Chapter 696

After his secretary showed the guests out, Edison called Claire. She was fast asleep at home, having forgotten to silence her phone. When she answered, her voice was thick with sleep and a hint of annoyance. “Hello?”

Edison caught her tone and smiled apologetically. “Were you sleeping, Claire?”

“Yeah, Edison. What’s up?”

Edison quickly explained Latham’s visit. “Mary doesn’t really manage the company’s affairs anymore. If you want to lend them a hand, I can arrange it on my end. But if you want to stay out of it, I’II—”

“I don’t,” Claire cut him off before he could finish.

“Aren’t you worried people will call you cold-blooded for leaving your adoptive parents out to dry?” Edison raised an eyebrow. He was pleased; he knew his niece wasn’t naive. The VIA Group would eventually be handed over to Claire. If she was overly sentimental and foolish, there was no telling how long the conglomerate would survive.

“If you knew what they were planning just to secure a bank loan, you wouldn’t be saying that.” Claire revealed the James family’s scheme to marry her off to

President Lowell’s son. She bluntly added that Lucas Lowell preferred the company of men over women.

Edison was furious. “That’s absurd!”

“They know that Lowell guy is a piece of trash, yet they’re forcing you into a marriage with him?”

“So much for raising you. They’re trying to sell you to the highest bidder!”

If he had known, he never would have met with Latham. He should have left the man hanging. “Claire, why didn’t you tell me sooner when this happened?”

“Our family isn’t dead yet. It’s not up to outsiders to dictate your future!”

As far as Edison was concerned, Latham and his wife were trying to ruin his niece’s life. If Mary found out, there would be hell to pay.

“Don’t get mad just yet, Edison. They might not actually know about Lucas’s preferences.”

“Regardless, he and I are obviously a terrible match.”

Edison scoffed. “It’s not just a terrible match. They’re shoving you straight into the fire.”

“Whether they knew his preferences or not, they never should have made such a demand.”

“Latham’s family clearly has no shame. I don’t want you associating with them anymore, Claire.”

“It doesn’t matter if people call you ungrateful.”

Their family didn’t care about a little bad press. If Latham dared to show up at his door again, Edison wouldn’t hesitate to air out all of Latham’s dirty laundry to the public.

“I know. I’m not afraid of the gossip.”

“Besides, as for everything they supposedly did to raise me…” Claire

trailed off, and Edison’s share?

instincts immediately picked up on the hidden implication.

“What? Is there more to the story about you being swapped at birth?” Edison’s expression darkened.

“Me being swapped was their doing in the first place.”

“Latham had an affair. Octavia caused Fallon to lose her baby, so Fallon secretly swapped the infants at the hospital. Octavia knew her child was switched, but she kept her mouth shut There wasn’t a single decent person among them!

“Why would she stay quiet knowing her own child was swapped?” That detail completely baffled Edison.

“Because the child she gave birth to wasn’t Latham’s.”

“What?” Edison’s jaw dropped in sheer disbelief. Thank God he was alone in his office.

“To keep Latham from finding out about the baby, she simply let Fallon switch them.”

“That woman is ruthless,” Edison muttered, his mind spinning from the sheer weight of the scandal.