Chapter 55 The Cooper Group Is Going Down
Edward told me I couldn't stay with Anne at the hospital anymore. Honestly, I didn't mind. I had nothing to do all day anyway. So, I moved back to the Howard Villa and spent my time with Melissa, either trying out new recipes or sprucing up the garden. It was pretty chill.
The best part? Edward was super busy lately, always jetting off somewhere. Not long after, Anne got out of the hospital. Instead of coming back to the Howard Villa, she went to the Howard Mansion. That was Clara's idea, not hers. For Anne, with Edward gone all the time, it didn't really matter where she stayed.
Time flew by, and Anne's court case for hiring someone to hurt others was coming up. Yesterday, Edward came back from a business trip, and it was rare for him to have lunch at home. Melissa went all out and made a fancy meal. I hadn't seen Edward in ages, and while I wasn't exactly excited, it was kinda nice to have a meal together after so long.
"Anne's case is about to go to court," Edward said, trying to sound casual.
I just nodded, not wanting to say much.
"Can't you forgive Anne?" Edward sounded a bit desperate. "She's still just a kid. Doesn't she deserve another chance?"
I laughed at him. "Did you talk about second chances when you dealt with me? Or when you took Joshua down from his detective team leader position?" I asked, mocking him.
Mentioning Joshua seemed to set Edward off. He slammed his bowl on the floor and flipped the whole table.
I'd never seen him so mad. Inside, I was freaking out, but I tried to stay calm.
"How dare you bring up Joshua? If his people hadn't arrested Anne, she wouldn't be going through all this!" Edward snapped.
I shot back, "Joshua's just doing his job as a detective. You used your power to take his job away. What did he do wrong?"
"Enough, Diana! Don't mention Joshua again, or it'll be bad for you!"
We had a huge fight, and lunch ended on a sour note.
After lunch, Mia called and asked me to come to the office.
Standing in the middle of the city, looking up at the towering Cooper Group building, I felt a wave of anxiety. The skyscrapers loomed like giants, coldly watching over everything. The glass walls reflected the blinding light, making me feel really small and oppressed.
I had a gut feeling something big was about to go down.
Taking a deep breath, I took the elevator to the 24th floor, Mia's office. The place was huge and fancy, with floor-to-ceiling windows giving a panoramic view of the bustling city below.
As soon as I walked in, before I could say anything, Mia slapped me hard across the face. The burning pain spread instantly. I covered my face, shocked, staring at Mia."What did you do this time to piss off Edward?" Mia's voice was on the verge of breaking.
I stood there, totally clueless and dumbfounded.
"Ms. Cooper, this is the acquisition contract just sent over by the Howard Group. They're planning to acquire our Cooper Group!" The secretary handed me the contract and poured me a glass of water, looking nervous.
It hit me then—Edward had mentioned an acquisition project a while back. Could he have been planning to take over the Cooper Group all along? And now, after our blow-up, Mia gets the contract.
"Edward, you ruthless bastard," I muttered through gritted teeth.
"You need to go apologize to him, beg for his forgiveness! And you need to beg Anne for forgiveness too!" Mia's voice was choked with sobs.
It suddenly dawned on me that Mia knew everything I'd been through. But when David humiliated me, she didn't care. When I got hurt in that accident, she didn't care. When I was detained, she was indifferent. She knew it all and did nothing.
I looked at her, eyes wide with hurt. "Mom, I didn't do anything wrong. Edward's the one who's been cruel."
Mia was shaking with anger, her voice trembling. "I don't care! Our company is about to be destroyed because of you! You will go to Edward and Anne, you will get on your knees and beg them to spare us!"
I stared at her in disbelief, feeling crushed. "Mom, how can you say that?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Mia's face, but it quickly turned to anger. "If the company goes under, we'll have nothing."
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held them back. "We need to use legal means. I'll find someone to help us."
Mia sneered, "Legal means? By the time that's done, the company will be bankrupt. Do you think we can wait that long?"
"You're just afraid of losing your precious money and status!" I shouted. "You don't care about me, about what I've been through! I did nothing wrong, and I'm not apologizing
Mia's face turned cold. "If you don't go, you're not my daughter anymore."
Before she could finish, I turned and walked towards the door, each step feeling like walking on broken glass. I heard Mia shouting angrily behind me, but I didn't look back. I left that luxurious yet cold office with a heart full of disappointment.
If I'd known this would be our last parting, I might not have left so resolutely.
Outside, I looked up at the blazing sun. It didn't seem so harsh anymore.
With nowhere to go, I decided to visit Mason's grave.
When I arrived, the headstone was spotless, like it had just been cleaned. I'd been rushing to catch up, but then I saw Nicholas's car. I realized he was avoiding me, so I stopped following him.
Mia's secretary, Theo, called, but I didn't want to answer and hung up. He kept calling.
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