Chapter 270 But I believe you can do it
"Mom, the fact that we're here shows we're pretty sure this is legit." Travis slid a document over to Adelaide, which they had cooked up based on their hunch that Katniss was the woman Tristan had married back in the day.
Adelaide didn't even bother to look at it and just sneered, "You really think this will stop them from tying the knot? Katniss has been planning to come clean with Tristan for a while now. He loves her so much; he'll accept whatever we've been hiding."
"I know I can't make a big deal out of this, but you can," Travis hinted.
With those two contracts Katniss had signed, which Adelaide had orchestrated, she could definitely stir up some trouble!
Adelaide looked at Travis like he was an idiot. How could he expect her to do something like that?
"Mom, check this out. A few days ago, I got wind of some dirt on Dad from a reporter. I paid a hefty sum to get my hands on it. If this goes public, Dad will be ruined, and our Forbes family name will be dragged through the mud." Ivy pulled out some photos and laid them in front of Adelaide.
The photos showed some documents and incriminating evidence.
Adelaide's eyes widened in shock when she saw them. "You!"
She glanced at Ivy's smug face and then turned to Travis.
"Travis, you idiot, that's your dad! How dare you even think about releasing this stuff?"
"You know he's my dad? Then why have you never treated me like your son? Always favoring others!" Travis was fuming, glaring at Adelaide. "You control the entire Forbes family. Synergy Global Corporation is completely in Tristan's hands, and I have no real power. Have you ever considered how I feel?"
"You ungrateful brat!" Adelaide slammed the coffee table. "Isn't Tristan your brother? Do you want to hand over the Forbes family to someone with no blood ties to us?"
Mentioning Tristan made Travis's face darken even more. "He should have died with that woman back then! If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be in this mess!"
"You're projecting your own vile thoughts onto them! You're in this situation because of your own choices. What does it have to do with them? Deep down, you know the truth. Tristan is your only child in this life!" Adelaide screamed, her face red with anger as she confronted Travis.
But Travis remained unmoved, still wearing that smug expression."Mrs. Forbes, please, take it easy. Getting all worked up isn't good for your health. If you let your anger get the best of you and something happens before we sort this out, Tristan will be left without any support." Ivy sat on the sofa, poured a glass of warm water, and placed it in front of Adelaide. "Sam wants to join the Forbes family and be part of us. Please, just agree."
Adelaide had always refused to let Sam, who only had the Forbes surname but no blood relation, join the family.
"Not a chance!" Adelaide snapped without hesitation.
Ivy pursed her lips at this.
"So, you're dead set on leaving everything to Tristan, huh?" Travis pointed to the photos and continued, "Then we'll all go down together. If this stuff gets out, the Forbes family will be torn apart by other families. Tristan, who's running the show now, will be their first target. If I can't have the Forbes family, I'll destroy it! I'll make you watch Tristan take the fall for Dad!"
His harsh words cut through Adelaide like a knife, making it hard for her to breathe.
Everyone in the room watched her with cold indifference, as if she were a stranger.
Seeing this, Royce quickly brought over some heart medicine, gave Adelaide a pill, and couldn't help but scold Travis, "Mr. Forbes raised you with the hope you'd manage the family well, not destroy it!"
"It's not me trying to tear the family apart; it's her!" Travis shouted, pointing at Adelaide, his face twitching with anger.
Adelaide gritted her teeth, glaring at him, but couldn't speak for a long time.
She never imagined Travis would use the family's secrets to threaten her!
The Forbes family was so powerful that many other families depended on them to survive.
But if these secrets got out, the Forbes family would be isolated and vulnerable. Others would band together to bring them down, and that would be the end of the Forbes family!
Adelaide thought, if the Forbes family was doomed, so be it!
But what about Tristan? The family's secrets couldn't come to light. If the law got involved, it would mean prison time.
As long as the foundation was preserved, there would always be a chance to start over.
Adelaide said, "Tell me what you want."
As soon as she said this, Ivy's face lit up, and she looked at Travis.
Travis breathed a sigh of relief and said in a serious tone, "I want Sam to join the Forbes family and be part of us, and you need to deal with Katniss.""Two things, both aimed at taking my life." Adelaide lowered her gaze, hiding the sharpness in her eyes. After a long sigh, she looked at Travis and added, "I want you to transfer half of your shares to Tristan."
"No way!" Travis shot back immediately.
"What are you so scared of?" Adelaide sneered. "Dealing with Katniss will take a toll on him. He could end up alone, with no heirs, and unable to inherit all your shares. But I have to give him a way out."
Travis would never agree to give up all his shares, so Adelaide compromised and asked for only half.
"You really need to think this through. By letting Sam join the Forbes family, you're effectively giving him a stake in the inheritance. I've already made a major concession here," Adelaide urged.
Travis fell silent, glancing at Ivy as they both weighed the value of the deal.
"Travis, come with me," Ivy said, standing up. She took his arm and led him outside to the yard for a private conversation.
The light shone down on them, clearly illuminating their mean and calculating expressions.
"Travis, agree to it. This is the only chance to get her to let Sam into the Forbes family." Ivy had been married for nearly twenty years and had never found an opportunity to let Sam join the Forbes family and become a part of it.
Even back then, when Travis offered to let Tristan's mother into the family cemetery as a trade, Adelaide didn't relent.
"But giving Tristan half the shares would give him a say on the board. Sam is ten years younger than Tristan, so if they both hold the same number of shares in the future, Sam might struggle to compete with Tristan!" This was Travis's main concern.
He acknowledged Tristan's strength!
Yet Ivy spoke with confidence, "Tristan is emotional. If his relationship with Katniss hits any bumps, he'll be thrown off balance. Then we can find a way to push him into marrying Eudora. Everything will fall into place according to our plan. Without heirs, his shares will eventually return to us. He's not a threat."
It might be a risky move, but if there were no other options, she wouldn't hesitate to take this step!
Back in the living room, Adelaide took a sip of her now cold tea and glanced at Eudora, who had been quietly observing the situation.
"Have you liked Tristan for a long time?" Adelaide asked.
Eudora was startled and quickly lowered her head. "Grandma, what are you talking about?"
"Don't play games with me. I hate that. If you really like Tristan, you shouldn't let others harm him like this. If he has no ability and no real power, he will have no way out." Adelaide's words carried a hint of drawing Eudora in.The room fell silent. Eudora bit her lip, unable to speak for quite some time. When she noticed Travis and Ivy approaching, she leaned in and whispered, "Grandma, all I want is to be with Tristan, away from Katniss. As long as we're together, I'll support him no matter what! I could even help him find someone to have a child. Please, just don't mention my feelings to Tristan!"
If Tristan knew Eudora was involved in the plan to break him and Katniss apart, he would surely hate her!
Before Adelaide could respond, Travis and Ivy returned.
"Mrs. Forbes, this time everyone is taking a gamble. If anyone ends up losing, they better not sulk about it," Ivy said, indicating they were all in agreement.
Adelaide thought for a moment and said, "In a week, arrange for Sam to join the Forbes family and transfer the shares to Tristan. As for Katniss, give me some time."
"Okay," Travis responded, then left with Ivy and Eudora.
Before leaving, Eudora glanced back at Adelaide, hesitated for a moment, and then followed them out.
The large villa quieted down, with the night breeze occasionally blowing in. Adelaide sat on the sofa, unable to regain her composure.
Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears as she cried, "I deserve to die. I'm so sorry, Katniss."
"Mrs. Forbes, you are the head of the family. Protecting the Forbes family comes first. There's no other way," Royce consoled. "Besides, isn't there the agreement from a year ago? Consider it compensation for Miss Grey."
Adelaide lowered her head and shook it slowly, saying, "They're both very emotional people. What does money even mean to them?"
Hearing this, Royce fell silent, contemplating Katniss's trust in Adelaide and her willingness to marry into the Forbes family for Tristan.
Katniss and Tristan had forgotten about taking wedding photos until Saskia and Nicholas mentioned it while planning their own.
Katniss had no specific preferences in this regard, so she was easily pulled along by Saskia.
Their wedding was only six days away, and Nicholas often asked Tristan for advice.
"A wedding needs uniqueness. I want to ensure our wedding is one of a kind," Tristan said, refusing to reveal any details.
Nicholas was frustrated, "What's so unique? Isn't it just wearing a white dress and having a ceremony? What else can you do differently?"
Saskia chuckled, "You really lack imagination. Always asking about their wedding plans! You might as well just wait until the wedding is over and then shout to everyone, 'Don't go anywhere; we'll do it all over again in six days!'"
"That won't work. The guests we invite will be different from theirs," Nicholas replied, completely missing Saskia's sarcasm.
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