Chapter 278 Nicholas's Pawn
From the moment Skylar and I found out we were expecting, it was a rollercoaster ride. We followed the doctor's orders and stayed in the hospital for a bit to make sure everything was okay.
Luckily, my health started to get better, and Skylar's tests came back normal too.
Finally, the day came when we could leave the hospital. But I didn't tell Edward about it.
Lila came to pick us up, and by the time we got home, Melissa had already set up Skylar's room.
Seeing the room all set up so nicely, I felt really touched.
Lila, always so bubbly, chirped, "Diana, check it out! I picked out this crib for Skylar. David and Fiona got this climbing frame, but they thought it was a boy, so they got this huge climbing wall. And these toys and clothes, some are from Daisy who brought them back from Veridian, and some are gifts from your colleagues."
Looking at all these gifts, I knew everyone cared so much about my little baby. I gently touched each item, feeling all sorts of emotions.
Then, my eyes landed on a big wooden box in the corner.
Curious, I asked, "What's this?"
Lila's face changed, her excitement fading. She said, "It's a gift from Edward for the baby. We haven't opened it yet. If you don't want it, we can just toss it."
I ran my fingers over the rough surface of the box and whispered, "Go ahead and open it. Skylar deserves a gift from her dad."
With my go-ahead, Lila and Melissa started opening the box.
While they were busy, I stood by, feeling a bit useless.
Watching them, I couldn't help but say, "Since Skylar was born, Edward's been coming to the hospital every day. I don't know how he finds the time."
Lila froze, looking shocked. She asked, "Edward visits you often?"
I didn't think much of it and nodded. "Yeah, he comes every day."
Lila looked at me, disbelief all over her face. "Diana, you don't know?"
A wave of unease hit me. "What do you mean?"
Lila didn't answer right away. Instead, she asked, "Edward never told you about his company?"
I shook my head. "He comes to the hospital every day, but I've never seen him. What's going on?"
As soon as I said that, I realized I didn't really care about Edward anymore; I was just curious.
Lila put down the tools, walked over, and took my hand, looking serious. "After Anne and Clara were arrested, the Howard Group took a huge financial hit. No one could fill that gap."
"How could that happen?" I was shocked."At first, Edward was running around like crazy, trying to save the Howard Group. He was at the office all the time, meeting with people, trying to figure things out. But it was a total mess, and the losses were huge. No one wanted to take the risk. Eventually, Edward just stopped showing up at the company. No one knew where he was or how to get in touch with him. Turns out, he was here with you every day." Lila's voice was calm, but inside, I was a wreck.
I took a deep breath and asked quietly, "What happened next? How's the Howard Group doing now?"
Lila shook her head and sighed, "Nicholas took over the Howard Group."
Then she seemed to remember something and asked, "Do you know about Nicholas and Anne's relationship?"
I was taken aback. Was Anne's affair with Nicholas out in the open now?
Lila fiddled with a toy and continued, "It was all Nicholas's plan. Anne was vain and had a big role in the Howard Group. Nicholas sweet-talked her and pretended to support her financially, but he was just using her greed to slowly drain the company's assets."
I was shocked. "How could this happen?"
I knew about Anne's affair with Nicholas, but I had no idea he was using her like that.
Lila gave a bitter smile and said, "Anne thought she had it made with Nicholas and could live the high life, but she was just a pawn. Nicholas kept making her embezzle funds and transfer assets. She did it all to please him. So, the Howard Group's downfall wasn't just Clara's fault; Nicholas was the real culprit."
"Does Edward know about this now?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"He knows," Lila said, her eyes showing a hint of pity. "When the trouble started at the Howard Group, he had people look into it and found out about Nicholas and Anne. But now he's isolated and doesn't have the power to go up against Nicholas."
Hearing this, my heart ached. Despite everything between Edward and me, I couldn't stand seeing him in such a desperate situation.
I was confused and asked, "Why didn't Lucas try to talk sense into Nicholas? And why would Nicholas take over a failing company?"
Lila explained, "Nicholas is known for being a shrewd businessman."
She frowned, her tone uneasy. "He might seem friendly and always smiling, but when it comes to his interests, he'll do whatever it takes. I've only met him a few times, but each time left me feeling uneasy. Lucas also found Nicholas's actions troubling and tried to reason with him. But Nicholas not only refused, he also handed control of the Howard Group to Lucas, saying it was to teach him how to run a business."
I couldn't believe it. "How could Lucas agree to take over a failing company?"
Lila sighed and said, "He didn't want to, but he's just another pawn for Nicholas. Under Nicholas's control, he had no choice but to accept."
Hearing this, I fell silent, my mind racing with thoughts of Edward and the Howard Group's mess.
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