Chapter 502 The Scheme
"You know Vivian's got ties with the Abbott family, right? My ex is the big boss of the Abbott Group. Before she came back to Philly, she was always hanging with them. The Abbotts even thought her kid, Ramond, was Aaron's son. Vivian's dead set on making Ramond the heir to the Abbott empire."
"Vivian's got the guts for that?"
"Vivian's got ambition for days. That's why I've been butting heads with her and need your help to take her down."
Amelia got the hint and said, all bummed out, "But my dad's already set on grooming Ramond as his successor. What can I do? Just 'cause I'm not a dude, all my hard work means squat to him."
"Don't throw in the towel just yet. For Paige's sake, you gotta pull it together. Vivian's cutthroat. If you slip up, you and Paige are toast. She won't go easy on you."
Amelia's face hardened. "No way I'm letting Vivian win. My mom gave up so much, even her health, to get my dad to the top. If Vivian tries to wreck that, I'll make sure my dad loses everything he's got."
"Hold up, you don't need to go nuclear. That's a tough and messy road. You both could end up losing big time. Owen might pay, but your family will take a hit too. Your business could tank."
"Susanna, what do I do then? I can't just sit here and take it. My dad's where he is because of my mom's hard work. She got sick because of him. And now he wants to bring his mistress's kid into our home and make him the heir? No way!"
"That's why you need a game plan."
"What should I do?"
"First, play it cool with Owen. Don't let Vivian get the upper hand. Owen's bound to feel guilty towards you."
"If my dad really felt guilty, he wouldn't have brought Vivian and Ramond into our lives and tried to make Ramond the heir."
"No, hear me out. Show some weakness now. Your dad just wants a grandson, right? Agree to bring Ramond into the Richardson family, but make it clear Vivian can't come back."
Amelia was shocked. "I don't get it. Why should I let Ramond come back and inherit everything?"
Amelia was getting worked up. "My dad's where he is because of my grandma's influence. Why should a mistress's kid get everything? I can't do it, not even as a front."
"This isn't just for show. You gotta get that Owen's the head honcho now. He's not the guy who needed your family anymore. Going head-to-head with him won't work. You gotta play along for now."
Amelia went quiet for a bit.
Susanna kept going, "So, you agree to bring Ramond back, but you gotta loop in Paige and your grandma's side of the family. Tell them Ramond's staying with the Richardsons, and you'll help him out, support him, and run the family biz together."
"My grandma won't go for it. She'll definitely fight for my mom."
"I get it, your grandma's got your back. But you can have a secret chat with her. Act like you're on board, let her chew you out. This is your golden ticket."
Amelia was still puzzled. "I don't get it."
"By doing this, Owen will think you're on his side, ditching your grandma's crew for him. He'll back you up. That way, Vivian won't have a shot to mess things up."
"Then you can start taking control of Owen's companies or assets. Even if Ramond comes home, it'll be years before he can challenge you, giving you plenty of time to set things up."
Susanna paused, a bit taken aback. If it were her back in the day, she might've felt just as lost as Amelia.
But after all she'd been through, she knew how to play the game.
Amelia said, "My dad's no fool. He won't buy it easily. I'm not a great actress; he'll see right through me."
"Once everything's set, tell your dad your future kids will carry the Richardson name too. That way, Ramond won't be the only heir."
Amelia rubbed her face, speaking softly, "Thanks. I know you're looking out for me, but I need to think it over."
Just then, Amelia's phone rang.
Susanna saw the caller ID: Owen. Clearly, Vivian had already tattled, which is why Owen was calling.
Amelia picked up, "Dad."
Owen's angry voice boomed from the other end. "Where are you? Get back here now. We need to talk."
Before Amelia could respond, he hung up.
She looked at Susanna with a smirk, "You were right. Vivian's already made her move."
"It's cool. Go see what's up. I believe if you set your mind to it, you can handle this. You've had the best training from this family. You can't let a schemer like Vivian win, right?"
Amelia nodded, "Alright, I'll see what I can do. Thanks, really. If it weren't for you, my mom and I would still be in the dark. By the time we figured it out, it would've been too late."
"Don't thank me. I'm doing this for myself too. I've got my own beef with Vivian. I need to cut her down. I can't let her get away with this; otherwise, I'm screwed too."
Vivian, that ruthless woman, would definitely be a problem if she got power.
She almost stopped Charles from getting his bone marrow treatment back then.
Susanna had to stop Vivian from climbing the ladder.
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