Chapter 26: This Voice Sounds a Bit Familiar

The Sheffield Group had collapsed.

The Sheffield Family was bankrupt.

All within a few hours.

The voice on the other end was so loud that everyone present heard it. They couldn’t help but exchange glances, their eyes eventually settling on Hayden Grant. He had to be the one who did it. Otherwise, why would he have said that earlier?

Even Shawn Ford glanced over at him, thoughtfully stroking his chin. ’Would the Grant Family really let him do something like this?’ he wondered. ’This swift, decisive move doesn’t seem like something Harrison Grant would do. It’s not that he’s indecisive, but he always makes thorough preparations before taking any action.’

’I’ve been keeping an eye on the Sheffield Family for the past few days,’ he mused, ’and I’m sure there was nothing amiss before today. How could they suddenly go bankrupt in such a short time? Was it my brother?’

Regardless of who was behind it, the Sheffield Family’s bankruptcy was now a fact. Simon Sheffield collapsed limply to the ground, and even Shirley Vance was too stunned to utter a single word.

Even if the Sheffield Family couldn’t compare to these people, they still owned a small company with assets in the hundreds of millions. They were far better off than any ordinary family. How could they just suddenly go bankrupt out of the blue?

Simon Sheffield’s mind went blank. Then, as realization dawned, he lunged forward and grabbed Hayden Grant’s leg. "Mr. Grant, Mr. Grant, I know I was wrong! I really do! Please, spare me! Let my family go!"

Hayden Grant sidestepped him. "Hey, don’t go blaming me. It wasn’t my doing. I haven’t done a thing."

For once, Simon Sheffield had a moment of clarity. He turned to plead with Amanda Vance instead. He wracked his brain, thinking back. Of everyone present, she was the only one he had provoked. He regretted it. He truly, deeply regretted it.

"I’m sorry, Miss Vance! It was my fault. I have a foul mouth, I’m an idiot. I’ll never dare to bad-mouth you or your son again. Please, forgive me."

Amanda Vance leaned against the car, her chin resting in her hand. She tilted her head slightly to look at him. "Since you’ve apologized, I’ll forgive you."

A glimmer of hope appeared on Simon Sheffield’s face. "Then my family’s business..."

"What about it?" Amanda Vance asked, feigning confusion. Her voice turned meaningful. "How did your father make his fortune? Where did your family’s money come from? You really have no idea?"

At her words, all the color drained from Simon Sheffield’s face. He stared at her in terror. "You... you..."

’How could she possibly know?’

Amanda Vance adjusted her sunglasses, her lips pressing into a cold line. "If you don’t want people to know, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place. When you were out squandering your blood money on extravagant pleasures, did you ever stop to think about what kind of life the people your family victimized were forced to live?"

Over twenty years ago, the Sheffield Family was destitute. Then, Mr. Sheffield suddenly made his fortune. His rise from a small-time boss to his current status was no inspirational legend; it was accomplished through the foulest of means.

Early on, Mr. Sheffield was a coal mine boss who exploited his miners day and night. The safety measures he provided were horribly inadequate, leading to a major gas explosion. Not a single miner working inside survived. When their families came to protest, he paid them no mind, relying on his connections to suppress the incident. To this day, the victims’ families have not received a single penny in compensation. The miners were almost all the primary breadwinners of their households. With their backbones suddenly gone, the subsequent poverty and shattered families were an all-too-predictable outcome.

And after his family moved to Aethelburg, they used every excuse in the book to withhold wages, shamelessly defaulting on their debts.

Their glamorous, decadent lifestyle was built on the blood and bones of countless people.

Did Simon Sheffield truly not know about any of this?

No, he knew. He wasn’t blind, deaf, or stupid. He just chose not to care.

’What happened to those people had nothing to do with him.’

Initially, Amanda Vance was just angry about his attitude toward her son and had only planned to teach him a small lesson. But after she uncovered all this, she changed her mind.

Gazing down at him, she asked coolly, "Do you remember what those people looked like when they begged your family to pay them what they were owed?"

They were even more desperate than you are now, if not more so.

He’s just afraid of losing his comfortable life. They, on the other hand, were waiting for that money to save their own lives.

Struggling, despairing, groveling, begging... They trampled their dignity into the dust, and what did they get in return? Did your family show even a hint of wavering back then? Did they have a single shred of compassion?

No.

"Did you really think you could do so much evil and never face any consequences?"

Simon Sheffield was silent, unable to say a word. The hope in his eyes died completely, leaving only ashen despair.

’It’s over.’

’It’s all over.’

Having listened to the whole exchange, Shawn Ford finally understood what was going on. ’So she was the one behind it all,’ he thought. ’That’s completely unexpected.’

But then again, remembering her driving skills, he suddenly felt it wasn’t so surprising after all.

Just as he was about to speak, Amanda Vance looked over, but her words were for Hayden Grant. "Hayden, drive my car back."

She pointedly emphasized the words "my car."

Hayden Grant’s lips curved into a smile. He walked over to Shawn Ford, opened the car door, and gestured for him to get out. "Hurry up and get down. What do you think you’re doing sitting in my Megan’s car?"

Only then did Shawn Ford remember the wager from before the race. His expression soured. "Name another prize," he said, his voice stiff. "You can pick any car you want, or I can give you the cash equivalent."

’If my brother finds out I lost his car, he’ll definitely kill me!’

"Well, well, I didn’t think there was anything Mr. Ford couldn’t afford to lose," Hayden taunted. "Our Megan isn’t short on cash; she just wants this car. Hey, Mr. Ford, if you can’t handle losing, you shouldn’t have made the bet. Everyone’s watching, you know. Isn’t this embarrassing?"

Shawn Ford gritted his teeth. "You’re pushing it, Mr. Grant."

"Who’s pushing it? Didn’t you set the terms of the bet yourself? What, you’re going to back out now that you’ve lost? Fine by me. In that case, just don’t let anyone call you Mr. Ford anymore. From this day on, that title belongs exclusively to me. If you agree, we can forget the wager."

"Like hell!" Shawn Ford’s face darkened as he swore. He unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed angrily out of the car. He then forced himself to lift his chin nobly and declared to Amanda Vance, "I am a man of my word. I don’t go back on my debts."

His only answer was the sight of the two of them swaggering away. Hayden Grant’s voice drifted back to him on the wind.

"Don’t forget to send my car back!"

’That guy!’

Shawn Ford rolled his eyes viciously. His head began to throb. ’How am I going to explain this to my brother?’

「The Grant Group」

The morning-long meeting finally ended. Harrison Grant loosened his tie and extended his right hand to the man before him. "President Ford, here’s to a successful partnership."

"To a successful partnership."

With the deal finalized, Harrison Grant’s tone relaxed considerably. He smiled faintly and asked, "President Ford, do you have time shortly? How about we have lunch together? I know a new restaurant nearby that’s quite good."

Samuel Ford didn’t refuse. He nodded. "That sounds good."

He also wanted to discuss a few more details about the project’s future implementation.

"Excellent. Would you mind if I bring a child along?" After a moment, Harrison added, "He’s very well-behaved and won’t be a bother."

Samuel Ford frowned slightly at the mention of a child, but his expression relaxed upon hearing he was well-behaved. He nodded nonchalantly.

’No child could possibly be as much of a handful as his own,’ he thought. "President Grant has a son?" he asked, surprised.

’I thought he wasn’t married yet.’

"No, he’s a friend’s child."

"I see." Samuel wasn’t one for gossip, so he didn’t press the issue.

Harrison Grant’s office was not far, just two doors down. The door was slightly ajar. Samuel Ford was looking at his phone when he heard Harrison Grant call out, "Jean, let’s go. Time for lunch."

"Okay," replied a small, sweet voice.

Samuel Ford’s head snapped up, his gaze fixed on the slightly ajar door.