Chapter 174
The two of them always looked so soft and meek, 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.
“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.
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.
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Chapter 172
“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.
“New, 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.
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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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.