Chapter 568: Howard and Claire Are Just a Joke

Ethan shot a look at Howard. That dude was slick; no way he'd just hand over the shares to Daniel without a fight.

He'd lost all faith in Claire, and by extension, Daniel too. The fact that he handed over the shares so fast? Yeah, he was definitely up to something shady.

Claire, on the other hand, seemed totally clueless about the whole mess.

She probably thought Howard wouldn't hurt his own kid. But if Howard could be so cold to Ethan, Daniel didn't stand a chance.

Claire flashed a bright smile at Daniel. "Daniel, your dad's always seen your potential."

"That's not cool. Howard can't just give all the shares to one person. Even though Ethan's got some shares, as a dad, you gotta be fair and split them between both kids," Ben said, trying to get a better deal for Ethan.

Claire's face turned dark, glaring at him. "Since when does the Douglas family's business become the board's problem?"

Seeing the board members start to whisper, Claire felt the heat. Daniel had yet to control the company fully. She needed to win these folks over to back Daniel. So she couldn't push too hard.

Howard seemed to see this coming and chimed in, "Both sons are mine, and I can't play favorites. But the company belongs to everyone, and so do the interests. I gotta think about everyone's benefits."

Claire frowned at Howard, not sure what he was up to.

Howard was a sly fox; he never did anything without a hidden agenda.

"Our company's in a tight spot. The Raymond Group's got us under serious pressure. Whether it's Daniel or Ethan, both have the right to step up for the Douglas Group. You all know I signed a lopsided deal with them."

Howard looked at Ethan, then Daniel. "To be fair, whoever can get Mr. Russell to cancel this contract or work with the Douglas Group on equal terms will get my shares."

Howard was sharp. He knew Brandon was a tough nut to crack, so he was stalling.

Brandon had just booted Ethan for interest. Howard figured Brandon wouldn't give Ethan any respect.

As for Daniel, Howard knew him too well.

Plus, the Raymond Group had only been big for a few years, and there was no dirt of theirs in the documents. Claire had no way to sway Brandon to back Daniel. No matter how smart Claire was, she needed time.

This was when Howard would make his move.

After Howard finished, he gave Claire a look, telling her to take what she could and not push it. If things got too messy, no one would win.

Claire, though pissed, bit her tongue and held back.

Ethan sat there, stone-faced, trying not to laugh.

No one could outfox Howard.

"Dad." Daniel frowned, not happy. Brandon didn't care about him. He'd tried to meet him many times, but Brandon always blew him off.

Getting Brandon to see him was a long shot.

Claire subtly nudged Daniel, sure their odds were better than Ethan's. "Fine, Daniel will give everyone a solid answer."

In Claire's eyes, all the drama in the company was 'cause of Howard's deal with the Raymond Group. If Daniel could get Brandon to ditch the contract and team up again, he'd totally earn some street cred with the higher-ups.

And Claire? She was dead set on winning.

Ethan stayed quiet. He didn't give a damn about the shares, but if Howard was offering, he wasn't gonna say no.

"Alright then, Mr. Douglas, let's set a deadline, get an agreement signed, and have it notarized by a lawyer. Otherwise, it's just hot air," Ethan said coolly.

Howard's face went white with rage, probably fighting the urge to strangle him.

With a huff, Howard signaled the lawyer to draft the contract, temporarily handing the shares to the company's notary office. "One month deadline, folks. We can't wait forever."

Ethan didn't say much, just gave Daniel a knowing look.

Daniel glanced at Claire, who nodded confidently, full of determination.

Ethan suddenly found the whole scene hilarious. They were all scheming, but in the end, it was just a big joke.

"I'm not feeling well, so I'm outta here." Howard stood up and left, looking pissed.

Claire got up to see Howard off, still playing the loving wife, not wanting anyone to catch on.

Howard's face was stormy, ignoring Claire the whole time.

He had it out for Claire.

Plus, Annabelle had an accident right after leaving the Douglas family. Clearly, Claire's doing, leaving Howard with no options.

Now, to get that info, Howard had to go after Claire.

Downstairs at the Douglas Group, Daniel looked at Claire, worried. "Ethan and Brandon are tight. Can we pull this off?"

"Your dad just used the Douglas Group's crappy contract to get Brandon to fire Ethan. Now Brandon and Ethan are on bad terms. With Ethan's pride, he won't go to Brandon." Claire raised an eyebrow.

Daniel sighed in relief. "Yeah, someone as proud as him wouldn't go."

Someone like Ethan, who wouldn't bow even if his bones were broken, wouldn't beg a money-hungry guy like Brandon.

"Besides, Brandon's all about the money. He won't give up those benefits." Claire scoffed, getting into the car. "Compared to Ethan, we can offer Brandon more value now."

Claire planned to use the dirt she had to trade for Brandon's project contract. As long as Brandon wasn't an idiot, he'd see the value.

Claire was determined to win.

"I will help you get the shares, but you gotta do as I say," Claire said. "Don't be like Evan, going against his mom."

Daniel lowered his head. "I won't."

"Hmph, Karen was proud all her life, but look where it got her? She ended up fighting with her own son. Even her son didn't back her. What a joke," Claire said sarcastically, then continued. "This is also your chance to win over the board, killing two birds with one stone. I am doing all this for you."

Daniel lowered his head, not speaking, clenching his fists tightly.

Indeed, between conscience and honor, his balance tilted once again.

Just like when he chose the Douglas family's reputation over Jasmine, hurting her.

Wed to the Billionaire Brother of My Spouse
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