"Before you ask that question," Alexander said coolly, standing up from the signing table, "I suggest you take a closer look at the terms of the contract."
With that, he turned and walked away, the assistant trailing behind, carrying the signed contract.
"What does that mean?" Mr. Luo asked, his voice filled with confusion.
Luo's mother, equally bewildered, looked at her husband, waiting for an explanation.
Mr. Luo stared at Alexander's retreating figure, his back straight and proud, and for a moment, he seemed to be thinking deeply. He quickly opened the contract and began reading through it, line by line. His eyes widened as he read, and a heavy silence settled between them.
Luo's mother, still in the dark about what was happening, took the contract from his hands. She read it carefully from start to finish. As her eyes scanned the words, her expression mirrored her husband's—shock and disbelief.
The contract was simple but devastating. It stated that Luo Yong, the chairman of the Roche Group, was donating the company to Alexander, the president of the Lu Group. The donation was to be made free of charge, and it explicitly promised that Luo Yong and his family would not interfere in the operations or future of Roche Group.
As Alexander left, the reporters and media staff began to pack up their equipment. The room, once buzzing with activity, quickly emptied.
But Mr. and Mrs. Luo remained in their seats, stunned into inaction. Some onlookers assumed they were too overwhelmed by the turn of events, while others wondered if they were simply too unwell to leave.
In the car, Alexander's assistant, still processing what had just transpired, couldn't help but ask, "Sir, don't you think that was a bit much?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow, clearly uninterested in the assistant's concern. "What do you mean?"
"Well," the assistant hesitated, choosing his words carefully, "they are your wife's parents. If word of this gets out, I fear there might be... consequences."
Alexander remained silent, a thin, hard line forming across his lips. The assistant took his silence as a sign of anger, quickly retreating to the front seat and starting the car. It was clear that Alexander didn't appreciate being questioned on his decisions.
Meanwhile, Emily was sweeping the floors in the main house, looking pale and worn. She had been hoping to watch the live stream of the signing ceremony, but she just hadn't had the time. By now, the ceremony should have been over, right?
She hoped that, for once, something good would come from the Luo family's dealings with Alexander. Perhaps this time, her parents wouldn't ask for more money. Perhaps this time, everything would settle down.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sharp ringing of her phone.
"Hello?" she answered, already dreading the call.
"Alice, go find Alexander for me!" Her father's voice came through the line, filled with anger.
"Dad, what do you need to see Alexander for?" Emily was confused. "Wasn't the signing ceremony successful?"
At the mention of the signing ceremony, Mr. Luo's voice grew even more furious. Before he could explain further, the phone was yanked from his hand by Mrs. Luo.
"Emily!" she roared, her tone like a lion's. "What did Alexander mean by taking our company? We just asked him to inject capital, not to take the company for free!"
"What?" Emily's mind went blank, her grip on the phone slipping. The device fell to the floor with a soft thud.
Her heart hammered in her chest. This can't be true...
How could Alexander do this? How could he have taken the company from her parents?
"Mom, you're joking, right?" Emily's voice trembled, unsure whether to believe what her mother was saying.
"Joking? Do you think I'm in the mood for jokes?" Mrs. Luo's voice was like a thunderclap, filled with fury.
Mr. Luo grabbed the phone back and spoke through clenched teeth. "Alice, what exactly did you tell Alexander?"
"I told him everything you asked me to, Dad. How could he cheat the company away? Did you read the contract wrong?" Emily couldn't understand. She had always trusted her parents, and she couldn't believe Alexander would take advantage of them like this.
"We read the contract, Emily! We read it over and over again!" Mr. Luo nearly shouted.
Emily stood frozen, speechless. Her mind raced. She needed to get answers from Alexander. This had to be a mistake—there was no way he would betray her family like this.
Before she could respond, Mrs. Luo's voice screeched from the other end. "Get out of my way! I'm going to see Alexander now!"
The call abruptly ended with a loud beep.
Emily stood in shock, holding the phone in her hand. She had no idea what to do. Would her parents storm the Lu Group headquarters and cause a scene? She had to find out what was going on.
In a hurry, she slipped out of the house, taking off her apron.
"Where do you think you're going?" Her mother-in-law's voice rang out behind her, sharp with anger.
"I'm just stepping out for a bit. I'll be back soon," Emily said quickly, not looking back as she hurried for the door.
Her mother-in-law, still furious, called after her, "Luo Aiqun, you'd better not be slacking off again!"
Emily ran out the front door and down the driveway. The manor was large, and the walk to the main gates would take over thirty minutes. She didn't have that kind of time. So, she walked to the bus stop at the foot of the hill, hoping to catch a ride.
But the bus didn't arrive.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, and Emily's frustration grew. A car approached in the distance, and before she could even think, she impulsively ran toward it, arms outstretched to stop it.
The car screeched to a halt just inches from her, the tires skidding on the gravel, sending a chill through her. The wind from the sudden stop whipped past her, and in the blink of an eye, Emily's vision blurred. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground in a faint.
At the Lu Group, after a tense confrontation, Mr. and Mrs. Luo were finally allowed to meet with Alexander.
With a sharp thud, Mr. Luo slammed the contract down onto the coffee table. His eyes burned with fury as he fixed his gaze on Alexander, who was seated casually on a single chair, his expression unfazed.
"Alexander, what is the meaning of this?" Mr. Luo's voice was calm but laced with anger. "What are you trying to pull?"
Alexander didn't flinch. He looked up and replied coolly, "It's exactly what you saw."
"You're cheating! We could sue you for fraud!" Mr. Luo nearly spat, his face flushed with rage.
"That's your choice," Alexander said, his tone indifferent. "But you're forgetting a few things. First, I told you to read the contract carefully before signing. Second, the signing ceremony was witnessed by reporters from all over the media. And third, the terms are legally binding. If you want to go to court, I'm sure the law will side with me."
Mrs. Luo glared at him, but Mr. Luo, realizing his mistake, shifted his anger toward her.
"I should have known better than to listen to you," he muttered, his face crumpling with regret.
He knew they were in deep trouble now.
"If you don't have anything else, please leave. I have work to do," Alexander said coldly, his patience clearly running thin.
"Alexander, why are you doing this?" Mr. Luo nearly choked on his words. "Is there some kind of grudge between our families? You're not just refusing to help us, but you're taking our company away from us... I'm your father-in-law!"
The weight of the situation hung heavily in the air. Alexander didn't respond. His silence was deafening.