Chapter 386
Seeing the boy’s guarded expression, Darwin felt a pang of regret. He had been an absolute fool. The child was practically a miniature version of Lance, yet his past prejudices had blinded him entirely. Now, he was just thankful he hadn’t told Lance the truth immediately; it gave him this brief window to bond with Jasper alone. If his infuriating grandson knew, Lance would have relentlessly mocked him and immediately hidden the boy away. He had finally found his great-grandson, and he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip through his fingers.
Darwin had brought a mountain of toys, having done his research on everything Jasper liked. At the sight of the gifts, the boy’s defenses cracked just a fraction.
“Are these really all for me?” Jasper asked, tilting his head. “Why are you suddenly being so nice p>
“We’re family now. It’s only right that I make it up to you,” Darwin said, tentatively reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair. This time, Jasper didn’t flinch away, and the warmth in Darwin’s eyes deepened.
“Family?” Jasper repeated. He glanced over at Camilla, who was busy a short distance away. “What about my mom? Did you agree to let her and my dad be together p>
Despite his young age, Jasper had been through enough with the Carter family to possess an awareness far beyond his peers. Faced with Darwin’s sudden change in attitude, his first thought was of his mother’s safety.
Darwin caught the careful calculation in the boy’s eyes and felt a surge of heartache. “Of course,” he soothed. “We are all family. Why would I ever oppose it? How would you like to come back to the Charles Estate with me? We could all live in a massive house together. I heard you love amusement parks. What if I built a private one just for you in the backyard p>
The offer was staggering—the kind of dream no child could resist. Darwin was already picturing Jasper happily agreeing to pack his bags.
Before the boy could answer, the door swung open. Lance, who was supposed to be in a meeting, strode into the room. His gaze locked onto Darwin with immediate suspicion. “What exactly are you plotting now p>
Darwin’s expression sobered. “Is that any way to speak to me, Lance? I am your grandfather, and Jasper’s great-grandfather. Do you really think I’d hurt him? Your current place is far too cramped, and the estate is too quiet these days. Moving in together is the perfect solution p>
Lance walked over and sat down beside him. He glanced at the sprawling pile of toys on the floor, then scoffed. “What brought this on? Since when did you officially accept Jasper as your great-grandson p>
Meeting his grandson’s probing stare, Darwin didn’t flinch. “You’ve already announced to the entire world that he’s your son. That makes him my great-grandson. Is there a problem with that? Why are you always so paranoid p>
It was a flawless defense. When Lance didn’t immediately reply, Darwin pressed his advantage. “I know your company has been incredibly busy lately. Why don’t you let me take Camilla and Jasper to the estate? With me personally looking after them, none of those blind fools in this city will dare cross them again p>
No matter how reasonable Darwin made it sound, Lance flatly refused. The rejection left Darwin distracted for the rest of the evening. Through dinner, he kept his eyes fixed on Jasper, clearly running calculations in his head.
Annoyed by the constant staring, Lance abruptly changed the subject. “Wallace. Did you let him out on purpose p>
“Did he take the bait?” Darwin asked, finally tearing his gaze away from the boy.
Lance’s eyes darkened with cold resolve. “Nothing unexpected. He went straight to the Carter family. It’s tied to Barnard p>
At the mention of that name, the atmosphere at the dinner table froze. Elise gripped her silverware, her hands trembling with rage. “When are they ever going to leave her alone? They’re already divorced! What on earth did Camilla ever do to deserve this relentless harassment p>
“Don’t worry, Elise,” Lance said, his tone deadly calm. “This was their last mistake. I’ll make sure they never show their faces in front of her again p>
True to his word, the Carter Group had already been teetering on the edge of financial ruin. The board of directors had been restless for weeks. The moment Lance confirmed the Carter family’s involvement in Wallace’s scheme, he gave the order to crush them. Under the full, suffocating pressure of the Charles Group, the fragile Carter empire began to collapse.
It happened so fast that Calvin had no time to react. Shareholders dumped their stock, major projects went up in smoke, and the banks ruthlessly called in their loans. In a single afternoon, the once-proud Carter family was reduced to a hollow, bleeding shell.