Chapter 468 Only One Choice Left
After Desmond hung up the phone, someone sidled up to him.
"Hey, Mr. Boleyn, is that your girlfriend?"
The guy looked pretty average and had a rough, streetwise vibe about him.
In the past, Desmond wouldn't have associated with someone like this.
The Boleyn family used to be much more prestigious, and Desmond hadn't yet lost face over the incident with the Elise family.
But now, back in Luminous City, Desmond found himself unable to fit back into his old social circles. He had no choice but to accept invitations from people he used to look down on.
Desmond had always blamed the Elise family for his downfall.
But lately, he couldn't help but think that Clara was also a big part of the problem.
Seeing Desmond lost in thought, the guy asked again, "Mr. Boleyn, is she your girlfriend?"
Desmond snapped back to reality and replied dismissively, "She's not good enough."
The guy saw Desmond's sour expression and didn't press further.
Although he had invited Desmond out partly to see him in his current state, he knew better than to offend a Boleyn, even a fallen one.
He was hoping to gain some benefits from Desmond.
So, he changed the subject. "Mr. Boleyn, I heard your dad wants you to get some experience at the company. Is there anything I can help with?"
Desmond shot him an irritated look.
Help? More like trying to leech off the Boleyn family.
But he didn't call him out on it.
After all, this guy was one of the few people in Luminous City still willing to hang out with him.
Even if he was from a small family, it was better than nothing.
"If I need anything, I'll let you know," Desmond said curtly, standing up. "I have some things to take care of."
The guy quickly got up to see him off, but Desmond waved him away.
Once he was out of the private room, Desmond felt a bit more relaxed.
He didn't like the people who invited him out, but Gabriel had told him he couldn't just stay at home or the office all day.
He needed to connect with others in Luminous City.
But Desmond had few friends left.
Those who were once his equals now avoided him, and he didn't want to seek them out.
So, he had to lower his standards and mix with these people.
As he walked out, he turned a corner and saw a group of people, clearly drunk, supporting each other and talking.
He thought he heard his name mentioned.
Desmond discreetly pulled out his phone and pretended to look at it, listening closely to their conversation.
"Desmond will never measure up to Maximilian, even though they have the same father."
"What if Desmond finds out we're talking about him? He's been back in Luminous City for a few days now; he might have contacted some of us."
"So what? If he contacts us, we don't have to respond."
"I heard he dropped out of school after coming back, thinking he wasn't cut out for it. Now he's just helping out at their failing company every day."
"The Boleyn Group is on the brink of collapse, haha."
"The Elise family is ruthless. They'd rather take losses themselves just to make the Boleyn family pay."
"They're doing it to get back at Desmond for Brynn."
"With the Elise family acting like this, no one will want to associate with Desmond."
Desmond stood in the hallway, gripping his phone tightly, his face dark with anger.
He had found it strange that even though he had been away from Luminous City for a while, it felt like the issues with the Elise family hadn't blown over.
People who used to be friendly were now avoiding him.
He had thought it was just his imagination, but now he realized it was the Elise family's doing.
They were not only targeting him but also taking the opportunity to attack his family's company.
Although he had been going to the company with Gabriel, he hadn't been paying much attention to business matters, and Gabriel hadn't mentioned anything specific. So he hadn't noticed what was happening.
Desmond's anger was palpable. He stopped in his tracks, but the drunk group didn't notice him.
They passed by, still talking about him, oblivious to his presence.
This made Desmond feel both furious and oddly relieved.
He guessed that even if they had noticed him, the awkwardness would have been his to bear, not theirs.
Their disdainful tone made it clear that the Boleyn family was in serious trouble.
Desmond had never taken over the Boleyn Group.
Even when he occasionally went to the company to help Gabriel, he didn't learn much, just following Gabriel's instructions to pass the time.
Before he left Luminous City, both Emily and Gabriel had told him the company was unstable and needed him to marry well to secure its future.
But not only had he failed to arrange a marriage, but he had also caused the Elise family to target them relentlessly, making the scandal known throughout Luminous City.
Now, half the business community in Luminous City was probably waiting to see the Boleyn Group collapse so they could pick up the pieces.
And the younger generation, like the ones who had just passed by, were waiting to see Desmond's downfall.
After they were out of earshot, Desmond thought to himself that it was a good thing he hadn't reached out to them. He would have only faced ridicule.
Feeling both humiliated and angry, Desmond went home.
As soon as he got home, he sought out Gabriel.
"Dad, I don't have to marry Clara. I can marry someone else."
He got straight to the point.
Gabriel sighed and said, "Desmond, after the scandal with the Elise family, no one else is willing to marry into our family."
Gabriel didn't finish, but Desmond understood immediately.
He was out of options. Clara was his only choice.
Gabriel looked at Desmond's devastated expression and, thinking of the company's mess, asked, "What happened between you and Clara? Why don't you want to marry her all of a sudden?"
After all, before going to Starhaven, Desmond had been so determined to marry Clara that he almost broke ties with the family.
How could a trip to Starhaven change his attitude towards Clara so drastically?
Gabriel was puzzled.
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