Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 1991

[So, all that patriotic flair and those vintage designs were just to reel in the fans? It turns out we're the clowns being played!]

[People like that aren't worth our admiration. Pack up her little studio and get out of the country! Go grovel to her M Country sugar daddy!]

That night

Bennett and Simone were summoned to the family's old manor. Upon arrival, a servant informed them, "The master is in the study, he instructed that you are to go straight there."

Bennett and Simone entered the study, only to find Terrence engrossed in a book.

"Take a seat, you two!"

Terrence put his book aside and removed his glasses before addressing Bennett, "How's your company holding up these days?"

Bennett caught Simone's eyes, and with a hesitant voice, he admitted, "Barely getting by."

His company had suffered greatly under the pressure of the Lamont Group, losing more than half of their clients in one fell swoop. It was only with the old manor's support that they had managed to stay afloat.

Lately, supplier issues had been causing a continuous drop in quality, which led to customer attrition and cash flow problems. These issues had Bennett scrambling every single day.

Terrence spoke up, "Today, I got a call from the Crawleys in B City, who negotiated with me about their project."

Simone immediately responded, "Have the Crawleys finally loosened up?"

Terrence nodded slightly while sipping his tea, "But the Crawleys have a condition."

"What's the condition?" Bennett asked.

Before Bennett could respond, Simone silenced him with her gaze. She smiled thinly, "You're suggesting we release this statement?"

"It wouldn't be the worst thing," Terrence said slowly. "We've always told the public that Estelle is our adopted daughter, after all."

He had realized that even if Estelle was KING, she wouldn't support the Macclain family. Considering her current tarnished reputation and imminent downfall, it seemed wise to seize the opportunity to curry favor with the Crawleys and move the entire family to B City, which would elevate the Macclains' status.

Sacrificing Estelle for the family's prosperity was justifiable; after all, she was the Macclain's daughter and could be seen as contributing to the family's legacy.

Simone's eyes flickered, "And what's in it for us?"

Terrence looked at Simone with a stern gaze and said with a faint smile, "I'm securing advantages for the Macclain family. Eventually, it will all be yours."

Simone gave a hollow laugh, "That's quite vague, Dad. You have three sons, and we're just one branch. Wouldn't it be better to clarify things now? In that way, we can focus on our endeavors with peace of mind."