Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Leo hadn’t expected his eldest son to ask that.

He paused, a little taken aback. There’s really no way to compare them, he thought.

“They’re completely different people, and each has her own charm.”

He added, “To me, your mom and Ally are truly irreplaceable.

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“But after all these years with Mavis and Nicole, I’ve grown attached to them too. It’s just as hard to say goodbye to them.”

His first wife and his current wife were total opposites, both in personality and in how they did things.

His daughter and stepdaughter were nothing alike either.

He obviously cared a lot about his first wife and daughter.

But after spending so many years with his current wife and stepdaughter, he couldn’t help but feel close to them too.

Mavis took care of him in every possible way; her whole heart and attention were always on him.

No matter where he went, she’d be right there, looking after him. She wasn’t like those society ladies who spent their time at parties, shopping sprees, or playing cards.

His stepdaughter was just as dependent on him, always looking to him for everything.

Their gentle, fragile nature made him feel truly indispensable, like he was the center of their world.

Without him, neither of them would even know how to live.

He couldn’t bring himself to say he didn’t care about them.

But his first wife and daughter were the total opposite-strong-willed, decisive, not the type to show weakness. They didn’t really depend on him much.

Even without him, they’d do just fine on their own.

Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing.

They treated him and the boys well, and sometimes, it was actually him and his sons who ended up leaning on them instead.

It was just a different kind of being needed.

He loved his first wife from the bottom of his heart-she was the only woman he ever loved.

With his current wife, it was more about how he liked being cared for and depended on by her.

Of course he cared about his daughter-she was the daughter he’d always dreamed of.

But she was just too blunt and tough, especially when it came to Mavis and Nicole. She always ended up turning the house upside down.

If he didn’t spoil her, she’d start an argument, sometimes even throw a fit and flip the table. There was no way he could just

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keep letting that slide forever.

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But this time, her choice to cut him off and purposely sell her shares really made him furious-it cut him to the core.

Kevin could see just how much his dad cared about Mavis and Nicole.

He thought for a moment and asked, “What if my brothers and I don’t agree with you giving them shares in the future?”

Mr. Hammond’s eyes flashed with anger. “These are my shares. I’ll give them to whoever I want. I don’t need your permission.”

Kevin frowned. “If you hand over the shares to them, aren’t you worried that if the Hammond Group ever hits a rough patch, someone else could swoop in and snatch control?”

Mr. Hammond had clearly thought about this. “I can have them sign a share proxy agreement. That way, if you inherit the company, you’ll still have the biggest stake.”

But Kevin shook his head. “Even if they sign, the shares are still theirs. They could flip the script anytime, or just sell them off.

“I don’t buy into this whole proxy management thing.”

‘If Dad’s not around someday, who knows if Mavis and Nicole might end up selling their shares?

‘After all, none of us ever thought Nicole would actually sell her shares-especially to a big shareholder who’s basically our

enemy.

‘If those two did the same thing, would Hammond Group even still belong to the Hammonds?’ he wondered.

Mr. Hammond shot back, annoyed, “No way. That’s just not who they are.

“As long as you take care of them, they’ll always depend on you.”

He left shares and assets for Mavis and Nicole because he was worried that if he wasn’t around, his sons might not treat them well.

Kevin just smiled. “Dad, when did you get so naive?

“Looks like your feelings for them have clouded your judgment.”

He shot back, “If they were really that harmless, would Ally have been forced to cut ties with us?”

He never really took Mavis and Nicole seriously before.

Mavis was decent to them, so they just kept things civil with her.

Nicole always clung to them like she couldn’t survive on her own, so they couldn’t help but spoil her a bit more.

The two of them always looked so soft and meck, like they were above all the drama.

But when Ally cut ties with them so ruthlessly, he realized there was way more to them than he’d thought.

Mr. Hammond’s frown grew even deeper. “Ally breaking off with us isn’t just because of them.

“You guys need to take a good look at yourselves too.

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“And yeah, I’ll think about where I messed up as well.”

He waved his hand. “Alright, I’m tired. I need some sleep. Go on, head out.”

Kevin knew his dad didn’t want to talk about Mavis and Nicole anymore.

He stood up. “Alright, I’ll head out then.”

After Kevin left, Mr. Hammond wore a look of weariness and pain he couldn’t even put into words.

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All he ever wanted was a family with no drama, where everyone cared for each other and lived in harmony. Why did it have to be so hard?

‘Did I get it all wrong?’ Mr. Hammond couldn’t help but wonder.

After leaving the hospital, Kevin grew more restless the longer he dwelled on it.

He called up his two younger brothers and asked them to meet up.

An hour later, the three of them met in a private room at a tea house.

Kevin told them about Alicia selling her shares, Collin’s warning, and what he’d learned from testing their dad.

Austin and Caleb were stunned-they never imagined their sister could be so ruthless, actually selling off her shares.

What Kevin said really gave them a lot to think about.

Austin frowned. “If we hand over our shares to Dad, and Mavis manages to talk him into giving them to her and Nicole, how are we supposed to get them back?

“My investment firm’s been hit with a ton of problems lately.

“Ally yanked all her money out and moved it over to Jason’s investment company.

“Even some of my long-time big clients suddenly jumped ship and went to Jason’s firm.

“I’m counting on those share dividends just to keep my company afloat.”

Caleb added, “I’m planning to shoot a top-tier period romance idol drama. Nicolas was supposed to be the male lead, and Starlight Entertainment was ready to put in a big investment.

“But after Nicole’s alt account got exposed, everyone started gossiping that Nicolas and Nicole were hooking up.

“On top of that, Ally publicly said she wouldn’t marry Nicolas, which sent him into a panic.

“He’s desperate to win Ally back, so yesterday he came to me and asked to be taken off the male lead.

“Now that he’s out-and he doesn’t want any more rumors about him and Nicole-Starlight pulled their investment from the project.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “If I want to get the show started, I’ll have to pay out of my own pocket to make up for what Starlight was supposed to invest.

“Now, those shares and dividends matter more than ever to me.”

He never really cared much about the shares he had-after all, he’d never had to worry about money growing up.

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His dad never gave them much pocket money, but the funds and share dividends their mom put aside for them were always more than enough to cover everything.

Caleb had originally hoped Austin would invest in his show, but Austin’s company was a total mess lately.

He barely had enough to keep his company running, let alone invest much in Caleb’s drama.

Now that he was going to be short on cash for his next production, those shares suddenly became a lot more important to

him.

He sighed, “Ever since Ally broke things off with us, it feels like nothing we do ever goes our way.”

Sounding defeated, he said, “We grew up side by side, thick as thieves. I never thought there’d come a day when she’d just want nothing to do with me.”

Austin rubbed his temples, looking frustrated. “Tell me about it. The moment she pulled her funds from my company, those big clients all jumped ship too.

“I can’t help but think this wasn’t just some random coincidence.”

Having a few of his most reliable clients suddenly switch to a competitor was a huge blow to his company.

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