Chapter 225 A Bounty
“What’s the condition?” Jonathan’s brows scrunched together.
“You’re to divorce Josephine Smith!” Loretta stated coldly.
“Never!” Jonathan declined without the slightest hesitation.
Upon hearing that, Loretta uttered frostily, “Jonathan, you’ll be the only third-generation heir of the Goldstein family after you return to the fold! The blood of the Goldstein family flows in your veins, so a woman from a third-rate family is unworthy of being your wife!”
“Was this what you said when my mother married into the Goldstein family back then?” Jonathan sneered all of a sudden.
When I was young, I heard countless stories of how they made life difficult for Mom after she married into the Goldstein family back then. And now, they want to poke their noses into my affairs?
The instant his words fell, Loretta harrumphed. “That girl from the Smith family can’t hold a candle to your mother! No matter how poor Elizabeth’s background was, she was a superstar at the very least! But what about that Smith girl? What else does she have going for her other than her above-average looks?”
She seemed to harbor great prejudice against Josephine, for contempt shone distinctly in her eyes as she spoke of the latter. She then declared, “I’ve already arranged a marriage for you in Yaleview with the eldest daughter of the Zeller family. Marry her after you return!”
Hearing that, Jonathan frowned and questioned, “The Zeller family, one of the four prominent families in Yaleview?”
Loretta nodded, enunciating, “Yes! As long as you marry her, the Goldstein and Zeller families will be forming a strong union to achieve greater heights! Then, the Goldstein family will have the opportunity to be the true forerunner among the four prominent families in Yaleview!”
While saying that, a glimmer of desire flickered in her eyes.
Being the head of the four prominent families in Yaleview was her lifelong dream.
Likewise, it was also that of the Goldstein family.
I’ve waited for this day for decades!
“I’m not interested in that,” Jonathan abruptly stated when she still had stars in her eyes.
That utterance was undoubtedly a bucket of cold water to Loretta, and her expression promptly went chilly.
Her gaze similarly turned frosty, and she gaped at him with utter incredulity as though she had heard something inconceivable. “What did you just say, Jonathan? Do you know what you’re saying?”
In response, Jonathan swept a dispassionate gaze over her and drawled, “I know exactly what I’m saying. It’s you who can’t understand my words. I said, I’m not interested. I have no interest in the eldest daughter of the Zeller family or the Goldstein family, much less in being the forerunner of the four prominent families in Yaleview!”
What’s so great about the eldest daughter of the Zeller family or being the head of the four prominent families in Yaleview and the only heir to the Goldstein family? They’re entirely useless to me, and I don’t give a whit about it in the least!
If I want it, legions of ladies from prominent families will jump onto my bed with a mere hook of my finger. Even if they won’t have any rightful status or can only be my mistress, they’ll still throw themselves at me! Yet, the eldest daughter of the Zeller family wants to take Josephine’s place and be my wife instead? She isn’t worthy of that!
“Do you know what you’re turning down, Jonathan? Are you aware of what it means once the Goldstein and Zeller families join forces?” Loretta glowered at him, the look in her eyes making it seem as though she was looking at a useless wastrel.
She barked, “It means that the Goldstein family is going to be spearheading the four prominent families in Yaleview! It also means that the Goldstein family will be ruling supreme over the city and even control half of Chanaea! Other than Asura’s Office, no one will be our match in the whole of Chanaea! Do you understand that?”
In contrast to her emotional state, Jonathan wore an indifferent expression. “So what? I’m not interested even if you give me the whole of Yaleview, let alone the mere position of forerunner of the four prominent families in Yaleview!”
After saying that, he could no longer be bothered to say another word to her, thus whirled around to leave.
Before doing so, he warned, “Also, I don’t want to see you in Jadeborough anymore in the days to come. If I do, you won’t be leaving the city alive! While I’m at it, let me also remind you that if the Goldstein family dares to harass Josephine again, there’s no longer need for the Goldstein family to exist!”
Back then, I only spared the Goldstein family when I wiped out all the prominent families in Yaleview because of old times’ sake. If I hadn’t seen the bouquet of flowers before my parent’s grave, the Goldstein family would’ve long since been razed to the ground by the Four Asura Guards! As such, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to waste my time here right now!
“How unfilial! What a wretched creature! How did the Goldstein family beget such an unfilial descendant?” Loretta shook with rage as she stared at the man’s retreating back.
He’d rather be a worthless live-in son-in-law in Jadeborough than to follow me back and be the heir of the Goldstein family! What did the Goldstein family do to deserve having such a useless piece of trash?
At that precise moment, a burly man in black behind her suddenly came forward and suggested, “Mrs. Goldstein, how about I just…”
He didn’t finish his utterance but mimed slitting his throat.
Slap!
The second his words fell, Loretta struck him across the face.
“An outsider has no right to interfere in the matter of the Goldstein family! If you dare do the same in the future, I’ll kill you!”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Goldstein!”
Following that slap, the burly man in black instantly took a step back and dared not utter a single word further.
Throwing him a glacial look, Loretta ordered, “Clean the mess! We’re going back to Yaleview tonight!”
“Understood!”
Upon receiving their orders, the few burly men in black swiftly stepped forward and disposed of the corpse on the ground.
While they were doing so, Loretta cast her gaze in the direction of Edenic Heights chillingly. In a cold voice, she muttered, “You won’t return with me, huh, Jonathan? All right, don’t blame me for being ruthless then!”
Right after saying that, she turned to the few burly men in black and instructed, “When we arrive back in Yaleview, put out a bounty for me. Whoever kills Josephine Smith may seek me out and collect a reward of a million anytime! No, make that eight million! Whoever kills Josephine Smith may seek me out and collect a reward of eight million anytime!”
“Understood, Mrs. Goldstein!”
The burly men in black exchanged glances when they heard that, upon which they glimpsed a glint of greed in each other’s eyes.
Eight million is payment enough to assassinate a high-ranking official from abroad. Yet, the Goldstein family is offering a reward of eight million to kill a weak and defenseless woman!
