Chapter 158
Wyatt had always hoped that Abigail would end up with Sebastian.
Although Wyatt didn’t know Sebastian well, Dorian certainly did. He could tell that Dorian genuinely liked his nephew, often saying Sebastian was dependable and someone Abigail could safely entrust her future to.
At the table, Abigail and Sebastian were seated side by side. She didn’t say much, but he was every bit the gentleman.
After glancing at the menu for a moment, he said, “This foie gras with shellfish looks good. Want to try it? The texture is supposed to be great.*
“Okay.” Abigail didn’t know much about food, so she just went along with his suggestion.
Sebastian continued, “How about the lobster?”
Abigail replied, “Let’s get one.”
“You should try the grilled fish too,” Sebastian said, settling that choice with a nod. Then, he glanced sideways at her and smiled.
Their easy, intimate dynamic made Daniella burn with jealousy. She grumbled inwardly, ‘She’s got nothing, and she’s even been to prison. How is this
fair?
‘I’m the one the Gibson family groomed to be an heiress. I’m the one built from money and privilege. So why won’t Sebastian even look at me?‘
Noticing the jealousy practically leaking from Daniella’s eyes, he gave a soft cough and said coolly, “What do you want to eat?”
Daniella snapped out of her thoughts and realized he was speaking to her. Her eyes reddened slightly.
It was obvious to her that Stephen had been treating her badly these days. Even though she had taken advantage of him before, it still stung to be on the receiving end.
Eyes still rimmed with red, Daniella spoke up immediately. “Stevie, I would love to have braised veal meatballs and butter–poached prawns…”
The next second, Stephen tossed the menu at her with a look of disgust. “Order it then. What are you staring at Abby and Mr. Robinson for? What, hoping Mr. Robinson will order for you? Know your place.”
His words hit Daniella like a slap, making her wish she could sink through the floor. To make it worse, James and Warren burst out laughing.
James couldn’t help himself, chuckling, “If you weren’t such a pain in the ass, I’d actually like how blunt you are.”
Stephen rolled his eyes at James, clearly irritated. “Like I care if you like me. I’m dealing with my own people, so you can just order your damn food.”
Seeing that Daniella was on the verge of tears, Christian finally spoke up. “Come on now, Stevie. Dani is still our family. Can you watch your tone?”
Stephen scoffed, “All she does is cry. A couple crocodile tears and some idiot always falls for it.” With that, he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through apps.
When he first asked her what she wanted to eat, Danjella honestly thought he was feeling bad for her for being left out.
She never expected Stephen to turn around and lay into her like that. Before, this sort of thing only ever happened to Abigail.
With her eyes rimmed red, Daniella reached out and tugged gently at the hem of Stephen’s sleeve. Her voice came out soft. “Just let it go.”
That was when Warren turned to Wyatt and said, “You know as well as I do that your family doesn’t have the strongest foundation. The only reason I’m even sitting here is out of respect for Abby.
“If you want my project, you’ll have to get rid of the whole Gibson Group management team.”
Chapter 158
Of course, Christian was included in that group, and he quickly protested, “You’re just a client. What gives you the right to stick your nose in and tall art. lay people off?”
Warren replied with an easy smile, “All I did was state my terms. Whether you accept them or not, that’s entirely up to you.” In short, if they didn’t accept there would be no deal.
Wyatt glanced at Christian and waited a moment before speaking. “What if we lay off most of them, keep a small group, and retrain them? Would that
work?”
Warren turned to look at Sebastian and Abigail. She was casually playing a mobile game, and Sebastiari was leaning toward her, completely absorbed in her screen. It was clear neither of them had been paying any attention.
Warren shifted his gaze back and smiled as if nothing were off.
He said, “Don’t tell me this small group you’re talking about is still just your own family’s people. Actually, I already did my homework on every senior executive in your company as soon as you got in touch.
“No disrespect, Mr. Wyatt Gibson, but the only reason your family business stayed afloat this long is because you were so sharp when you were younger. Otherwise, things would’ve fallen apart way earlier.”
Wyatt understood exactly what Warren meant. In other words, all the Gibson family’s relatives needed to be let go.
The Gibson family wasn’t just struggling. It was in terrible financial shape. The companies Christian managed outside were running at a loss, and yet he was still allocating nearly three million dollars a month from the accounts just for Daniella’s spending money.
This meeting with Warren might have looked like a partnership talk, but in truth, Wyatt was seeking an investor to buy in. And the reason he had approached Warren specifically was Abigail.
Even though Wyatt’s health had improved, he didn’t have much time left. He was old, and the past few years had taken their toll, especially when Abigail was imprisoned. He had fallen into depression and illness.
Now, in this final burst of clarity and strength, he needed to reorganize the Gibson family’s businesses and hand over full control to her. Only then could he leave this world in peace.
AD
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