"Why? Mr. Geoffrey isn’t here today. Could it be he still doesn’t know about Mr. Quentin’s death yet?" Aunt Clare asked, puzzled.
"I don’t know..." She had never truly understood Howard Geoffrey, nor did she wish to inquire too deeply. Besides, when she had woken up in the middle of the night yesterday, he was already gone from the room.
"Then I’ll call Mr. Geoffrey to inform him..."
Becca looked up, her gaze distant, and replied calmly, "There’s no need. Our family’s affairs have nothing to do with him."
「XX Luxury Private Hospital.」
After speaking with the doctor, Jason Wood walked into the hallway, his heart heavy.
At the end of the corridor, a tall, imposing figure stood with cold arrogance.
Jason Wood approached. Roye quickly mouthed a warning—Be careful what you say; the boss is in a foul mood.
Steeling himself, Jason Wood came up behind Howard Geoffrey and began cautiously, "Boss, the doctor said Miss Quinn must undergo another surgery next month. Otherwise, all previous procedures will have been in vain, and Miss Quinn’s body can only hold out for... at most, another year."
After these words, both Jason Wood and Roye held their breath, too terrified to even breathe deeply.
Indeed, who could have predicted that Alexander Quentin would choose to end his own life right before Christine Quinn’s second surgery?
Alexander Quentin had clearly orchestrated this outcome because he didn’t want Christine Quinn to survive. In doing so, he had also violated the deal he’d made with Howard Geoffrey.
Such an outcome was bound to infuriate Howard Geoffrey, and the consequences of his fury were something both Jason Wood and Roye deeply feared.
So, at this moment, despite Howard Geoffrey showing no outward signs of anger, Jason Wood and Roye kept their heads bowed in silence. Their boss had always been inscrutable; offending him could mean dying without ever knowing how or why.
「One week later, at Quentin.」
Sitting in her father’s office, Rebecca Quentin faced a group of intimidating people. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly helpless and terrified.
"Miss Quentin, we’re from Smooth Bank. The fifty million that Mr. Quentin borrowed a year ago, mortgaging the Quentin mansion, is now due. If Quentin cannot repay this sum immediately, our bank will petition the court to seize the Quentin mansion as collateral..."
"Miss Quentin, a year ago Mr. Quentin signed a construction contract with our Forestleap company. Now that construction is complete, could you please settle the accounts with our representative, Mr. Derek?"
"Miss Quentin, this month’s employee salaries..."
"I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve only just taken over Quentin, and I’m still learning the ropes regarding many company matters. I hope you can give me more time. I will address each of your concerns individually."
Rebecca was completely overwhelmed by this onslaught of business problems she had never encountered before. She struggled to find solutions and, out of helplessness, could only resort to delaying tactics.
However, not all of them were so understanding.
The man from Smooth Bank said, "Miss Quentin, we understand your situation, and we deeply regret Mr. Quentin’s sudden passing. However, our bank truly cannot delay this payment any longer. Please provide us with a response within the next day or two. Otherwise, we will be forced to pursue legal action."
"Miss Quentin, our Mr. Derek also instructed us that we cannot delay this any further..."
"Why are you all pressuring Miss Quentin ?" a Quentin employee, unable to bear seeing Rebecca bullied, interjected angrily. "Her father may have passed away, and the company might be facing many problems, but have you forgotten that Miss Quentin’s husband is Howard Geoffrey, the President of Skytop Group?"
At the mention of Howard Geoffrey, the previously hostile atmosphere seemed to dissipate instantly. An invisible, powerful aura seemed to envelop everyone present.
Everyone exchanged glances and fell silent for a moment. Finally, the representative from Smooth Bank said hesitantly, "If Mr. Geoffrey could negotiate with us directly, that would be ideal... Well, since Mr. Geoffrey isn’t here today, we’ll return after Mr. Quentin’s memorial service!"
This was the first time Rebecca had returned to the Geoffrey residence since her father’s death.
It seemed the servants at the Geoffrey residence had learned about her father’s passing from the news, for when they saw Rebecca, they treated her with even more care and consideration than usual.
"Young Madam, you must be exhausted after these past few days. Let me help you upstairs to rest," a maid said.
Rebecca gently shook her head and, with the weariness of the past few days, asked, "Has Mr. Geoffrey been home these past two days?"
Actually, she rarely inquired about Howard Geoffrey’s whereabouts. This time, however, she had returned because there was something specific she wanted to discuss with him.
Hearing Rebecca’s question, the maid asked, slightly surprised, "Sir... he hasn’t been with you, Young Madam?"
Rebecca did not answer.
The maid seemed to find her answer in Rebecca’s silence. She said awkwardly, "I assumed Sir hadn’t returned these past few days because he was at the Quentin residence, accompanying you, Young Madam..."
At that moment, an unfamiliar emotion welled up deep within Rebecca. She couldn’t quite name it, but it left her feeling vaguely uneasy.
Taking a deep breath, Rebecca said in her usual calm tone, "If Mr. Geoffrey returns, please inform him for me. My father just passed away, and there are many matters at the Quentin estate that I need to attend to. I’ll likely be staying at the Quentin residence for several more days."
The maid nodded, a little bewildered. "I will inform Sir... In that case, I’ll help you pack a few things."
Three days later, Alexander Quentin’s memorial service was held in the largest funeral home in T City.
Given Alexander Quentin’s standing as an influential figure in T City, many prominent political and business personalities solemnly attended the memorial service.
However, some of those who came to pay their respects today surprised Rebecca. For instance, there were royal family members from the United States and Middle Eastern oil tycoons. These were internationally renowned, wealthy elites who wouldn’t typically associate with a magnate from a relatively small city like T City, yet they had come to mourn Alexander Quentin.
Rebecca remained puzzled until, during the service, the name "Howard Geoffrey" repeatedly reached her ears.
It was then she understood: these internationally influential dignitaries and business magnates had all come because of Howard Geoffrey.
It made sense. Two years ago, their ’wedding of the century’ had indeed announced to the world that Howard Geoffrey had married her. For such a low-key figure in the business world, revered as a legend, to marry a debutante from a small city in such a high-profile manner was astonishing. While the public lauded it as a match made in heaven, everyone knew it was her family who had significantly benefited from the association. Therefore, the most plausible reason for him to ’condescend’ to marry her was that he had taken a genuine liking to her. For the past two years, their marriage had been rumored to be harmonious and happy. Consequently, those eager to associate with or curry favor with Howard Geoffrey would naturally not miss this opportunity to see him, especially at his father-in-law’s memorial service.