Chapter 113 The 80th Birthday

Previously on equal footing with Ethan, Bull was now utterly defeated.

After greeting Dorothy, Ethan followed Ella, leaving swiftly—there were matters to discuss.

"Why’d you block me? What if I had an urgent need to reach you?" Ella asked, her face still clouded with anger.

"You dropped a bomb on me without any warning. Why wouldn’t I block you?" Ethan retorted, clearly displeased.

Ella was speechless. She had it all but handed him the reins to her new venture, and yet he still dared to sulk?

In what world does someone stumble across such a golden opportunity and still find room for discontent?!

She took a deep breath to calm down from her frustration and accompanied Ethan back to the Aim Group headquarters.

She handed Ethan a document and said, "Sign this, and you'll be the legal representative of the company."

Ethan wasn't sure what Ella was up to, and he didn't bother to ask. With a flick of his pen, he became the head of the company that Ella had dubbed "Sound Capital."

"Tiger Group and Henry Group have started to mobilize their funds on a large scale. I reckon it won't be long before they destroy Aim Group completely," Ella said, her expression grave.

"Is that so?" Ethan's tone remained nonchalant.

Ella frowned deeply and rapped on the desk, her voice icy, "You said you'd help me handle these difficulties. So, where's the money to deal with them?"

"Don't worry, it won't be a problem. Just hold the fort, and I'll sort out the finances," Ethan assured her calmly.

"I promise, I won't let Aim Group face any financial crisis."

"Just sit tight and keep sparring with them," he added.

Ethan's attitude was enough to drive Ella up the wall. It was maddening how he could stay so calm in such a critical situation.

Diana hadn't made a move yet, so Ethan wouldn't rush into action too soon.

"Also, try to distance yourself from Tom a bit. He's not always going to be this cordial. One day he might just decide to destroy you, and you won't even have time to regret it," Ethan warned coolly.

"I've got it covered; you don't need to worry about me. What you need to focus on right now is ensuring we have enough funds," Ella retorted icily.

Ethan, seeing her attitude, shook his head, a gesture of resignation.

Although Tom was an heir to Tiger Group, he still had the instincts of an old-school gangster. One could never tell when he might run out of patience and get rough with Ella.

After leaving Aim Group, Ethan was summoned back to Smith Group.

"Tomorrow's Grandpa's birthday. I've already picked out his gift for you; just take it and give it to him," Bernice told Ethan in an aloof tone.

After the events of the previous night, she was utterly disappointed in Ethan, especially since it all happened in front of Diana.

Now reflecting on it, she regretted sending Ethan to Sky Villa; after all, his actions could make Diana look down on them both.

Bernice spoke with an icy tone, "Grandpa is celebrating his 80th birthday. You better not cause any trouble today, or I won't let you off easy!"

Ethan just smiled and then asked, "Did you and the Smith Group sell off all the Cam Mount property to the Aim Group?"

"It was Christine who sold it. Besides, the Cam Mount property wasn't valuable; it was pointless to keep it. The Aim Group offered to buy it at the original price was a stroke of good luck—it gave us some room to breathe, financially," Bernice responded indifferently.

Ethan's lips twitched, "You're really something... Handing over money that was practically in your pocket to someone else?!"

Bernice snapped back, "Cut the theatrics! I know it was my mistake to trust Norton, and it led to a huge loss, but now that we've sold the land, we've recovered from our loss. And I will repay the thirty million dollars I owe you, down to the last cent."

Ethan, feeling helpless, said, "That Cam Mount land is bound to be a prime development project in the future."

Bernice, with a stony face, had no faith in Ethan's words.

The next afternoon, Bernice tossed a brand-new suit to Ethan, instructing him to put it on.

Ethan accompanied Bernice, Robert, Jane, and their family to wish Grandpa Smith a happy birthday.

"Ha, Bernice, you've got some nerve showing up here!" Christine jabbed with a mix of sarcasm and scorn as she approached.

"Why wouldn't I have the right to come to Grandpa's birthday?" Bernice asked coolly.

Christine retorted, "You were duped by Norton into buying shares in the Jones Group, which caused a cash flow problem for the company and led to significant losses!

"If I hadn't found a way to reach out to the Aim Group and sold the Cam Mount property to Miss Anderson, who knows how much more the company would have lost?

"I managed to pull off a deal like that, and yet you, as the CEO, only manage to lose money. If I were you, I'd be too ashamed to face Grandpa."

Bernice Smith's words turned Christine Smith's face a shade of thunderous blue, but she couldn't deny it—Christine had indeed sold those hundreds of acres belonging to Cam Mount, leaving her without a comeback.

In the middle of the heated discussion, Christine suddenly abandoned her debate with Bernice and rushed towards a young man, exclaiming, "Wow, look who’s here, it's Henry!"

Ethan turned and saw the man was indeed Henry, the same guy who had been courting Barbara Miller on the cruise.

Holding a century-old wine, Henry casually presented it, saying, "The Bush family sends its congratulations to Grandpa Smith on his 80th birthday, and offers this century-old wine as a token of respect."

Relatives of the Smith family flocked around Henry, lavishing praise upon him.

"That’s Henry for you, always so generous with his gifts, like this century-old wine!"

"Young and already famed, Henry is a true prodigy. His presence at our patriarch's birthday is a true honor to the Smith family!"

"Welcome, Henry! Bush Boxing has become a cultural landmark in Massachusetts. I'm sure it won't be long before you take it nationwide."

The Bush family had made their fortune through martial arts schools before expanding into the pharmaceutical industry, growing their business substantially across Massachusetts.

While they might not match the scale of conglomerates like the Aim Group or Tiger Group, their market value was certainly nothing to scoff at—estimated in the billions.

Henry also noticed Ethan and couldn't help but smirk with disdain.

"Hey, if it isn't Mr. Big Shot," Henry said mockingly as he walked up to Ethan.

"Big Shot? Surely, you're not talking about yourself?" Ethan replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Christine Smith interjected furiously, "Ethan, you're just riding on Bernice's coattails. What right do you have to speak to Henry like that? Get on your knees and apologize to him now!"