Chapter 354
Standing Before Love
âSure.â A fierce look fleeted across Gideonâs eyes. Even if Edward and Shelly said nothing, he wouldnât want to have anything to do with Kris. She doesnât know her place, so she will get a taste of my wrath!
It was a long night. While some people were fretting over their problems, some had a good nightâs sleep. The next morning, Myra needed to go to the hospital for her prenatal checkup. Tony would be keeping her company, as he needed to check on his fractured arm and his other injuries.
That morning, the Hart Family had breakfast together. It had been a long time since they last had such a jolly breakfast together. Sebastian couldnât help but lament, âIt would be perfect if Damian and Katie are here.â
Smiling, Serena said, âYou can always summon him if you want him back home.â
âHeâs in the military, so he canât just up and leave! Since he has chosen to become a soldier, he will have to obey their rules all the time!â Sebastian glared at Serena.
With a smile, she commented, âBut I suppose he should come home during festive occasions. The Lantern Festival will be happening soon, so it will be nice if Damian gets to come home, even if only for a day.â
Upon hearing that, Sebastian got all excited. âI suppose I can start preparing for the family dinner now!
Instead of inviting any outsiders, letâs have dinner among ourselves. And you, ahem. Uhm⦠Estelle, you can invite your brother,â Sebastian said rather awkwardly.
âWhat did you say? I didnât hear you.â Estelle pretended that she didnât hear him.
Furious, he retorted, âJust forget about it if you missed it!â
âGrandpa said you can bring your brother along to celebrate the festival with us, Miss Langley. After all, Grandpa will be personally involved in the preparations for the banquet!â Serena repeated Sebastianâs message in his stead.
While glaring at Serena, Sebastian chided, âYou sure blabber a lot!â
âYouâre the one who passed this trait down to me.â Ever since Serena got together with her new boyfriend, she had transformed drastically for the better, so Sebastian was actually feeling happy for her.
âOld Master Sebastian, I wonât be having lunch at home today, since I will be going to the company with Tony after my prenatal checkup.â Myra informed Sebastian of her plans after some thought.
Sebastian was most loving when he was talking to Myra. âGo on ahead. You can order your lunch with the servant. I will have the driver deliver your lunch to you by noon when theyâre ready.â
âYouâre being partial! I only got to have canteen meals while working in City Hall!â Shawn interjected while arching his brow.
Upon hearing that, Sebastian rolled his eyes at him and Estelle. âI will treat you two like royalty when you produce an heir to the family like them!â
Shawn scratched his nose sheepishly when he heard that statement. Since Estelle didnât want kids yet, he supposed he wouldnât be getting such treatment anytime soon. When breakfast was over, everybody left for school, work, or to the hospital respectively.
While Tony and Myra were on their way to the hospital, Tony had gotten a few calls. Judging from his conversation with the caller, Myra surmised that it had to do with Stark Group. After he hung up, she leaned in closer to ask, âWill the Waltons no longer invest in the Green Palms Project?â
âYeah. The Waltons issued a statement, and Gideon and Krisâ engagement was also annulled.â Tony grabbed Myraâs hand with his free hand before scratching her palm. âWould you like me to intervene? I can still save Stark Group if I do it now.â
Back in the days, Stark Group was but a small company with a dozen or so employees, including Cameron. Jenny Eckhart invested in the company using her familyâs money, and she led the company in completing a few major projects. That was why the company was able to expand into a medium-
sized business in Bradfort City within the short span of three years.
However, Cameron was ambitious. Although he might have loved Jenny back then, it couldnât compare to his ambition. After witnessing the company expand and flourish under Jennyâs management, he was worried that she might take over his position, so he began stripping her of her power. Later on, he even cheated on Jenny with Rachel, which led to the subsequent deterioration of Jennyâs mental state, as well as her untimely demise.
Jenny was a prodigy in business, which was hard to come by in the Eckhart Family. Unfortunately, her life was ruined because she married the wrong man. Myra only cared about Stark Group because it was her motherâs handiwork, but just like her mother, she was aiming for neither power nor riches.
As soon as she realized that the company would still be in the hands of the man who made her mother suffer instead of herself, even if the company managed to recover from the crisis, she suddenly no longer felt like helping them.
âYou donât have to save them.â There was a fleeting sense of melancholy in Myraâs eyes when she stared at the road ahead. âTony, my mother was the one who built up the company, so it was her lifeâs work. I donât want to watch as Cameron, Rachel, and Kris suck it dry.â
Since she didnât want the company anyway, and the company going up in flames would make those people suffer, she would rather see it in ruins. âThe Stark Group as it is now is what used to make my mother suffer, so you donât have to salvage it. More than twenty years ago, it used to be an insignificant company, so the incident might just put it back in its place.â Myra smiled self-deprecatingly.
Sensing her emotional turmoil, Tony reached out to hold her hand before asking in a soft voice, âWonât you regret this?â
âI wonât.â She turned her palm to hold his hand. Suddenly, she let out a naughty chuckle. âI still have twenty-five percent of Hart Groupâs shares anyway. Is this not better than Stark Group?â
Hearing that prompted Tony to hold her hand even tighter. âAs long as youâre happy.â After a pause, he suggested, âSince that is the case, I can make Cameron suffer a bit more in the meantime. One day, you will get the company back.â It was a promise that Tony made to Conan; he would give Stark Group back to Myra as a betrothal gift.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital. During Myraâs prenatal checkup, the doctor went through all of the necessary steps as Tony observed from the side. He was also listening intently, and made notes when the doctor gave his instructions. Even the doctor commented on how fortunate Myra was to have such a loving husband, which made her blush intensely.
The checkup indicated that everything was normal. After that, it was Myraâs turn to accompany Tony to the surgical department. When the doctor received news of his arrival, he quickly prepared for the checkup. Luckily, Tony seemed to be making good progress in his recovery.
Just when the two of them were about to leave after thanking the doctor, the door of the office flung open abruptly. A nurse was standing by the door, panting for breath, looking as if she feared she might have missed out on something. As soon as she saw Myra, who was beside Tony, her pupils shrunk.
âWhatâs the matter, Miss Boulanger?â The doctor could hear her labored breathing, so he assumed that there was an emergency.
However, Hayley shook her head. âItâs nothing, Doctor Randall. I merely came in search of someone.â
Then, she bit on her lip while staring at Tony.
She didnât expect Tony to be discharged so quickly, and she didnât expect her name to be excluded from the list of doctors and nurses who would be conducting scheduled checkups for Tony at his house either. When she asked the lead nurse for a reason, she was told in a roundabout manner that it was the Hart Familyâs decision, so it had to be obeyed.