She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 449

"Your father is right, Preston. We're only doing this for your own good," Marjorie chimed in, reaching out to gently grip his arm. The desperate concern in her eyes was entirely genuine. "We heard everything... You... you took a bullet down there, didn't you?"

Tears welled up in her eyes the moment the words left her mouth.

"I'm fine, Mom. It was just a scratch."

"How is getting shot a scratch? If something terrible had happened to you..." Marjorie's face went completely pale, unable to even finish the horrific thought.

Watching his mother's genuine distress, Preston let out a soft, defeated sigh. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Philip turning to leave the office.

"Philip. Stop. You're not fired," Preston ordered.

Philip paused and looked up at him. Preston, however, locked eyes entirely with his father.

"He takes his orders from me. He did nothing wrong."

"Preston..."

"You might have the final say in the Whitmore family, Dad, but I have the final say at Stellaris PharmaTech."

He delivered the line with perfect calm, completely devoid of raised voices or aggression. Yet, both Frederick and Marjorie subconsciously held their breath.

"If my staff gets fired for successfully executing my direct orders, who in this building is ever going to listen to me again?"

Frederick had no answer for that. A suffocating silence blanketed the office. The heavy tension made Gabriel shift uncomfortably, completely unsure of what to do. But he knew better than to open his mouth; anything he said would only make the crossfire worse.

Bringing a girl like that into the Whitmore family would be a massive blessing. A corporate marriage between the Whitmores and the Bennetts would create an unstoppable empire, easily capable of crushing the Carter Group. It was the perfect dream. But since Preston had flat-out refused, she had let it go.

The Whitmore family owed Preston deeply for the past, so both she and Frederick wanted to make things up to him. When it came to his marriage, they were fully prepared to let him choose for himself.

However...

"I know you don't like Elara, and I'm not forcing you to be with her," Marjorie pleaded. "But you know what kind of family we are. I am terrified of you being manipulated by the wrong kind of woman."

She took another step, her voice rising with desperate emotion. "Whatever flaws Elara might have, at least we know exactly who she is! At the very least, she wouldn't drag you into a cartel shootout and get you shot!"

Unable to hold back, she grabbed his arm again. "Just listen to me this once, Preston. Please. Just break up with this Melanie girl, okay?"