Chapter 271
Chapter 271:
Tears welled up as she muttered, “If even you don’t care about me anymore, I have no one left p>
Rosie lingered at the entrance of Linlake Villa, her voice trembling as she said to Ernst, “It doesn’t matter if I’m kicked out of the family.” She forced a few tears to fall. “But please don’t hold it against Brenna. I only fear… if I am pushed aside, there’ll be no place left for me at the Harper Group p>
After a pause, she continued, “Brenna despises me—you know she’ll oppose me at every turn. With Mom and Dad shielding her now, who remains to speak for me p>
Her shoulders shook with sudden sobs. “What becomes of me when she seeks revenge? What if she forces me out of the Harper Group, too?” She lifted her glistening eyes to Ernst. “The Harper Group belongs to our family—Grandpa built it. Doesn’t that mean I am entitled to some portion of its worth p>
Ernst gave a measured nod. “No one will exile you from the Harper Group. Remember, while Dad holds the majority of the shares, Grandpa’s influence still carries weight,” he said.
Rosie’s tearful facade faltered momentarily. “But Dad controls seventy percent of the shares,” she countered, her voice sharpening before softening again. “Doesn’t that render Grandpa’s role largely symbolic now p>
Ernst fixed Rosie with a steady, penetrating look, making her shift uncomfortably under his gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I’m wrong?” Rosie asked, her voice quivering slightly under the weight of his attention.
Ernst let out a measured breath before responding, “This isn’t the time for such discussion. Rather than obsessing over Brenna, you should channel your energy into managing your companies—that’s where your focus should lie.” His tone carried both admonishment and weary patience.
Rosie nodded obediently, her lashes fluttering. “You’re right. Could you… speak to Mom and Dad for me?” she said.
𝕍𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕕 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕖: gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧿ⅽ𝗈𝗺
Her voice quavered with practiced vulnerability. “I miss them terribly. I’ve been treating them like my real parents since childhood. It breaks my heart knowing I’ve disappointed them.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I realize now how wrong I was to target Brenna. I promise it won’t happen again—please ask them to forgive me p>
Seeing the vulnerability in her eyes, Ernst couldn’t bring himself to scold Rosie any further, though he still struggled to understand her actions. “Rosie, can you tell me…
“Why did you do that to Brenna?” Ernst asked. Rosie’s lips trembled as she hesitated, her voice barely audible. “Our family has a marriage agreement with the Mitchell family, right? Audrey never wanted Ethan, and I… I always assumed I would be the one to marry Ethan. But when Brenna returned to the family, everything changed. Ethan started treating her differently, and then, he proposed to her p>
Ernst’s gaze softened as realization dawned on him.
“The world isn’t lacking good men,” he said firmly, his words a gentle reassurance. “Someone of your caliber will find a far better match p>
He knew all too well that matters of the heart couldn’t be forced; he couldn’t make Ethan like Rosie.