Chapter 612: Evidence of Howard's Murder in Hand
"Exactly, Ethan. Those folks are already holding down key spots at the Raymond Group. Even if we could snag 'em, it wouldn't be cool." A bunch of top dogs from the Douglas Group were sweating bullets.
"Yeah, Ethan. Hiring them is like throwing down the gauntlet to the Raymond Group. A beef between them and the Douglas fam? Not a good look."
Ethan just sat there, grinning. "Y'all are overthinking this."
"Ethan, you might not get it. Brandon ain't the real boss of the Raymond Group. Just 'cause you're tight with him and he's got your back doesn't mean the Raymond Group is all buddy-buddy with the Douglas Group," some business folks who rolled with Howard chimed in.
Ethan kept his mouth shut.
"Howard, you know who's really running the show at the Raymond Group?" someone asked, eyeballing Howard.
Howard just snorted and kept quiet, trying to throw everyone off.
Jasmine almost spit out her drink, shooting a look at Ethan.
Ethan gave Jasmine a knowing smirk.
"Mr. Douglas knows the real boss of the Raymond Group?" Betty strolled in, rocking a loose dress, looking all fancy, and not a hint of a baby bump.
Betty plopped down and grabbed an orange. "Howard, if you're so smart, how'd you end up signing that lopsided deal with the Raymond Group before?"
Betty had a way of dropping truth bombs, and with that, everyone who was roasting Ethan clammed up.
Howard's face got even darker, staying silent.
Betty leaned back in her chair. "Y'all seem to have a lot of free time. Any of you actually know the boss of the Raymond Group?"
"Betty, the Willer Group might be doing alright lately. But it ain't exactly outshining the Raymond Group, right?" someone from Howard's crew piped up. "So, Betty, you know the boss of the Raymond Group?"
Betty shot the guy a look. "Of course, I know him. And guess what? Y'all know him too."
"Say what?" A few folks exchanged glances and chuckled. "Betty, always cracking jokes."
"Yeah, she loves to joke, but never says anything straight," Howard added.
"Exactly. If I said you should drop dead tomorrow, it wouldn't be spot on." Betty shot him a glare, and no one could outtalk her.
Jasmine almost burst out laughing, squeezing Ethan's fingers tight.
Betty was a real firecracker.
Howard was so mad at Betty, his face turned all sorts of colors.
"Isn'tthat Brandon? And with him, is that the boss of the Raymond Group?"
"Look, Brandon's here."
Suddenly, Brandon was the center of attention, and everyone was gawking at him.
But Brandon had Tom with him.
These folks hadn't seen Tom before and started buttering him up.
"The guy with Brandon looks sharp."
"Looks like he knows his stuff."
"The brain behind the Raymond Group is so young; he really seems to have potential."
Tom felt a bit awkward with all the eyes on him, thinking it was 'cause he was too good-looking, and puffed out his chest.
"Tom, what are you doing with Mr. Russell?" Howard frowned. He knew Tom, Ethan's cousin.
But could this slacker really be the boss of the Raymond Group?
Howard had known Tom since they were kids and never thought much of him. He was a slacker in school, and if it weren't for some special skills, he probably wouldn't have made it to college. Not exactly a standout guy.
"Howard, you really know the president of the Raymond Group," someone chimed in, trying to butter him up.
Jasmine held back, watching Tom strut around like a peacock.
Tom swaggered over. "Yeah, we're tight."
"Are you the president of the Raymond Group?" Howard asked, sounding all nervous.
He was clearly spooked. If Tom was really the big boss, it meant he'd been playing the long game since they were kids. Plus, being Ethan's cousin and all, he'd definitely have Ethan's back.
Ethan had already poached a bunch of top execs from the Raymond Group, and Tom probably wouldn't give him a hard time.
"What are you talking about? The president of the Raymond Group?" Tom couldn't help but laugh, dropping the act. "If I could just decide to be president, then sure, call me the president."
Tom grinned and plopped down behind Ethan and Jasmine.
Howard let out a sigh of relief, glad it wasn't Tom. No blood ties to Ethan meant no permanent alliances, just shifting interests.
Business folks were always chasing profit and dodging trouble. Ethan firing so many people was already a risky move.
"Mr. Russell, I heard you're not the real big shot at the Raymond Group. Is that true?" someone finally got the guts to ask.
"Yep, I'm just a figurehead," Brandon said with a smile. "Our president is a young, up-and-coming star."
Everyone exchanged curious glances, wondering who the real boss of the Raymond Group was.
"Is he showing up today?" someone else asked.
"Of course, he'll be here," Brandon nodded.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the mysterious young president to make an appearance.
The banquet kicked off, and the donation ceremony was about to start, but the president was still MIA.
Instead, Claire walked in, all dolled up to hide her bruises, looking icy.
"Mrs. Douglas, what brings you here today?"
The scandal from last night was all over the place, so how did she have the guts to show up and embarrass Howard?
Claire knew her presence would tick Howard off, and she smirked. "Someone wants me dead, but I'm here to prove them wrong."
"Claire, stop making a fool of yourself. After what you pulled, how do you still have the nerve to show up?" Howard's other assistant whispered.
With Mark getting canned by Howard, he saw a chance to climb the ladder.
Claire sneered and sat next to Howard. "Some people killed their first wife and still show up. What do I have to be ashamed of?"
Howard's face turned beet red. "Claire, watch your mouth!"
Claire shot him a sarcastic look. "Scared?"
Ethan's face was stone-cold, his fists clenched tight.
Jasmine squeezed Ethan's hand.
Every time his mom was mentioned, it tore Jasmine up inside.
She'd overheard Claire and Howard talking before and was shocked to learn Claire had a hand in Ethan's mom's death. Now, it just made her heart ache.
"Howard wanted Mark dead last night. We've already saved Mark, and he knows Howard won't let him off easy. So he spilled where the evidence is," Brandon whispered in Ethan's ear.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "He handed over the evidence just like that?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
