Although their expression remained neutral, the air tensed up as if swords were drawn when they conversed.
“Thank you for Aunt Lucy’s concern, but I am very much capable of taking care of my own woman. You don’t have to worry about her, Dr. Hemingway,” Charles said in a lowered tone as he brushed past Victor.
Then, he walked toward Sophia without giving him another glance.
Victor turned to look at Charles. Something flashed across his eyes as he kept his gaze on Sophia was a moment. Then, he pursed his lips and walked toward the crowd.
“What did you say to Dr. Hemingway?” Sophia asked.
The two seemed to not have enjoyed that short conversation.
“Nothing, I was just asking him how your legs are recovering.” With an indifferent look on his face, he reached for her hand, only to realize that they were cold. He instantly frowned. “You should go back and rest, you don’t have to be here.”
Her hands were always so cold whenever the room was not warm enough.
“It’s fine, I’ll stay here a little longer.” If she went back home now, she would be left alone with the bodyguards, and who knew what other requests would Sylvia ask of her.
Charles thought of this too, and a look of frustration briefly flashed across his handsome face. He did not insist on her going back and instead, had someone prepare her a hot water pad.
Holding the hot water pad in her hands, Sophia felt much warmer.
“I never believed Saw when he talks about how much you spoil your wife, but it seems that it’s true!” Mr. Phillips laughed as he came over with Mr. Sommer and Mr. Johnson both by his side.
“What do they call this, a cool face with a warm, passionate heart?”
“Mr. Harris is a mindful man who keeps out of trouble, Ms. Sophia is extremely fortunate to have him as a boyfriend!”
Sophia did not think they came over to make small talk with Charles, they must be here to ask for something.
Now that Mr. Harris had passed away, the Harris family was in the hands of Charles, someone of the younger generation, and in addition to recent news of Harris Corporation being involved in human experiments… This might just be the weakest the Harris family had ever been in the past few decades.
It was quite likely that they were here to test out the Harris family’s current situation. Like a pack of hungry wolves, they were merely waiting to pounce the instant they spot any flaws in this fat yet aggressive bison.
“Please excuse me, I must be a joke. However, I have to disagree with you. I’m the fortunate one to be able to have Sophia,” Charles replied.
First, it was Sawyer and Shawn who came to test him. Now, the elder ones were here. This bunch of people was truly implacable like a swarm of flies.
They were disgusting and annoying, but like weeds, not even a prairie fire could destroy them.
“The two of them seem close.”
Well, young people nowadays are straightforward with their feelings, unlike us back then.”
“I genuinely envy you guys, young people nowadays seem to be bursting with youthful vigor.”
Sophia watched as the three of them chatted idly with Charles as they slowly got closer to the main topic.
Mr. Phillips was the first one who piped up. “Charles, I just found out about that time when Saw brought men over to Bamboo Virtues Village to stir up trouble. I would like to apologize on his behalf right now, but I’m truly glad that both you and Ms. White are safe and sound. Otherwise, I would certainly feel terribly sorry.”
He gave Charles a ninety-degree bow, seemingly incredibly sincere.
Charles stared on coldly and said, “I acknowledge your apologies, but I won’t accept it. Is that alright?”
Mr. Phillips’s expression stiffened as he replied with a rigid smile, “You deserve an apology but it’s ultimately up to you whether you want to forgive us.”
“Thank you for understanding, Mr. Phillips. If only your son was half as sensible as you, he wouldn’t have had his hand broken that day,” Charles continued straightforwardly as if he did not notice the embarrassed look on Mr. Phillips’ face.
Mr. Phillips could barely maintain the smile plastered on his face, and he gave Mr. Johnson a knowing look.
Mr. Johnson nodded subtly and said, “Shawn was there that day as well. Mr. Harris, I would like to apologize on his behalf if he had disturbed and crossed both you and Ms. White.”
“However, I can’t blame him entirely for this entire incident. Mr. Harris, you were arrested and thrown into prison for being a suspect in the company’s involvement in human experiments, and Shawn’s mother was putting the Johnson family’s name at risk by insisting on helping you. Shawn must have been jealous of how kind his mother behaved toward you and decided to show up and cause trouble.”
Mr. Phillips quickly chimed in, “Both Phillips and Harris family had always been business rivals and the Phillips family had never been able to top the Harris family. Saw was just feeling aggrieved about it.”
“He probably thought that the Harris Corporation was in a worse situation after being suspected to be involved in human experiments, and so he brought men over to cause trouble. I admit he had acted terribly reckless this time and I would like to apologize on his behalf again.”
After going on about so many high-sounding things, from apologies to explanations, their main goal was to find out whether Harris Corporation was indeed involved in human experiments.
However, Charles was adamant about keeping the Harris family’s affairs confidential. “If a dog bites me, I wouldn’t react like an animal and bite back either, would I? Mr. Johnson, Mr. Phillips, please rest assured. As long as they don’t stir up trouble again, I wouldn’t hold anything against them.”
Was he not indirectly saying that Sawyer and Shawn were dogs?
Mr. Phillips and Mr. Johnson’s expression darkened, but not knowing the Harris family’s current situation, they did not dare to offend Charles.
In reality, if it was not for the fact that Harris Corporation was now under investigation for involvement in human experiments, they would never have dared to come to test Charles even after Master Harris passed away.
Although Charles was considered a junior and he had not been in the business industry for long, nobody dared to underestimate him.
The Phillips family had been oppressed by the Harris family for the past few decades, but it was finally their time to shine!
Mr. Johnson could barely conceal his anticipation as well. “Charles, so the Harris family is really involved in human experiments? How could you not tell us such big news? If you had told us earlier, we might have been able to help you.”
These people were clearly vultures waiting to feast on a piece of rotten meat, but for fear that they would be judged, they cloaked themselves with a lion’s clothing.
It just made them more repulsive than they already were.
The edges of Charles’ lips curled up slightly as his eyes turned cold. “I do need some help, but it’s not for the Harris family, it’s the Jones family.”
The three of them instantly froze.
They listened as he continued in a sincere tone, “I’m sure you heard that the Harris family just launched several new projects recently. Well, I want to take some money out to help the Jones family but I am quite powerless in that regard.”
“Our families have known each other for decades and to be honest, I’m genuinely quite sad seeing them go through this. Fortunately, we still have the three of you who are so kind and caring who would be so helpful if you lend a hand. I’m sure the Jones family would be very grateful for your aid.”
The three of them were speechless.
Help the Jones family?
You were the one who caused the Jones family to fall to this state so why are you pretending to be the good guy now?
However, Charles did not even give them the chance to turn him down. He turned around and shouted to someone not far away, “Aunt Lewis, the kind men over here have offered to help the Jones family.”
Since they were at a funeral, everyone in the room was conversing softly. He just had to raise his voice slightly above normal speaking volume for Madam Jones to hear him.
Many other people heard him as well and turned to look at him.
The Jones family was in quite a mess now, who in the right mind would possibly offer to help? Either these people had their own plans or they had just fallen into a trap.
Sophia lowered her head and forced herself to not laugh when she saw the look on the three men’s faces.
Jones Group was not short of just a small number, and even if these three companies took out all their liquid funds, they might not even be able to make a dent in their needs at all.
They would most certainly not interfere when such a large sum of money was in play, but with so many high-status figures present, it would be easy for them to turn away now.
Moreover, the Jones family was almost at the end of their rope so they couldn't pass this opportunity up. Otherwise, Mr. Jones would not have been so desperate as to ask his wife to fight for a piece of the Harris family’s inheritance in the name of her illegitimate son.
Anyway, the four families would be occupied for now and it seemed that Mr. Phillips and the rest of them would not have the time and energy to pester the Harris family anymore.
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