Chapter 171 Choosing the Right Team Was Crucial
Louis had always thought Lily didn't care about these things.
But the moment he mentioned 'Mrs. Carnegie,' she got all upset, acting like Paige didn't even exist.
Raymond and Paige had secretly tied the knot, and not many folks knew about it. Maybe that's why Lily wanted to pretend Paige wasn't Raymond's wife.
Louis wasn't playing along. "Miss Morgan, you got it wrong. When I said Mrs. Carnegie, I meant my uncle's current wife, Paige."
He then put on a surprised look. "Didn't he tell you about such an important thing?"
Sure enough, Lily's face turned sour. She knew about it, but not many people around did. Louis spilled the beans without caring about her feelings.
He didn't give a damn about her. Even without Raymond, he could still work with the Morgan family, and Lily would be on his side.
But since they picked Raymond, they were bound to be his rivals, so Louis didn't show Lily respect.
Amelia, who had been pretty quiet, was watching all this unfold.
When Hawke Corporation threw events, others might not have known who Paige was, but Amelia had some idea.
And now that Louis had laid it all out, Amelia got the full picture.
Louis and Lily were clearly not on the same team. After watching for a bit, Raymond finally spoke up, "Lily, let's head back to our private room. I'll introduce you to some friends later."
Feeling awkward, Lily turned and smiled at Raymond, pushing his wheelchair and nodding. "Sure."
At that moment, Amelia stepped up and, after glancing around a few times, asked Louis, "What's up with Raymond? Does he really like Lily?"
Louis frowned, already in a foul mood.
Someone nearby walked up, swirling a glass of red wine, and handed one to Louis too. "The Morgan family is not like regular families. Their finances might look like the Universe Group's, but they seem to be into some shady stuff, making their real power hard to figure out. They're super mysterious and hardly ever show up in the business world. They’re originally from Quorinthus but moved abroad so early that there’s no talk about them back home.
Is Raymond trying to compete with you for the top spot? Why else would he suddenly get involved with the Morgans and even plan to marry Lily?"
Louis took the glass of wine, swirled it a couple of times, and downed it in one go. He was now the most troubled.
He had thought Raymond was just chasing after beauty, that his treatment abroad wasn't working, and he brought back a young woman, even ditching Paige.
Now Louis realized this woman had a significant background.
"Let's call it a night. I got stuff to do, so I gotta go." Louis wasn't in the mood to keep partying. He turned and left, driving back to the company.
Amelia gave Frederick a look and also took off.
The once lively gathering quickly broke up.
After stepping out, Amelia said, "Frederick, should we invest in stocks?"
Frederick asked, "What stocks?"
Amelia asked, "What do you think the future holds for Northwind? Who's gonna be the big shot?"
Frederick looked at her. "Lily's main stage isn't Northwind, right? From what I heard about the Morgan family, their main turf is Arcadia, not Northwind."
Amelia smirked. "Frederick, Dad was right; you're not as sharp as me. The Morgans are big in Arcadia, sure. But why would Lily marry an older, disabled guy like Raymond? No one knows what Raymond's up to. He hasn't gone after Louis or tried to take over Hawke Corporation yet. But if he does, will he succeed? I think he will.
The Morgans are huge in Arcadia, but they're moving into Northwind through this marriage. Northwind's gonna be buzzing soon.
Frederick, how do you think the Smiths stack up against other rich families in Northwind?"
Frederick replied, "Isn't it obvious? The Smith family has weak foundations. Competing with these well-established wealthy families is already tough; one wrong move and we're done."
Amelia nodded. "Exactly, which is why we need to team up with Louis. With the Carnegie family's help, the Smith family can thrive for a hundred years."
Frederick sighed. "Easier said than done. You saw it too; Louis isn't into you. Francesca also looks down on the Smith family's status."
Amelia nodded again. "You're right. But the Smiths are lucky. If we pick the right side this time, we won't just avoid decline; we'll be more successful than some of these wealthy families."
Frederick asked, "Amelia, are you saying Louis and Raymond are gonna compete? And we need to pick a side now? You want to choose Raymond?"
Amelia replied, "Whether it's Louis or Raymond, they're all family. The Carnegie family is already small. Whether Louis or Raymond takes power, if we side with one of them, it won't be too bad."
Frederick thought for a moment. "You're right, and right now, my relationship with Louis is pretty good. We get along well. If we choose Raymond, it might not look good."
Frederick continued, "The Morgan family has no roots in Northwind. If we choose them and lose, it would be a disaster."
Amelia nodded. "The Carnegie family has always led Northwind. With more people wanting to establish their power here, they aim to take leadership from the Carnegies. So, we can't oppose the Carnegie family. We have the best candidate."
Frederick asked anxiously, "Who?"
Amelia pulled Frederick into the car. "We're going to visit her now. Luckily, we have proof of loyalty. She will definitely accept our choice. As long as she stays strong, the Smith family will only get better and better."
Frederick, now driving under Amelia's direction, still didn't get who she was talking about.
Amelia, however, had gotten the address from Louis. She opened the navigation on her phone and said, "Frederick, head here."
Frederick glanced at it and asked, "Willow Crest Estate, who lives there?"
