Chapter 4

Juliet Hazlitt’s eyes widened in shock. “What did you say?” she exclaimed.

Hearing her reaction, Curtis Hazlitt on the other end laughed even more heartily. “I’m truly sorry. The position of president, which should have been yours, now belongs to me.”

“And… that’s not all. All of the Hazlitt family’s assets will also have your name removed from them one by one.”

“You’ll lose everything you have now. Just wait and see!”

Upon hearing this, Juliet Hazlitt’s delicate face turned completely pale.

Her fingers clenched tightly around the phone, her delicate body trembling, yet she couldn’t say a word.

In the blink of an eye, she understood.

Surely, it was his uncle Steven Hazlitt who was behind all this. Of the entire Hazlitt family, aside from the head of the family, Pamela Hazlitt, he was the only one with enough power to do such things.

Juliet Hazlitt bit her red lips tightly, tears welling in her eyes:

“Curtis Hazlitt, why would your father do such a thing?”

“It’s not your turn, you and your son, to think you can hold the sky in your hands!”

“I will definitely report this to Grandpa, so that he can make a fair judgment!”

“Absolutely ridiculous…” Curtis Hazlitt laughed derisively on the phone. “After all, it was the old man’s own approval!”

Juliet Hazlitt suddenly looked up, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Is this really true… Grandpa actually agreed?

On the other end, Curtis Hazlitt continued to chatter non-stop:

“Those good-for-nothing second uncle and second auntie—it must be difficult to even see them on a regular basis, right?”

“And now that you’ve mustered the courage of a bear and a leopard, you’ve caused your lover to make a huge mistake…”

“To tell you the truth, Grandpa is extremely disappointed in you right now. No one can save you!”

After saying those words with great satisfaction, the phone was abruptly hung up with a “click”.

In an instant, Juliet Hazlitt’s tears burst forth, and she began to sob.

She held the phone in her delicate hands, her eyes dull and lifeless. She seemed to have lost her soul.

Seeing the tears on the beautiful woman’s face, Todd Elsey, who had remained silent until then, let out a soft sigh.

With his keen hearing, he had certainly heard every word of the conversation between the two parties just now.

After a long silence, he picked up a tissue and handed it to Juliet Hazlitt, who was crying bitterly.

“Juliet, don’t worry. We’ll find a way.”

Juliet Hazlitt didn’t take the tissue. Instead, she stared blankly and said:

“What solutions are there? What else can be done…”

“Can your words really make Grandpa change his mind?”

She thought that Todd Elsey would silently back down upon hearing those words.

Who knew that his tone suddenly became firm:

“Of course!”

Suddenly, as if she had grasped a lifeline, Juliet Hazlitt’s beautiful eyes lit up.

She suddenly raised her head, looking at the handsome man before her with longing eyes.

“This matter… started because of me.”

Todd Elsey met her gaze calmly and spoke in a deep voice:

“It was I who made him lose face in public, yet you’re the one who’s being blamed for the consequences.”

“Juliet, don’t worry. I’ll definitely solve this in my own way!”

Seeing how determined he seemed, Juliet Hazlitt couldn’t help but believe in his resolve.

But as soon as he heard something about “one’s own way.”

In an instant, her mind became clear again.

The glimmer of hope that had just emerged in my heart was once again extinguished quietly.

“Todd Elsey… I advise you not to do anything stupid.”

Juliet Hazlitt smiled bitterly, shook her head, and said helplessly:

“Even if your whole body were made of iron, how many nails could you possibly crush alone?”

After a slight hesitation, she gritted her teeth and said the harsh truth: “As I said earlier, I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done tonight. But please don’t get involved in what happens next.”

“Because the implications involved are far beyond what a mere porter like you could ever imagine!”

Juliet Hazlitt knew full well that those two sentences were extremely hurtful.

But if it weren’t for this, how could she possibly dampen Todd Elsey’s fighting spirit?

After all, wasn’t he hurt Curtis Hazlitt in order to protect himself?

As for asking another stranger, whom I’ve never met before, to risk their life…

Even if he were the husband who came to live with her family, Juliet Hazlitt would never do such a thing.

Because, without a doubt, it would make her feel guilty towards her conscience.

“Juliet, are you really worried about me, behind those words of yours?”

However, a remark made by Todd Elsey suddenly made her laugh.

She glared at him fiercely. The man before her wore a smile on his face—there wasn’t the slightest hint that his pride had been hurt.

“Don’t worry, these little fish and shrimp aren’t a match for me at all.”

Todd Elsey grinned, narrowing his delicate eyes, his expression filled with happiness.

“Stop daydreaming!”

In an instant, Juliet Hazlitt’s face turned bright red. She tried hard to keep a serious expression and said:

“Worrying about you? Who do you think you are?”

Todd Elsey simply smiled at this, silently winking at her.

With a cold snort, Juliet Hazlitt couldn’t be bothered to look at the guy again. She turned her head away, clearly annoyed.

Midnight was approaching, and the two of them were already lying in their respective beds.

Juliet Hazlitt stood with her back to Todd Elsey on the ground, gazing absentmindedly at the moonlight outside the window.

Apart from the “unforgettable” impression that survey information gave her at first, upon meeting him in person, she realized that Todd Elsey wasn’t as annoying and unpleasant as she had imagined.

At least when he stepped forward, his back looked quite masculine.

Thinking of this, she curved her lips into a gentle smile.

But if it were expected that she would simply accept the other person like that, it would be completely impossible.

After all, there’s still plenty of time ahead. Only over time can we truly understand people’s hearts.

At this moment, Todd Elsey, who was lying on the floor, wasn’t asleep either. His fingers moved rapidly across the phone screen.

In little time, a message was swiftly transmitted through the dedicated communication network to Berlin, the capital of Dahua.

The content above consists of only one simple sentence:

Do whatever it takes to help Juliet Hazlitt ascend to the position of head of the family!

Like commands from a supreme authority, countless people and organizations took action at the same time.

The entire state machinery, as if waking from slumber, began to function frantically.

Over the course of one night, Mannheim, once a monolithic entity, underwent subtle but significant changes, with hidden currents of turmoil beneath the surface.

……

On his first day in office, Curtis Hazlitt was filled with great enthusiasm.

Before leaving, his father, Steven Hazlitt, who was also the chairman of the board, gave him special instructions:

“Work hard and achieve something worthwhile in front of the old man.”

“Accumulate more prestige so that you can gain the respect of others when you take over your grandfather’s role in the future!”

His father’s earnest words truly moved Curtis Hazlitt deeply.

The purpose of his trip was to sign a contract with another major player in Mannheim: the Changhai Group.

In fact, both parties had already settled all the details not long ago.

Today, I went to sign the contract on Hazlitt’s behalf. It was merely a formality.

As for why it should be left to Curtis Hazlitt to handle, it’s of course to add another achievement to his record.

Upon arriving at Changhai Group, Curtis Hazlitt entered the general manager’s office with full confidence.

As soon as he entered, he broke into a smile and got straight to the point:

“Hello, I’m here to sign the contract on behalf of my father, Steven Hazlitt.”

However, the warm welcome that Curtis Hazlitt had anticipated did not materialize.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hazlitt, but it’s not possible to sign the contract as scheduled at this time.”

At his desk, Ning Jiang, with a bald head, didn’t even lift his eyelids as he said indifferently:

“There are some matters that we need to verify again.”

“Also, I recall that it was Miss Juliet Hazlitt who negotiated all the terms with our group earlier on.”

“Why didn’t she come in person today?”

Upon hearing this, Curtis Hazlitt’s face stiffened, and he stammered, “This… I…”

He never expected the other person to ask such a question. He became a little flustered in his haste.

After all, the despicable things one did secretly last night are simply too embarrassing to even mention to others.

“Mr. Ning, please believe me…”

Curtis Hazlitt pursed his lips, trying to persuade the other person.

Unexpectedly, Ning Jiang didn’t give him any room to maneuver at all. He cut in coldly:

“I’m sorry, but at this moment, I don’t wish to speak with anyone from your company, except for Miss Juliet Hazlitt.”

“Please understand.”

After saying those last words, Ning Jiang made a gesture to send the guest off.

“Good! Excellent!” Curtis Hazlitt glared angrily, then turned and left, unwilling to accept defeat.

Not long after Curtis Hazlitt left, Ning Jiang picked up the phone on the table.

After two beeps, the call was connected on the other end: “Manager Ning, what’s the matter?”

Upon hearing this, Ning Jiang shuddered. In the office, out of sight from the other person, he nodded and bowed his head in submission.

“Old Jiang, everything has been handled according to your instructions.”

With a satisfied “Mm-hmm” over the phone, Ning Jiang continued nervously:

“Old Jiang… there are some things I’m not sure whether I should mention or not.”

“Who on earth has such remarkable connections as to be able to get you to personally deal with such trivial matters?”

Faced with a high-ranking official in charge of a region, Ning Jiang, the general manager, was utterly insignificant, like an ant.

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t!”

Reprimands rang out, and Ning Jiang immediately fell silent like a cicada in the cold: “Yes, yes… I’m to blame, completely to blame.”

“But I do have one piece of advice for you, in advance.”

“Apart from Juliet Hazlitt, stay away from the rest of the Hazlitt family, including Pamela Hazlitt.”

After finishing the conversation, there was no sound on the other end of the line.

Ning Jiang frowned deeply, carefully pondering the last piece of advice.

After all, few people who can become the general manager of a group are actually idiots.

In that instant, Ning Jiang suddenly realized something.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his heart was in turmoil.

Curtis Hazlitt… and Steven Hazlitt. It seems like this father-son duo is doomed. The power structure of the Hazlitt family will surely be reshuffled once again.

This is definitely a clear sign that something truly groundbreaking is about to happen!

Dark clouds gather on the horizon. A storm, invisible to the eye, seems to be brewing over Mannheim!