him to join the Hart Family and join the upper classes of Bradfort City! It’s just that you’re doing so under the pretense of love. At the end of the day, you’re my daughter—haven’t you inherited my genes?”
Myra’s expression turned as black as thunder. “Shut up!”
“Are you telling me to shut up? Fine, I’ll shut up since you’re asking me to. However, can you erase what you’ve done even if I do so?” Cameron laughed maliciously. “I have been absolutely clear about what kind of person you are for the longest time! I just fear that Director Hart might be seeing through you slowly!”
“Don’t just assume that everyone in this world is as despicable as you are, Cameron Stark!” Myra forced a sneer while looking at the hideous-looking man before her. She sincerely thought that her mother didn’t deserve what had been done to her. Her mother devoted the most wonderful time of her life to this man, yet he only thought of her as an exploitable tool! Well, that’s understandable, she thought to herself. What else could be better than interests in the heart of someone like him?! “Since you’ve made the decision, you’re at liberty to do whatever you please. I’m telling you, though—I won’t let the Stark Group continue to stay in your hands even if it vanishes from Bradfort City!”
“In that case, we shall see if the Stark Group stays in my hands!” Cameron sneered. Then, he pushed the door open and left right away without saying another word to Myra.
Cameron ran into Leo when he left the room, and the latter said to him with a half-smile, “Allow me to give you a reminder, President Stark. Don’t misjudge anyone, or the outcome won’t be as simple as an awful blunder. You may even be finished for the rest of your life…”
“You’re right, Mr. Clark. Nonetheless, I have seen through somebody clearly now. Thanks for your advice,” Cameron retorted icily before leaving the Hart Group right away.
He stormed all the way out of the Hart Group furiously. After getting into his car, he dialed a number with a surly expression.
Gideon quickly answered the phone on the other end. “How did it go?” His voice was full of joy and meaning as though he was certain about something.
As he had expected, Cameron gritted his teeth. “I’ll give you ten percent of the Stark Group’s shares if you make the investment.”
“We would have entered into collaboration long ago had you done this sooner, President Stark. This would have saved you so much trouble, wouldn’t it?” Gideon replied. Nonetheless, he accepted Cameron’s offer and said, “I’ll be waiting for you to deliver the written agreement, President Stark. Once the signed agreement comes into effect, the Walton Group will invest in the Stark Group.”
Cameron’s face was glum. “I know that, but we’ve agreed in advance that we must sign an agreement even if the Walton Group takes away ten percent of the shares. This ten percent of the shares can only be managed by me in the next five years; of course, the profit will be yours.”
“Okay,” Gideon agreed readily, but a hint of sinisterness flashed across the depths of his eyes. Of course, he had his own plans—he was only playing along with Cameron for the time being.
Only then did Cameron breathe a sigh of relief. Soon, he hung up the cell phone and stared intently at the road ahead of him with a sneer on his lips. Since Myra has turned down my plea, I won’t have any regard for her self-respect anymore. When this matter is settled, it’ll be time for me to clear the company of those old ignoramuses who always like to stir up trouble!
At the thought of this, he took another deep breath and dialed a number. However, a female announcer’s voice was heard on the other end. “Sorry, but the number you dialed is not in service. Please try again later…”
Cameron’s face darkened instantly.
Indeed, that woman wasn’t together with him for money and power. After she learned of his identity, she didn’t pester him repeatedly to make her his legal wife as other women did, nor did she ask him for large sums of money. Instead, her intentions could be told from the way she left him quietly. However, she and their daughter left him quietly without telling Cameron any news about their whereabouts. How was he going to look for them in the vast sea of people?
Suddenly, Cameron’s cell phone rang. At the sight of the caller ID, his pupils contracted before he immediately picked up the phone. “How did it go?” he asked grimly while lowering his voice.
There was a pause on the other end of the line before the person answered apologetically, “I’m sorry, President Stark—we haven’t found them yet. However, we’ve gotten a tiny clue lately, and we’re following up on it. If the clue is correct, we should be able to find them within a week.”
Cameron’s face was as miserable as sin when he heard the first part of the man’s speech; it wasn’t until later that his expression softened slightly. He took a deep breath and urged, “All right, locate them as soon as possible. I’m willing to pay twice the price once you find them!”
“You’re such a nice person, President Stark. We’ll certainly do our best!”
Both sides then hung up without saying another word. After tossing his cell phone away, Cameron leaned back in his seat with weariness written all over his face.
…
Meanwhile, Olivia was sitting next to a woman in the ambulance of a hospital. She had comforted the woman many times, but the woman was still somewhat anxious. “Can’t we have surgery in the county? Isn’t it just a minor surgery to remove a blood clot? Why can’t we do it in the county? Besides, doesn’t it cost a lot of money to seek treatment at a big hospital in Bradfort City? Let’s not go there, shall we—”
“Trust me, Mom. The hospital told me that it has a place for patients who need assistance, and we don’t have to spend too much money. Besides, the medical technology there is way more advanced, so you’ll make a better recovery in the future; it won’t take long before you’re up and healthy again!”
“But—” The woman couldn’t help feeling that something was wrong. Olivia left for a day on the excuse of a part-time job, but she had been somewhat downcast ever since coming back. She asked Olivia twice about this, but Olivia merely responded by saying that she had come across some problems in her job. However, she knew Olivia well enough to know that Olivia wouldn’t be upset by her odd jobs!
“That’s enough, Mom. Trust me, okay?” Olivia replied softly while holding the woman’s hand.
The woman bit her lip. “I’m afraid that you would go to your father… Olivia, you mustn’t go to him in the future no matter if I’m dying or not. We can be penniless, but we mustn’t abandon the most basic principles of being a decent person. Now that I have done your sister and her mother a disservice, I am ashamed to show my face. How can I do something more unreasonable…”
