Chapter 216
Whitney knew Clifford was a man of his word. Oner he’d decided on something, there was no changing it. Throwing a fit right now would be utterly useless. She had anticipated this earlier. Clifford would revoke some of her powers as a punishment.
But she didn’t expect to lose her position as general manager outright. Even with her reluctance, Whitney didn’t dare to resist. She silently sat back down
Clifford continued, “Secondly, since Jon and Cynthia have strong feelings for each other and have secretly committed to their future together, they are now considered family. Anyone who dares to give Cynthia a hard time in the future will have
to answer to me first.”
When they talked about this, everyone was quite surprised. Cynthia was just a girl from a small town, with no background or status, and was widely known as a fake heiress. There were ever humors that she had been married before. The Bennett family had found out all this even before the couple came back.
Originally, everyone thought that regardless of how strong their feelings were, Clifford would never agree to Jonathan marrying someone like her. But to everyone’s surprise, it seemed Clifford had a special fondness for Cynthia.
Everyone looked at Cynthia with a bit more curiosity. All of them wondered. What abilities does Ms. Jones possess that she manages to gain Clifford’s approval and favor the very first time they meet?
Isabella chuckled and said, “From now on. Ms. Jones will be our fourth sister. We won’t have time to bully her because we’ll be too busy protecting her.”
Clifford continued, “The third thing is, I will transfer live percent of the company’s shares to Cynthia.”
The first two announcements were already a bit surprising, but the third one left everyone stunned. They couldn’t figure out what Clifford was thinking. Five percent of the Bennett Group’s shares was not an insignificant amount. This meant Cynthia would become a major shareholder, just like Isabella and Ameli
The status and influence were significant, not to mention the shares were worth billions. Clifford gave such a generous gift at the first meeting. Everyone was stunned. The younger generation of the Bennett family, including Preston, didn’t even have a single share yet
The looks on Bryson and Cheyanne’s faces were very unhappy. But as juniors, they didn’t dare to say a word.
Cynthia was utterly shocked. She thought, “What is Clifford doing, offering shares the first time they met? She looked at Jonathan, shock evident on her face.
But Jonathan just shook his head at her, signaling her to remain silent. Either way, those shares given to her were essentially for Jonathan Maybe that was what Clifford had in mind.
Naturally, others thought the same. They were almost a couple, so giving shares to Cynthia was like giving them to Jonathan
Whitney was so upset she almost crushed her wine glass, but she managed to control her emotions. Right now, both she and Jonathan hold twenty percent of the shares each. It was evident that Clifford aimed to balance the power between them.
Isabella guessed Clifford’s intentions and quickly removed a golden bracelet from her wrist. She walked over to Cynthia and said, “Congrats, Cynthia. I don’t have much, but this bracelet has been with me for years. Consider it a gift. I hope you’ll like
Jonathan spoke up from the side, Isabella, this bracelet is your favorite, worth a lot of money. Are you willing to give it to Cynthia?
Isabella replied, “Jonathan, since she’s your wife, why wouldn’t It’s just a small gift. When you two get married, I’ll have a bigger gift prepared“,
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Chapter 216
Jonathan chuckled. “I’ll remember this favor, Isabella, thank you?
Cynthia saw the bright yellow bracelet and instantly knew it was worth a fortune. She hesitated. “Isabella, this gift is way too expensive. I can’t accept it.”
Isabella smiled warmly as she slipped the bracelet onto Cynthias wrist. “We are a family. Of course, you can accept it. Just take it. I have plenty more nice things. I’m not going to miss one bracelet
Jonathan chimed in from the side. “Since it’s a present from Isalella, you should accept it.”
Cynthia felt it was a bit inappropriate to accept such a costly gif upon their first meeting. However, since Jonathan had spoken, she decided not to refuse. With poise, she said. “Thank you, Isabella. This bracelet is beautiful.”
Amelia watched Isabella give away a bracelet and sarcastically remarked, “Isabella, are you already sucking up to the future head lady of the family, assuming Jonathan will inherit the family estate? I’ve never quite mastered your knack for dealing with everyone so skillfully, Isabella.”
Isabella’s smile froze for a moment. “I just like Cynthia. Why do you have to make it sound so bad?” Even though she kept smiling, Isabella was secretly gritting her teeth.
Amelia loved nothing more than undermining people. But she wasn’t entirely wrong either. Clifford had recently removed Whitney from her position and granted Cynthia shares instead, which might be an indication of changes to come.
The Bennett Group’s leadership would most likely be passed to Jonathan. Isabella had always had a lukewarm relationship with him, but today was the perfect opportunity to show her support and win him over.
After finishing the meal, Cynthia felt a bit queasy. She got firsthand experience of what it meant to hide a knife behind at smile or wrap sharpness in softness.
Finally, the meal ended. Susanna spoke up. “Cynthia, come with me.
Cynthia followed Susanna to her room. Susanna took something out of the safe. It was a beautifully ornate brocade box. Cynthia had a feeling she’d seen this box somewhere before.
Susanna said. “This item is an heirloom of the Bennett family. I had intended to give it to Jon in the future, but since you and Jon are getting married, I’ll leave it in your care
At the mention of “family heirloom, Cynthia felt her heart skipa beat. The box in her hands felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. “Mrs. Bennett…
Susanna said, “Open it.
Cynthia opened the box. Inside was a pink diamond pendant, flawless and incredibly beautiful.
Seeing the diamond pendant, Cynthia suddenly remembered something. No wonder this brocade box felt so familiar. It looked just like the diamond pendant Pamela had given her back then.
Those two pendants looked the same as if they were made from similar materials and craftsmanship. Pamela had said the diamond pendant was a gift from an influential person to Justin on the day she was born, a life–changing moment. Cynthia thought, ‘Could it be related to the Bennett family?
Cynthia didn’t think much about it. “Mrs. Bennett, since it’s a family heirloom, it’s not appropriate for me to have it before Jon and I get married.”
Susanna waved her hand. “Take it. Sooner or later, it’ll be yours anyway.”
Cynthia couldn’t refuse and took the pendant back, planning to give it to Jonathan to keep.
Corning out of Susanna’s room, she ran into Preston on her w
way down the stairs.
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Chapter 216
Preston glanced at her and then pretended not to know her, walking past Cynthia as he went upstairs.
Cynthia felt a pang of pain in her heart. It wasn’t because he pretended not to know her, but because of his eyes that looked like they were covered with dust. That lifeless look filled Cynthia with heartache.
“Preston…” Cynthia couldn’t help but call out to him.
Preston paused for a moment, stopping in his tracks, but he didn’t turn around.
Cynthia walked up to him and said, “Preston, don’t be like this. Your mother’s issues have nothing to do with you. punish yourself for her mistakes. That’s her life, not yours.”
Don’t
Preston kept his head down, but upon hearing Cynthia’s voice, tears began to fall uncontrollably. “But she almost killed you. and she almost killed Jonathan too.”
To this day, Preston still couldn’t come to terms with the fact that his mother was a maniac who killed without remorse. Throughout Jonathan’s upbringing, she tried so many times to kill him and even tried it herself. It turned out that Jonathan grew up in such a dark environment.
And for all these years, Preston had been living without care, completely unaware. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
During this time, he had been hiding his feelings, as if wearing a mask. But now, in front of Cynthia, he suddenly couldn’t pretend anymore.
Cynthia reached out and gently touched his soft, golden hair. “Preston, the one who should feel guilty, upset, or remorseful, isn’t you? Even if she’s your mother, she’s just the one who brought you into this world.
“Everyone is an individual, responsible for their actions. Your mother has her own life and circumstances. Although we don’t know why she became the way she is now, none of that is your fault.”
“Jonathan once said that you are the purest sunflower blooming under the sun, so keep shining brightly and cheerfully. Don’t let his efforts to protect your innocence go to waste. He wanted to shield you from the darker side of the family because he hoped you’d be happy
Preston suddenly took a step forward, leaned on Cynthia’s shoulder, and burst into tears. “Cynthia, I’ll never be happy again.”
