Chapter 819
It was supposed to be a quick formality, checking off the obligation before spending quality time with his mother.
Gwen had been incredibly welcoming to Ethan and his wife at first, serving pastries and a lavish spread of fruit.
“Ethan, it’s been far too long. Sebastian and I have missed you p>
It was common knowledge that Mira wanted nothing to do with her brothers. Gwen
had figured that with a little flattery, Ethan could be pulled over to their side.
The conversation flowed pleasantly until Ethan brought up Seraphina’s engagement
to Lawrence and the volatile history between Lawrence and Mira.
Gwen had casually slipped right into her habitual venom. “You can’t blame Lawrence for that. That bitch does whatever she wants p>
Ethan happened to be sitting right next to Gwen. Smack! The backhand landed square on her cheek, leaving her completely stunned.
By the time Mira and Owen arrived, the active hostilities had ceased. Ethan and Beatrice were already out of the villa, preparing to leave.
Sebastian had escorted them out.
Inside the house, Gwen was being supported by Miles and Seraphina. But the second she heard Mira’s voice, she lost her mind all over again.
“You little bitch, you actually dare show your face p>
Mira had recently humiliated them at the financial banquet, single-handedly torpedoing the regulatory association Lawrence had fought so hard to build.
That stunt had caused Lawrence to lose credibility in front of Jude Vance, sparking a cold war between him and Seraphina that was still ongoing.
Add the fact that Mira had legally claimed all of Eleanor’s shares, and now Ethan had physically assaulted her on Mira’s behalf, Gwen’s hatred was absolute.
Ever since this girl arrived in the capital, Gwen’s life had been a waking nightmare. Gwen lunged forward, only to be violently yanked back by her children. “Don’t just stand there, help us p>
Miles yelled at the bodyguards while desperately clamping a hand over his mother’s mouth.
“Let me give you some advice, Gwen. If you have the power to hit back, do it. If you don’t, then shut your mouth. Stop shrieking like the whole world owes you something p>
With that, Mira looped her arm through Owen’s and walked out the door alongside Ethan.
Before getting into her car, she turned to Ethan. “Thank you for defending me today p>
“It’s what I should do p>
In Ethan’s eyes, even though his sister refused to officially acknowledge him, she still cared. The fact that she had included him in this wildly fucrative Wall Street play was proof enough.
If he were ever in real trouble, she wouldn’t abandon him.
If Mira knew what he was thinking, she would have scoffed and told him he was overthinking it.
Then, the two luxury cars parted ways. Ethan and Beatrice were off to see Lacey.
Mira and Owen headed to Owen’s residence to grab his luggage.
By the time they reached the hotel, Hank Whitlock had already arrived. He was sipping tea in the lounge and raised a hand in greeting when he saw them.
Like Ethan, Hank had brought one assistant and one bodyguard.
After exchanging pleasantries, Mira and Owen headed up to their suite to drop off their bags.
It was still early in the afternoon. They agreed to wait until everyone had gathered before heading to the dining room for dinner.
Mira tidied up the suite, propped
herself up against the headboard,
and opened her laptop to check the
trends on Federal Equities.
Fortunately, the market hadn’t
deviated from the trajectory of her
past life.
Trading foreign stocks in this era wasn’t like the future; you couldn’t execute everything seamlessly from a remote computer to get the fastestinformation and execution, they had to be physically present at the exchange. And the center of it all was Wall Street.
Owen leaned in close to her. “The targets you picked haven’t shifted, have they?” “No p>
After observing the charts a while longer, Mira lay back down to rest. The last few days had been exhausting, and the real grind started tomorrow morning.