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Chapter_232
Rebecca’s frustration was palpable as she stared at Robert, her teeth clenched. She couldn’t believe how much damage he had caused. Robert had undermined the family’s efforts just to defend Winona—of all people.
She was supposed to be in Betrico today, but she had rushed back on a private jet after hearing the news. The sight of Robert, oblivious to the mess he had made, only made her anger burn brighter.
Her eyes dimmed with disappointment as she spoke. “Dad, did you and Victor argue with Yvette?”
Robert froze. How did Rebecca know about this? He stood there, dumbfounded and unsure how to respond.
Victor, sitting on the couch, glanced at Rebecca. His fingers twitched slightly in discomfort.
“Yes, how did you and Grandpa find out?” he asked. “Today, Yvette ran into Winona at Skyline Plaza. They had an argument over a girl, and Yvette was carrying a gun. Winona ended up in the hospital, but she’s fine now. Dad tried to stand up for Winona, and we ran into Yvette at the police station. But nothing serious happened.”
Rebecca’s gaze hardened as she stood still, her frustration boiling over. “I warned all of you not to mess with Yvette. Why didn’t you listen?” Her voice was icy with anger, the weight of her year-long planning crashing down on her.
Victor lowered his head, guilt creeping in. He’d nearly forgotten about the earlier warnings until Rebecca reminded them.
Rebecca continued, her voice sharp with disbelief. “You all ignored me when I told you to stay away from Yvette. And now, thanks to that great daughter-in-law, Winona, and your brilliant decisions, the Carter family won’t be able to step foot into Betrico’s business community for the rest of our lives.”
Robert, still confused, muttered, “What’s so scary about Yvette?”
Rebecca’s cold eyes locked onto him. She couldn’t believe he still didn’t grasp the severity of the situation. “You all know about my plan to expand the Carter family business to Betrico, right? I’ve been preparing for an entire year. If we could secure the renewable energy deal, we’d break into Betrico’s high society and secure a permanent place there.”
She paused for a moment, trying to calm herself, but the frustration in her voice was unmistakable. “Thanks to Winona and your contribution, Dad, that plan is now in ruins.”
Victor and Robert were stunned into silence. The gravity of Rebecca’s words hit them both like a ton of bricks.
Victor’s expression turned serious. He knew how stubborn his sister could be, and if she spoke so definitively, it meant the Carter family’s chances in Betrico had vanished completely. Not only had Rebecca’s year-long effort collapsed, but they had also clearly offended someone very powerful.
Victor finally managed to speak, voice tinged with doubt. “Is this connected to Yvette?”
Rebecca’s makeup couldn’t hide the exhaustion in her eyes. She looked at Victor, her face set in a mask of determination. “Yes. In just four hours, all our projects in Betrico fell apart. Even the crucial renewable energy project. I was told half an hour before the signing that they weren’t going through with it.” She let out a sigh of frustration. “I’ve traced it back to two parties who attacked the Carter family this afternoon. One is Zachary’s benefactor, Howard Yates. The other…” Her voice trailed off, frustration heavy in the air. “You’ll never believe who it is.”
Robert swallowed nervously. “Who else is involved?”
Rebecca let out a deep sigh, her tone dark and resigned. “It’s Samantha—the General Commander’s daughter from the Betrico Military District. She’s a legend in the business world. She joined the scene at sixteen, and now, at twenty-seven, she wields absolute power in Betrico’s circles. She single-handedly shut down all my options, forcing me to rush back to Seacrity.”
Victor frowned, perplexed. “What connection could Samantha and Yvette have?”
Rebecca sat down on the couch, her anger simmering. “It’s simple. Samantha doesn’t even bother to send messages—she handles things directly. The Carter family slapped her future sister-in-law. Samantha won’t forget that easily. And now, the Carter family can forget about ever entering Betrico’s business world again.”
Victor shook his head, disbelief clear on his face. “That’s impossible. How could a poor scholarship student like Yvette possibly be connected to someone as powerful as Samantha? Could the rumors be wrong?”
Rebecca gave a bitter laugh. I wish they were, she thought. But unfortunately, I heard everything clearly and accurately. “One slap from Winona has shattered all the Carter family’s hopes.”
Robert finally began to understand the enormity of his mistakes. His shoulders slumped, and he bowed his head, completely defeated.
Claude, sitting in the corner, slammed his cane onto the floor, making everyone jump. His gaze was ice-cold as he glared at Robert.
“Are you out of your mind?” Claude shouted. “I warned you all—don’t anger Yvette! What kind of foolishness have you done? For someone like Winona, an orphan from a broken home? Are you determined to drag the Carter family to ruin? What’s the point of you even living? Why don’t you just drop dead?”
Claude’s voice echoed in the room, each word heavy with years of frustration. He had raised Robert with harsh scoldings, and in his eyes, if he ever did get angry enough to beat Robert to death, it would be entirely justified.
Rebecca, though utterly disappointed by her father, couldn’t help but feel a fleeting moment of pity. Seeing him so broken was almost too much to bear.
Victor remained silent, but a wave of recollection hit him. He remembered what had happened with John last time. He had been angry at Rebecca for quite a while because of it.
“Sis,” Victor asked slowly, “Why did you insist that I apologize back then? Was it because of Yvette? What exactly happened?”
Rebecca glanced at Claude, and only after receiving a subtle nod did she begin to explain.
“Yes, it was about Yvette. Apparently, Yvette knows a top-level hacker who breached our company’s computers and caused us to lose 160 million dollars. If you hadn’t apologized that day, who knows what would have happened? We might’ve faced even worse losses.”
Victor’s heart sank as he processed the gravity of the situation. So it was Yvette all along… he thought, feeling a chill run down his spine. Could a girl who always carries a gun really just be some ordinary student?
“I’m sorry, Rebecca,” he muttered, regret in his voice.
Rebecca nodded, rubbing her temples. There was nothing more she could do now. She had tried her best.
Claude, glaring at Robert and Victor, leaned forward, his voice filled with finality. “That Winona is nothing but trouble. Are you sure the child’s even Victor’s? The Carter family will not keep her around, especially since we don’t even know her background. Once the baby is born, we’re getting a DNA test. If it’s ours, I’ll take care of raising it myself. I don’t trust any of you.”
