Sham Marriage Quit Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 390

Chapter 390 The Hawthorne Scandal

After hearing Walters comforting words, Elena finally felt slightly better.

“I know,” she said softly. “Thanks for worrying about me, Grandpa.”

Evelyn sighed from the side.

Finished

“I’m more curious about what’s going to happen to the Hawthorne family now. Don’t tell me Daniel and Evan are really going to take over the company?”

The moment she mentioned the father and son, obvious disdain appeared on her face.

Neither Daniel nor Evan had the business instincts Victor and Nathan possessed.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have failed so miserably overseas before crawling back to Grayhaven and desperately trying to regain Charles’s attention.

Walter let out a cold laugh.

“That Nathan kid isn’t simple.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“I don’t think Daniel and Evan are capable of controlling the Hawthorne family so easily. Who ends up taking the company in the end…”

He paused.

“That’s still hard to say.”

Elena froze briefly.

From the sound of it, Walter clearly believed there could still be another twist coming.

But Elena no longer had the energy to think about the Hawthornes anymore.

She was exhausted.

After dinner, she took a shower and went straight to bed.

Half–asleep, she vaguely felt the blankets lift as someone slipped into bed beside her.

Elena didn’t move.

She could feel Alexander watching her.

So she kept her eyes shut and pretended to stay asleep-

until he suddenly tugged lightly at her eyelashes.

Forced to open her eyes, she looked up at him helplessly.

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Chapter 398 The Hawthorne Scandal

Finished

“Still pretending?”

Alexander laughed softly before pulling her into his arms.

“I wasn’t pretending.”

She instinctively moved closer against his chest, almost as though his body warmth could drive away the lingering cold inside her.

“I’m just… not really in a good mood.”

The moment she closed her eyes, all she could see was Charles’s final moments.

Even now, she still couldn’t calmly accept the death of someone office close to her.

Even if they had hurt her before.

“Don’t think about it too much.”

द

Alexander’s voice was low and gentle as he comforted her.

“Right now, the most important thing is taking care of yourself.”

To him-

nothing mattered more than Elena’s wellbeing.

Only while lying in his arms did Elena finally drift into an uneasy sleep.

The following morning, news of Charles Hawthorne’s death was officially announced.

But before the funeral could even be arranged, another major scandal exploded inside Hawthorne Group,

Elena only found out because Sophia dragged her out to lunch and excitedly shoved her phone into her hands.

“Elena! Elena! Massive scandal!”

Sophia practically bounced in her seat from excitement.

Elena had just finished eating and was nearly startled by her reaction.

“What happened?”

“Something huge happened at Hawthorne Group. Hurry, look!”

Sophia immediately opened a news video.

The footage had clearly been filmed inside Hawthorne Group headquarters.

Several police officers were visible in the background.

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Chapter 390 The Hawthorne Scandal

Daniel looked utterly disheveled, his hair messy as he furiously pointed at someone off–camera.

“Nathan Hawthorne, youdittle bastard! You actually set me up?!”

Evan stood nearby as well.

The father and son no longer carried any of their previous arrogance and superiority.

Both of them looked furious and humiliated.

“Nathan, just you wait!”

Daniel cursed viciously.

Then Nathan’s calm voice sounded from outside the frame.

“Uncle Daniel… nobody taught you to cook the books.”

His tone sounded almost amused.

Finished

“You owed enormous debts overseas, yet you still had the nerve to embezzle company funds to pay them

off.”

He paused briefly.

“Grandpa knew exactly what you’d been doing.”

“So isn’t it perfectly reasonable that he left Hawthorne Group to me instead?”

“The money I used was money I earned myself!”

Daniel roared furiously.

Nathan finally walked into frame.

“Really?”

His expression remained calm.

“Then with Uncle Daniel being this capable, I’m sure prison life won’t be too difficult for you either.”

“Nathan Hawthorne!”

Daniel lunged toward him in rage, trying to attack him.

But before he could even touch Nathan, several bodyguards immediately stepped in and blocked him.

The police quickly restrained Daniel and escorted him away.

Just like Victor had once been taken away before.

“Dad!”

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Chapter 398 The Hawthorne Scandal

Evan rushed after them.

But after only a few steps police officers stopped him too.

All he could do was glare viciously at Nathan.

“What the hell did you do?”

Nathan spread his hands lazily.

“What could I possibly have done?”

His lips curved faintly.

“Compared to someone deliberately ruining his own reputation just to frame me…”

He tilted his head slightly.

“No matter what I do, how could it possibly compare to that?”

The moment Elena heard those words, her brows slowly furrowed.

What did he mean by that?

Suddenly-

she remembered everything that happened during Sophia’s engagement party.

Could it be…

that entire scandal hadn’t been Nathan’s scheme at all?

Had Evan orchestrated the entire thing himself?

The video ended.

Sophia immediately leaned closer.

Finished

“I seriously have no idea what Nathan did behind the scenes, but somehow he actually managed to turn everything around and take control of Hawthorne Group.”

But Elena looked distracted.

“Whatever Nathan’s doing has nothing to do with us anymore.”

She calmly pushed the phone aside.

“Tell me about you instead. How are things going lately between you and Edmund?”

She truly didn’t want to continue talking about Nathan anymore.

“Me?”

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Chapter 398 The Hawthorne Scandal

Sophia immediately lowered her head and started poking at the steak on her plate with a fork.

Her expression turned iceably awkward.

“It’s… nothing really.”

She hesitated before continuing softly,

Finished

“He’s come to see me a few times lately. My parents keep encouraging me to go through with the marriage

too.”

“And Edmund said…”

Her voice became quieter.

“He said that even if he can’t love me right now, he’ll still try his best to learn how someday. He promised he’d treat me well.”

Sophia bit her lip lightly.

“But my mind’s kind of a mess right now…”

“A mess how?”

Elena looked at her curiously.

Sophia’s cheeks instantly turned red.

Then, stammering slightly, she finally opened her mouth to answer.

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