Chapter 524 Go to Jail with Leo
Braylon and Hazel stared at Ayla, their faces a mix of disbelief and shock.
Braylon was the first to break the silence. "Ayla, is what Damon said true? Did you really sell the Bridges Group shares to Silvercrest Group?"
Ayla bit her lip and stayed quiet, her expression stern.
To Braylon and Hazel, her silence was as good as a confession.
Braylon's face darkened with anger as he glared at Ayla. "Are you out of your mind? Why would you sell the shares to Silvercrest Group?"
Hazel's eyes welled up with tears as she turned away, refusing to look at Ayla.
Even though she often disagreed with some of Garry's actions, when it came to something as significant as company shares, she always sided with Braylon.
Garry looked at Ayla coldly. "I'll give you three days to get the Bridges Group shares back. If you can't, you can forget about being a Bridges. I'll cut all ties with you!"
Braylon's face changed, and he quickly said, "Dad, this matter—"
"Shut up!" Garry interrupted him coldly. "You can't handle the company's affairs, and you can't even raise your daughter properly. What good are you? If you dare to plead for her, I'll kick you out of the Bridges family too. I mean it!"
Braylon's face darkened, and he didn't dare to speak again.
Ayla looked up at Garry and sneered. "The shares are already sold, and they were sold to Seb for fifty million dollars. Even if you offered a hundred million now, he wouldn't give them back."
"What? You sold the shares for fifty million dollars? You... you idiot!"
Garry raised his hand and slapped her, stumbling back in anger. If it weren't for Damon catching him, he would have fallen.
Ayla's face was slapped to the side, nearly causing her to fall out of her wheelchair.
She looked up at Garry, her face expressionless. "If I hadn't sold the shares to Seb, I might not have even gotten that fifty million dollars. After all, you and Damon planned to take the shares from me without paying a cent."
"You!" Garry's face turned ashen with rage, and he nearly fainted.
Ten percent of the shares!
She had sold them to Seb for fifty million dollars!
Pointing at Ayla, Garry shouted, "From today on, you're no longer my granddaughter, and the Bridges family has nothing to do with you!"
With that, Garry stormed off in a fury.
Damon glared at Ayla coldly, his eyes filled with malice.
"Ayla, you have no bottom line! If the Bridges Group faces any problems because of the ten percent of shares you sold, I won't let you off!"
With that, Damon turned and followed Garry.
Soon, only Ayla and her parents were left in the living room.
Braylon looked at Hazel and said coldly, "Look at this mess. This is the daughter you spoiled!"
Hazel frowned. "You didn't spoil her? It was just me? Besides, those shares were hers. When Garry and Damon tried to take them from her without paying, you didn't say a word. Now that she's sold them, you blame me?"
"If your dad and Damon had offered fifty million dollars for her shares, they wouldn't have ended up with Seb. It's all because of their greed! They deserve it!"
Braylon's face turned red with anger, and he slapped Hazel.
The sound of the slap echoed in the living room, and everything fell silent.
Braylon immediately regretted it. "I..."
"You dare to hit me! Ever since I married you, I've had nothing but hardship. This is clearly your dad and Damon's fault, and you hit me! I can't live like this anymore. I want a divorce!"
Braylon frowned. "Are you crazy?"
"Yes, I'm crazy! Divorce!"
Braylon's hand clenched into a fist. "The child is still here. Aren't you ashamed to say such things? I'm done talking to you!"
Afraid Hazel would say more, he quickly turned and walked to his study.
Hazel didn't chase after him. She sat on the couch, wiping her tears.
Ayla felt a wave of guilt seeing her mother so upset.
"Mom, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, Dad wouldn't have hit you."
In Ayla's memory, her parents had always had a good relationship and rarely argued in front of her.
This time, Braylon was so angry that he lost control and hit Hazel.
Hazel wiped her tears and looked at Ayla. "Ayla, when I first heard Damon say you sold the shares to Seb, I was angry. I couldn't believe you sold the Bridges Group shares to an outsider.
"But now I understand. If you hadn't sold them, they would have been taken from you by your grandfather and Damon. At least this way, you have some money."
Even if Ayla had given all the shares to Damon, he wouldn't have been grateful. He would have thought it was his right.
Ayla was stunned, not expecting her mother to understand.
At that moment, she truly understood the saying, "Parents' hearts are always with their children."
Her eyes reddened as she looked at Hazel. "Mom, thank you!"
Hazel dried her tears, knelt in front of Ayla, and choked up. "You need to take Jerold and leave the country tomorrow. Now that you've sold the shares, and your dad is indecisive and incapable, if Jerold stays here, he'll suffer. It's better to take him abroad."
She had initially planned for Jerold to stay in the country while Ayla went abroad alone, so Ayla could remarry.
But now, Damon would surely resent Ayla for selling the shares, and he wouldn't treat Jerold well.
She and Braylon had no power, holding only one percent of the Bridges Group shares, and couldn't protect Jerold.
The best option was for Ayla to take Jerold away.
Once abroad, Damon couldn't do anything to them.
Ayla held her mother's hand. "Mom, why don't you and Dad come with us? The money I have, plus what Leo left for Jerold, is enough for the four of us to live abroad."
Hazel hesitated but shook her head. "No, we're too old. We wouldn't adapt to a new country and language. Most of our friends are here. We don't want to be a burden."
She feared that going abroad would only add to Ayla's burden.
Having a child to care for was already hard enough. They didn't want to make it harder.
"Mom, don't decide so quickly. Think about it. I'll take Jerold abroad first and get him settled. Whenever you and Dad want to come, just call me, and I'll book your tickets."
Hazel nodded. "Okay."
After the argument, Ayla lost her appetite. After talking with Hazel, she took Jerold and left.
On the way home, Jerold curiously asked why they didn't stay for dinner at his grandparents' house.
Ayla looked at him and said gently, "Your grandparents had something come up. We'll eat with them another time."
"Okay." Jerold lowered his head, not saying another word, but his hand clenched tightly at his side.
He thought his grandparents didn't like him and that's why they didn't stay for dinner.
Back home, Ayla immediately had Carol pack their bags, and they flew out the next morning.
Meanwhile, thanks to lawyer Clyde Bailey's efforts, Leo was temporarily released on bail.
On the way back, he asked Zack in the passenger seat, "How's the company been while I was gone?"
Zack's face was grim. "Mr. Wendy, since the news of your arrest, the company's stock has been plummeting. Many shareholders are selling their shares and cashing out."
Leo's face darkened. "Those bastards! They enjoy the benefits when things are good, but the moment there's trouble, they sell their shares. Idiots!"
"Mr. Wendy, several shareholders have already sold their shares at a low price."
"Take me to the company!"
They couldn't let the shareholders keep selling, or Vertex Innovations Group would be finished in a month.
"Yes, sir."
Clyde frowned. "Mr. Wendy, the most important thing now is to resolve the lawsuit with Silvercrest Group. If this isn't handled properly, you might..."
He didn't finish, but Leo understood.
Leo said coldly, "I didn't pay you so much to tell me this nonsense. I want to win this case!"
Clyde looked troubled. The evidence Silvercrest Group submitted was solid. Even if he wanted to win, he had no material to prove their evidence was fake.
Getting Leo out on bail was already a significant achievement.
If Leo went back in, he couldn't get him out again.
"Mr. Wendy, if Silvercrest Group's evidence is genuine, I suggest you start planning for the worst."
Leo's face darkened, and he stared at Clyde without speaking.
The car fell silent, the air growing tense.
Clyde and Zack didn't dare breathe loudly, fearing they'd anger Leo.
When the car stopped at Vertex Innovations Group, Leo finally spoke. "Don't you have connections in the court? Even if the evidence is real, it can be made to look fake, right?"
Clyde's face changed. "Mr. Wendy, that's illegal!"
He had taken the case, not signed up to go to jail with Leo.
Leo sneered. "Whether it's illegal depends on who's doing it. If you handle it, I'll pay you a million dollars, plus more to smooth things over."
He glanced at Zack.
Zack quickly understood and handed Leo a bank card from his briefcase.
Leo frowned. "Give it to Mr. Bailey!"
"Yes, sir!"
Zack handed the card to Clyde.
Clyde didn't take it, looking troubled. "Mr. Wendy, I really can't do this. You should find someone else."
"There's two million dollars on this card. If you can't do it, this money might be used to buy your life. Decide if you want to take the card or not."
With that, Leo got out of the car.
Zack looked at Clyde and sighed. "Mr. Bailey, you're on this ship now. You can't get off. Either help Mr. Wendy, or we all go down together. It's too late to back out now."
Clyde was silent for a moment, then took the card with trembling hands and got out of the car.
Meanwhile, Leo had reached the top floor of Vertex Innovations Group.
---
Leo's face darkened. "Those jerks! They enjoy the benefits when things are good, but the moment there's trouble, they sell their shares. Idiots!"
"Mr. Wendy, several shareholders have already sold their shares at a low price."
"Take me to the company!"
They couldn't let the shareholders keep selling, or Vertex Innovations Group would be finished in a month.
"Yes, sir."
Clyde frowned. "Mr. Wendy, the most important thing now is to resolve the lawsuit with Silvercrest Group. If this isn't handled properly, you might..."
He didn't finish, but Leo understood.
Leo said coldly, "I didn't pay you so much to tell me this nonsense. I want to win this case!"
Clyde looked troubled. The evidence Silvercrest Group submitted was solid. Even if he wanted to win, he had no material to prove their evidence was fake.
Getting Leo out on bail was already a significant achievement.
If Leo went back in, he couldn't get him out again.
"Mr. Wendy, if Silvercrest Group's evidence is genuine, I suggest you start planning for the worst."
Leo's face darkened, and he stared at Clyde without speaking.
The car fell silent, the air growing tense.
Clyde and Zack didn't dare breathe loudly, fearing they'd anger Leo.
When the car stopped at Vertex Innovations Group, Leo finally spoke. "Don't you have connections in the court? Even if the evidence is real, it can be made to look fake, right?"
Clyde's face changed. "Mr. Wendy, that's illegal!"
He had taken the case, not signed up to go to jail with Leo.
Leo sneered. "Whether it's illegal depends on who's doing it. If you handle it, I'll pay you a million dollars, plus more to smooth things over."
He glanced at Zack.
Zack quickly understood and handed Leo a bank card from his briefcase.
Leo frowned. "Give it to Mr. Bailey!"
"Yes, sir!"
Zack handed the card to Clyde.
Clyde didn't take it, looking troubled. "Mr. Wendy, I really can't do this. You should find someone else."
"There's two million dollars on this card. If you can't do it, this money might be used to buy your life. Decide if you want to take the card or not."
With that, Leo got out of the car.
Zack looked at Clyde and sighed. "Mr. Bailey, you're on this ship now. You can't get off. Either help Mr. Wendy, or we all go down together. It's too late to back out now."
Clyde was silent for a moment, then took the card with trembling hands and got out of the car.
Meanwhile, Leo had reached the top floor of Vertex Innovations Group.
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