Chapter 173
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.
“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 thip the table. There was no way he could just
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Chapter 171
keep letting that slide forever
But this time, her choice to cut him off and purposely sell her shares really made him furious-at 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.
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Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.