Chapter 649

Maurice went back to the company, but not before asking Nana to stay in the hospital. He didn’t want

Eliana to be alone.

This arrangement meant he had to take over looking after the children.

He was barely able to catch up with everything that needed to be done, and now Silas had insisted that

he come to the company as well.

However, Maurice knew that work had been piling up from his long absence, and there was an endless

list of things waiting for him on his desk.

Left without a choice, he took the three kids with him to the office, letting them stay there to do their

homework while he went to the next room for a meeting.

The PR department reported something to him at the meeting.

“Mr. Moran, the matter about the ring has already been resolved, but…”

Maurice frowned and rubbed his temples. “But what?”

“But… The Stone Group seems to be up to something. They have been in frequent contact with the

Universe Group. From the look of things, they are going after a partnership with the Bowman family for

the theme park development project.”

These words sent the meeting room into an uproar.

One of the shareholders shot up angrily from his chair. “The Stone Group has some nerve! We still

haven’t settled the score with them for the ring last time, and now they’re trying to kick us out by

conniving with the Universe Group. What do they take us for?”

Other shareholders echoed his sentiment. Complaints and arguments rose and intensified, and chaos

filled every corner of the conference room.

“Stop!”

Maurice’s voice cut through the overlap of voices. At once the noise died down. He looked around and

declared calmly, “I’ll take care of this matter. If there’s nothing else, then this meeting is over.”

The long and dragging meeting was finally done, but Maurice still had things to deal with. He went back

to his office and immediately instructed Corbin to contact the Stone family.

Not long after, their representative arrived.

“You called, Mr. Moran?”

Bonita put on her business smile, feigning ignorance.

“Mrs. Stone, I’ll cut to the chase. I received news that you have been in frequent contact with Jonathan.

The Stone Group seems to be planning to invite the Universe Group to join the theme park project. Is

this true?”

Maurice stared intently at Bonita, his watchful, hawk-like eyes fixed on her.

“Since you’ve called me all the way here, I’ll clarify it. It’s not a rumor. It’s true,” Bonita admitted frankly,

her expression nonchalant.

Maurice narrowed his eyes and said lowly, “And what if the Moran Group opposes?”

Bonita’s face darkened at his question. “As the co-owner of that land, it is the Stone family’s right to

invite the Universe Group if we wished. You, Mr. Moran, do not have the authority to stop us.”

Maurice snorted. “Is that right?”

Then, he threw a pile of documents in front of her.

“Take a good look. Jonathan has never been one to share. He had attempted many times to sabotage

the partnership and take the whole project for himself. Inviting him to be a partner is like asking a tiger

for its skin. You’re a smart woman, Mrs. Stone. I believe you’ll make a wise decision.”

Bonita took the documents, her brows furrowing more deeply.

Jonathan had a long history of partnerships with many companies, and there was one glaring similarity

with all of them—the business deals all ended up with losses for the other party while the Universe

Group walked away with all the benefits.

There was no visible change in Bonita’s expression, but her head was already brewing with a new idea.

With another practiced smile, she said, “Mr. Moran, from what I know, you seem to have matters to

settle with Mr. Bowman, the CEO of the Universe Group. Why don’t we work together against him?

That way we both get what we want.”

“What are your terms?”

Maurice refused to lower his guard. He knew that Bonita’s proposition could never have come from a

sudden bout of conscience.

A trace of slyness crossed Bonita’s eyes. “There is only one. You cannot marry Eliana.”

Maurice had almost doubted his own ears at the absurdity of her condition.

He sneered at Bonita. “Mrs. Stone, what do you mean by this?”

Bonita’s smile remained unchanged, but her eyes hardened with coldness. “I have only one daughter,

and you chose not to marry her. That is fine. But I cannot let her lose to the granddaughter of the White

family.”

The granddaughter of the White family?

Eliana was related to the White family!

Maurice’s chest lurched at the knowledge, even when he already had vague hunches in the past.

But the whisper of his inkling paled in comparison to the resounding declaration of the fact.

As she watched the change in Maurice’s expression, Bonita’s smile turned smug.

“It seems that Mr. Moran didn’t know. Not that it’s surprising. Eliana’s father married her mother, who

was from the White family. He chose to hide her identity because he didn’t want the White family

involved. Take this as advice from an elder. Earle would never allow you to marry any woman related to

the White family. Once he found out, he would do everything to drive Eliana away. It’s better to stop

now than cause a bigger mess in the future.”

By now, Maurice had recovered from his shock. He looked at Bonita with a steady gaze and answered

sarcastically, “I don’t think so.”