Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Minnie heard what he said and stood still for a while. Then she couldn't help but sneer. Why should she care about that b*tch's injured hand?
Minnie couldn't believe that Jenna Murphy had managed to seduce someone as handsome and powerful as Rayan Whalen. She was seething with jealousy and hatred when she saw Rayan doting on her. What a natural wh*re and seductress, she wished that Jenna had died from the pain.
Hmph! Did Jenna really think that nobody knew that she forced her way into the Richards Group and pestered Hansen just so she could take back her father's property through Hansen's hands? F*ck her. She was bound to fail. As long as Aria McAdams was still alive, Hansen would never fall in love with or help Jenna Murphy!
Minnie saw through Aria's scheme from the very beginning. Of course she wasn't in that much pain, she was just acting to get Hansen's attention. But Hansen rushed over as soon as he received her call. Which meant...
That Aria was the one that Hansen truly loved and cared about. He was at her beck and call, while Jenna meant nothing to him!
Minnie was delighted. She chuckled and happily hummed a song as she strode off with lighthearted footsteps.
Today she learned that Hansen and Jenna were already divorced. How wonderful! She was finally relieved from the anxiety of stealing her family's property, so she left in a great mood.
The night was dark.
The one and only Richards family manor in A City was ablaze with lights.
The Richards Manor was an opulent symbol of power and status in A city. The overall color scheme consisted of yellow and oranges, and it was built with white marble bricks imported from Italy. The words "Richards Manor" were engraved in pure and blindingly bright 24k gold. Every single inch of this grand townhouse was made from material imported from all over the world, which were made into the most stylish and ingenious top- class designs, generously showcasing the wealth and influence of the Richards Group.
The driver came out to welcome Hansen as soon as he drove his Hummer inside the Richards Manor.
"Young Master." The driver courteously took the car key from Hansen's hand then went to park the car.
The butler came up to him in a hurry and said, "Young master, the madam is waiting for you."
"Okay." Hansen nodded and walked inside.
Inside the luxurious living room of the Richards Manor, all natural mica stone tiles glowed softly under the gentle light of the ceiling lamp. Hansen's mother Marissa Sotomayor was sitting elegantly on the expensive leather sofa. She was wearing a light blue cheongsam and her hair was tied up in a high bun. Her delicate and refined facial features were still alluring, and her slender neck looked as beautiful as ever under the light of the ceiling lamp.
She wrapped her five pale fingers around the fine tea cup and put it near her mouth so she could gently blow on it. The steam rippled away from her as she opened her mouth and took a sip, then put it back on the tea table. Her movements were elegant and flawless, perfectly revealing her status as a lady of high society.
Marissa Sotomayor was a famous socialite in A city when she was young. She was renowned for her beauty. While Trevor Richards conquered A city with his company, Marissa accompanied her
husband and tirelessly worked on the Richards Group behind the scenes. She even took advantage of her own family's power to solve problems for the Richards Group.
She never rested, even when she was pregnant with Hansen. The media snapped countless pictures of Trevor, the successful businessman, gently looking after a fabulous young woman beside him.
She was once well known for thoughtfully accompanying her husband to all sorts of places and events with a big pregnant belly.
As the Richards Group flourished even more with the passage of time, Marissa welcomed the most magnificent time of her life. Her son Hansen had inherited all of his parents' strengths. Not only was he a handsome and attractive young man, he was also a decisive and powerful businessman, and no less capable than Trevor.
She couldn't have imagined how wonderful her life would become. Her husband and son were both so outstanding. What more could she ask for? Just as they were about to hand over the Richards Group to Hansen, the old madam of the Richards family, who was also Marissa's mother- in- law, arranged a marriage for her son. He was going to marry Jenna Murphy, the daughter of the deputy financial executive Javon Murphy.
The old madam announced that Hansen had to marry her. Otherwise, she would not allow Hansen to inherit the ancestral property of the Richards family.
Marissa was shocked, and Hansen was furious. Although Trevor did not object, he also expressed his displeasure by frowning.
Trevor was not the only son of the Richards family. Hansen also had an uncle, Claude Richards, although he had already established his own family and developed a separate business.
However, the land deeds and estates of the Richards Group actually belonged to the Richards family. Although Hansen had done a great job of running the Richards Group under his own name, the inheritance of the Richards family was still a significant matter. All of his current projects were built upon the foundation of the inheritance, and he could not ignore the role that his grandmother played in this.
Hansen was astute enough to clearly judge the pros and cons, and more importantly, he respected his grandmother above everyone else. He was a rare and promising gem in his grandmother's eyes. He was infinitely better compared to his uncle's children!
So he reluctantly accepted her request! The 90-year-old grandmother of the Richards family appeared in public for the last time at Hansen and Jenna's wedding three years ago. After that, she retreated to take care of herself and enjoy the rest of her life, and never met up with anyone ever again!
For that reason, Hansen did not want his grandmother to know about his divorce from Jenna. His grandmother was not doing great. Maybe everything would work out if they kept the secret under the covers for a while.
"Mom, did you want to talk?" Hansen's handsome figure walked into the living room. He laid on the sofa and squeezed his eyebrows with both hands. He was still physically and mentally exhausted from appeasing Aria just now.
The servant served a cup of hot tea. Hansen took it and took a sip, feeling much more relaxed.
"Hansen, where were you tonight?" Marissa asked slowly with beautiful makeup on her face.
"Aria had a stomachache. I took her to the hospital." Hansen replied calmly with a tired face. He stood up and was ready to go upstairs and rest.
"Hansen, stop." Marissa stood up and ordered Hansen, who was about to head upstairs and slightly impatient. Her voice was stern as she said, "I heard that you invited that woman to work at the Richards Group."
Hansen put his foot back on the floor and his body flinched. There was a glint in his eye, then he turned back around.
"Mom, she's an important talent. The Richards Group needs talents like her right now. Our products are at a critical transitioning stage. I did it to benefit the Richards Group." Hansen patiently explained. He knew that his mother did not like Jenna.
During the few years after Jenna married into the Richards family, his mother was never happy with her and nitpicked everything that she did. Jenna's mere existence annoyed her and she never showed Jenna any kindness. It got even worse after his father was hospitalized after the accident. She made a mountain out of every molehill and couldn't even stand the sight of Jenna.
This was largely why he didn't object when Jenna fled to the United States, nor sent anyone to find her.
"Are you out of your mind, Hansen? Have you forgotten that your father is still lying in the hospital? It's all that woman's fault. She's just your ex-wife that you abandoned. How dare you ask her to come back? Have you really gone mad?" Marissa gritted her teeth and said in a trembling voice, "She's a scarily cunning woman. She had grandmother under her thumb. Grandmother still doesn't know about your divorce, you can not give away the ancestral inheritance of the Richards family. Your dad and I devoted all of our blood and sweat into the Richards Group. We can't let this woman come back and mess up everything."
Marissa was firm yet imploring, and she was almost begging him by the end.
The truth was that she felt guilty. She had never shown an ounce of kindness towards Jenna since the beginning of their marriage. She did not believe that a woman like her could devote herself to the Richards Group, nor did she expect this woman to be so talented that she could design a globally popular luxury car.
She had to stop all of this. This woman almost destroyed the Richards Group three years ago, and she couldn't let the same thing happen again.
"Mom, I am the president of the Richards Group. Shouldn't I be in charge of the affairs of the company?" Hansen held Marissa's shoulders with one arm and put his head close to her ear. Seeing Marissa's anxious and worried face, he smiled grimly and tried to persuade her as they walked, "Mom, I am an adult now. You have to trust me. I am the famed president of the Richards Group. You think I would let some woman destroy the company on her own? She's just a gold digger, so I'll give her what she wants. We'll take what we need from each other, that's all, so why not? Most importantly, if I didn't fight to have her, she would've returned to the Whalen Group, and that would've been a disaster for the company for sure. I'm a businessman, I can judge the opportunity costs. Trust me."
Was that true? Marissa was held by her son and felt much more relieved, but she was still skeptical. However, the anger on her face gradually faded and her face softened quite a bit.
Hansen smiled a little. With his arm around Marissa's shoulders, he pressed her down onto the sofa and continued gently, "Don't worry, mom. Look, we can't let grandma know about our divorce, right? It's for the best that she works under my command. That way, she won't be able to run wild and I'll be able to control her. You don't have to do anything but enjoy your life and take care of dad in the hospital so that he'll wake up as soon as possible."
Marissa sat down on the sofa with her son's arm around her, and a loving smile gradually appeared on her face. There was nothing she was more proud of than her son Hansen. Ever since Trevor was
hospitalized, Hansen became the only light in her life. She would never let any woman destroy everything she had. Her heart finally calmed down when she heard her son's comforting words.
Hansen wearily went upstairs and walked to his bedroom. He stopped in his tracks when he passed by a door in the center that was decorated with gold.
Something tugged at his heart as he stared at the shining golden door frame with his dark eyes. He hesitated for a moment and pushed open the door.
This was his wedding room with Jenna. He walked into this three year old wedding room.
The wedding room was just as fancy and extravagant as he remembered, even the big red celebratory poster was still in the same place. His eyes were hazy and his heart trembled a little bit.