Chapter 911 Ethan and Liam's Disagreement
Brandon flinched, rushing to explain. "That's not what I meant—"
He wasn't here out of pity. He'd simply realized his feelings too late.
"Mr. Russell," Bradley said, his breathing becoming labored as he fought to control his emotions, "I have no intention of returning to Silverlight City in this condition. I have no desire to collaborate with anyone, and I certainly pose no threat to you or Ethan. So please, just leave."
This was the most dignified response he could manage.
"Bradley..." Brandon stepped forward, wanting to take his hand but hesitating, afraid of causing more pain to his injured hands.
"Let's talk properly when you're discharged," Brandon insisted, refusing to leave.
Bradley's brow furrowed, his patience wearing dangerously thin.
"Mr. Russell, isn't the company keeping you busy? Since you're so concerned Vincent might harm Ethan, shouldn't you be at the office right now?" Bradley challenged, looking directly at him.
Why would Brandon, who valued work and Ethan above all else, be here now? To mock him?
"I took time off. Annual leave," Brandon replied plainly. He wasn't one for sweet talk or flattery—just direct answers without any attempt to soothe Bradley's feelings.
Not that Bradley would listen to anything he said right now.
Bradley let out a bitter laugh. "My injuries aren't serious. I'll be discharged tomorrow, so please leave. I need to be alone."
After a moment of silence, Brandon said, "I'll wait outside. Call if you need anything. I'm not leaving."
Bradley instinctively tried to clench his fists but winced at the pain from his broken hands.
He remained silent, staring out the window.
He couldn't understand Brandon's intentions. Not getting engaged? He knew Brandon wouldn't hold out for long, and he was too exhausted to keep fighting. Let him do what he wanted.
Silverlight City, the Raymond Group
"Vincent is suddenly working against the Raymond Group, stealing the west side project to partner with the Powell family. What's that about? Some kind of power play?" Jasmine asked as she entered Ethan's office.
"It's a small project. He knows what he's doing," Ethan replied, still choosing to trust Vincent.
Jasmine sighed. "It's a good thing Vincent is a man, or I'd be jealous."
Ethan smiled. "I should be the jealous one. He's always watching me, waiting for me to make one small mistake so he can steal you and the children away."
Jasmine shrugged. "He already has."
"What?" Ethan looked at her warily.
"Both your sons adore him. They're taking three days off and the driver is taking them to visit Vincent tomorrow," Jasmine said, resting her chin on her hand. She couldn't understand why Ethan and their sons trusted Vincent so completely.
"With Brandon away and me so busy, let Vincent experience the challenges of fatherhood," Ethan said, ruffling Jasmine's hair.
Jasmine checked the time. "Brandon is usually such a workaholic. I could count his vacation days on one hand. What's happened?"
"No idea. He took annual leave but won't say why," Ethan replied, curious himself but respecting Brandon's privacy.
"I heard some gossip, though," Jasmine lowered her voice. "Brandon's fiancée, Theodora, has gone back to Muskow. They say she's not coming back."
Ethan was surprised. Had Brandon's relationship ended before it truly began? He'd been shocked when Brandon first mentioned marriage.
Jasmine leaned into Ethan's embrace, savoring this rare moment of intimacy, about to get affectionate when Liam burst into the office.
"Mr. Douglas, has Vincent lost his mind?" Liam called out.
Jasmine cleared her throat and sat up straight.
Ethan smirked. "I think you should handle that desert project after all."
Liam glanced around awkwardly. "I didn't see anything. Carry on. Pretend I'm not here."
"We weren't doing anything," Jasmine muttered.
"Just kidding," Liam said with a smug smile before turning serious. "Mr. Douglas, has Vincent gone crazy? He's opposing the Raymond Group at every turn. Guess who I ran into at the Star Ocean project? Lily! Vincent used the Hamilton family connections to help her secure that project! I've been working on it for two weeks!"
Liam was furious. Vincent seemed to be targeting his projects specifically.
He'd finally led his team to become top sellers last month, and now, thanks to Vincent's interference, they were about to hit bottom.
"The Star Ocean project?" Ethan looked at Liam sympathetically. "What did you do to upset Vincent?"
Why was Vincent focusing solely on undermining Liam's interests?
"How should I know what set that lunatic off?" Liam exclaimed, then suddenly smacked his forehead. "Wait—at last month's Silverlight City gala, I made some snarky comments to Lily. Is that why he's targeting me? Is he serious? Has he actually fallen for Lily? Has he lost his mind along with his eyesight?"
Liam was seething.
"Well..." Ethan struggled to explain. "Vincent's motives are often unclear to me."
Calmly pouring Jasmine a glass of water, Ethan asked without wanting to discourage Liam, "What strategy do you have in mind?"
Liam narrowed his eyes. "The honey trap."
Jasmine nearly choked on her water. After coughing, she whispered to Ethan, "Vincent likes men?"
Ethan looked equally perplexed. "Are you planning to seduce him yourself?"
Liam looked bewildered. "What are you thinking? Don't look at me like that! My family's counting on me to continue the bloodline."
Jasmine awkwardly sipped her water. "Then what's this honey trap about?"
"I hired several young women today—all different types. I plan to send them one by one to test Vincent's preferences. Surely one of them will appeal to him? He must not have experienced quality women if he's interested in someone like Lily," Liam scoffed. "I'll show him what 'good' really means!"
"So that explains why HR has been flooding my office with complaints about you hiring unqualified candidates," Ethan said, glancing at the complaint forms.
"What do they know? Everyone I hired serves a purpose." Liam insisted, producing employee files. "Look at this girl—twenty years old, never went to college, was tricked into working at a bar until I rescued her."
"And this one—twenty-three, beautiful, right? I found her working as a cashier at a corner store. Such beauty wasted!"
Jasmine swallowed nervously, looking at Ethan. Was Liam's behavior really acceptable?
"Our department might be called 'Projects,' but essentially we're in sales—high-end negotiation sales. These women are perfect for it," Liam vouched with his personal guarantee.
Ethan leaned against his desk. "If you're treating company policies as optional, perhaps you should be CEO. This position seems better suited for you."
Liam stood firm. "Mr. Douglas, over the years you've seen my abilities—"
"What abilities?" Ethan interrupted.
Sensing the tension, Jasmine cleared her throat. "Liam does have a talent for recruiting. Why not let him try? Rules are important, but people can adjust. Give them a three-month trial period. If they don't work out, then you can be angry."
Jasmine was surprised—this was the first time she'd seen Liam defy Ethan, and the first time Ethan had genuinely been angry with him.
Yet Liam was so determined to defend these women without formal qualifications.
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