Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 52

With that, he waved a hand dismissively. “Alright, it’s late. Go back and rest with your parents.”

“Okay. You get some rest too, Grandpa,” Larissa replied politely before leaving the ancestral hall. She offered no extra pleasantries.

Kiernan sighed and turned to his butler, Jett. “This granddaughter of mine really doesn’t bother with sentimentality.”

Jett smiled softly. “Indeed, Miss Larissa is very intelligent, but she sees the world in black and white, with little room for gray. But it’s understandable. A young woman surviving on her own for twenty years doesn’t get by on sentiment.”

Kiernan’s expression was unreadable. He would wait and see. He would see just how capable this granddaughter of his truly was.

…

Although Kiernan had told them to leave, Sapphira and Neville were too worried to go far and waited in a gazebo outside the ancestral hall.

When Larissa emerged, Sapphira rushed to her side. “Larissa, what did your grandpa say to you?”

Larissa smiled. “Nothing much. He just asked what skills I wanted to learn and what my plans for the future were.”

“Oh.” Sapphira relaxed. She had been afraid Kiernan would pressure Larissa into reconciling with Paxton and Vivica.

“And what did you tell him?”

“I told him that if I could prove I was more capable than Paxton and his son Finley, I wanted him to give me the family’s pharmaceutical company and Starlight Media.”

Neville and Sapphira were stunned.

“I thought you were going to say you wanted to learn to play the piano or study foreign languages,” Sapphira said, a little flustered.

Approaching him were Draven and Valeria.

Valeria looked at Haskell, a hint of malice in her eyes.

Haskell ignored her and smiled faintly. “Just out for a walk.”

Draven looked down at his legs, his eyes filled with false concern. “You should be more careful about going out. What if you have another accident?”

Valeria chimed in with feigned guilt. “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be crippled. The engagement party to announce your marriage to the Judson heiress is next Saturday. I wonder if the Judson family will back out now that this has happened.”

She paused, then added, “After all, the rumor going around is that you not only injured your legs but also lost your ability to have children. The position of heir to the Palmer family is sure to be passed on to someone else.”