Chapter 919 The Hidden Force Behind the Cunningham Family
Bradley stared at Ethan for a long moment, then lowered his head nervously, his eyes reddening as he wrung his hands tightly.
Suddenly, he felt grateful—grateful he hadn't died abroad that day. He wasn't alone after all. He had family.
"Brandon is older than Ethan, but Bradley is Ethan's younger brother. How does that even work?" Jasmine whispered with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
"From now on, he calls me 'big brother,'" Ethan declared with mock arrogance.
Brandon nodded agreeably. "That's fine. I married Bradley, so I follow his lead. What do you think, Bradley?"
Bradley had his head tucked so low he was practically hiding, nodding frantically.
Brandon smiled and ruffled Bradley's hair. "At home, you're the boss. Whatever you say goes."
Jasmine gave Brandon a concerned look. "Bradley seems a bit gullible. You're not taking advantage of him, are you?"
Brandon clutched his chest in mock offense. "Jasmine, you've changed! You used to worry that Ethan would take advantage of me."
Jasmine giggled. "Times have changed."
She passed some food to Bradley and continued, "Since you're married, did you get rings? Are you planning a wedding reception?"
"No, no, no!" Bradley waved his hands frantically, already embarrassed enough without the thought of public attention. "Let's... let's just keep it between close friends. I'd rather not broadcast it."
Jasmine smiled. "Fair enough. But who's handling the finances?"
Brandon immediately spoke up, "My money, properties, cars, investments, insurance—everything goes to him. Whatever I earn is his too."
Jasmine nodded approvingly.
Bradley kept his head down, his ears burning red, feeling a warmth spread through his chest.
Ethan maintained a skeptical expression, concerned that Bradley might have been pressured into this relationship. Brandon didn't exactly look trustworthy.
"I... I start at the Raymond Group tomorrow, Ethan," Bradley stammered, looking fearfully at Ethan.
He had betrayed Ethan before over the Douglas Group affair and wasn't sure if Ethan still held a grudge, or if his joining the Raymond Group would raise suspicions.
"With your abilities, you're going to be his assistant?" Ethan frowned. "That seems beneath you. I could arrange a different position?"
"Absolutely not! Your intentions are completely transparent!" Brandon hugged Bradley protectively. "He wants to give you his position so he can slack off and never come to the office again! After all these years, I know exactly what he's thinking! No way—Bradley has to be my assistant. I'm working myself to death, no days off. I need help."
Brandon shot Ethan a reproachful look.
Ethan grunted, tacitly consenting.
Bradley looked from Ethan's brooding face to Brandon's protective stance and couldn't help but laugh.
Their friendship was genuine. And it was clearly just that—friendship between straight men. He'd been petty to suspect Brandon had feelings for Ethan.
Now he could see the truth: the chance of them being friends was 100%, but the chance of them being lovers was 0%.
After dinner, Jasmine received a call from home about an urgent matter requiring both her and Ethan's presence.
The Cunningham Mansion
When Jasmine and Ethan hurriedly arrived home, everyone had gathered. Cordelia had summoned Edgar, Edward, Hestia, as well as Nolan and his heavily pregnant wife Amelia.
Since Nolan's minor surgery, Amelia had been doting on him excessively, worried about every little thing from drinking cold water to choking on food.
Sometimes even Jasmine found it unbearable, thinking Nolan was becoming spoiled by all the attention.
"Mom, what's happened?" Jasmine asked worriedly, looking at Cordelia.
Cordelia checked the time. "We're still waiting for one person."
Shortly after, William arrived, clearly reluctant. "What's this about, calling me back here? Usually you don't even want me around."
William sat on the sofa, looking at Cordelia and the children. "What's the big emergency?"
"I want a divorce," Cordelia stated, looking directly at William.
Cordelia had previously said she wouldn't initiate divorce unless William did, which was why their last discussion of divorce had ended with his refusal.
William frowned. "I've already said I absolutely will not agree to a divorce."
"If you were any kind of man, you would," Cordelia replied angrily.
William's expression darkened. "What's this? So eager to get rid of me?"
"All these years, you haven't raised a single one of these children. Now you expect to come back and have them take care of you in your old age?" Cordelia's voice was low with anger.
William fell silent. He hadn't actually expected the children to care for him in his old age, but after the Sophia affair was exposed, he did feel genuinely remorseful. "I was hoping we could reconcile, but you won't give me that chance."
"You don't deserve it," Cordelia laughed coldly. "If you were any kind of man, you'd sign the divorce papers voluntarily."
The atmosphere in the room was oppressive. Jasmine and her brothers exchanged glances, none daring to speak.
Cordelia had wanted a divorce for some time, but today's formal gathering of everyone seemed unusually ominous.
William frowned, clearly unwilling to concede.
Finally, he spoke. "I won't divorce you. Who are you planning to find afterward? Arnold?"
Cordelia's face darkened. "That's none of your business. I just want a divorce. Name your terms."
William laughed coldly. "Name my terms? Fine. Return all the Cunningham Group shares to me—yours and all the children's. Plus all the money, properties, everything. Then you all leave with nothing. How's that?"
Cordelia clenched her fists.
Edgar angrily interjected, "Have you no shame? What in this house did you earn? What have you ever contributed to this family?"
"How dare you say such things," Edgar stood, confronting William. "You might as well have been dead all these years. It would have been better if you'd died elsewhere."
William's face turned ugly as he lowered his head in silence.
"Edgar, regardless of everything, he's still your father," Cordelia said sternly.
Edgar snorted and reluctantly sat back down.
After a moment, Cordelia addressed William. "Though my son isn't wrong."
William's eyes darkened. "Cordelia, I will never divorce you. We'll be bound together until death. That's what you promised my father."
"Stop using that to threaten my mother," Edgar snapped.
William stood up, his gaze complex. "To say I've done nothing for this family is rather unfair, isn't it?"
William surveyed Jasmine and the others. "Without me, could you have had all these children by yourself? It's too late to divorce and remarry now, Cordelia. You're bound to the Cunningham family for life."
Cordelia struck William across the face.
William just smiled provocatively and walked out.
"Mom, why suddenly call him back for a divorce?" Jasmine sensed there was more to this.
After William left, Cordelia shook her head. "I was overthinking things."
News had come from Moscow that after Kavi's death, someone had appeared to clean up the mess and was seen at Kavi's former territory—the same person who had been helping the Cunningham family from the shadows all these years.
Cordelia had suspected William and deliberately called everyone home to see if he would return quickly for the divorce discussion.
Returning from Moscow so quickly would have been impossible, so the shadow benefactor of the Cunningham family was unlikely to be William.
"Mom, you suspected William?" Jasmine was shocked.
"That worthless man? If he were really the shadow operator of the black market, would he have let someone like Sophia manipulate him for years?" Edgar scoffed.
He couldn't understand why his mother would suspect William.
It was impossible by any stretch of the imagination.
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