The Carter family coveted her shares, as did Robert. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. However, the Carter Group couldn’t act swiftly since those shares would only be accessible when she turned twenty-five.
What they needed to do now was to win Ella’s favor completely.
"By the way, some of the small shareholders of Davis Group have agreed to transfer their shares to me. I will transfer them to you," Eric said with a casual smile, sipping his wine. He would go to any lengths to support Ella.
"Thank you!" Ella responded.
"We’re an old married couple; there’s no need for such formalities," Eric said with a mischievous grin, causing Ella to blush. Did he really have to be so affectionate in front of his friends?
Brian and Jacob exchanged glances and smiled.
"Little cousin, you really need to cherish Eric. It’s the first time I’ve seen him treat a woman so well. If you weren’t my cousin, I’d definitely pursue you just to annoy Eric! Haha!" Brian laughed mischievously, and Eric gave him a hard kick under the table.
The private room filled with harmonious laughter...
At this moment, Brianna was on the phone with a private detective. The detective informed her that although Robert’s behavior had been suspicious lately, he had managed to avoid being tracked.
Having been followed before, Robert was no fool; he knew how to evade surveillance.
Brianna hung up the phone, her face filled with anger.
"Mom, what’s wrong? Still no news about Dad? He didn’t have dinner at the office tonight; he must be with his mistress!" Hannah said angrily.
Both Brianna and Hannah suspected that Robert had spent a significant amount of money on his mistress.
"The detective said your dad is too vigilant to be tracked right now! That bitch! One day, I will make her life a living hell!" Brianna said, throwing her phone onto the bed.
"Mom, let it go. Don’t be so angry! Men aren’t the only thing in our lives!"
"Your mom is old and losing her looks. If men aren’t my only focus, then what is? My career? What leverage do I have now?" Brianna said with a bitter smile, suddenly regretting becoming a full-time housewife.
If she had returned to work after having children, she would have had her own standing, at least not falling behind in her career.
Hannah gently massaged her back. Brianna’s eyes were filled with hatred, mixed with inexplicable loss and melancholy.
Suddenly, her phone rang cheerfully.
Brianna thought it was the detective, but when she looked at the screen, it was an unfamiliar number.
Brianna was puzzled. This was her private number, and few people knew it.
But she answered it anyway.
"Mrs. Davis, it’s been many years. Do you remember me?" A cold woman’s voice said, freezing Brianna to the core. She widened her eyes in disbelief, feeling like she couldn’t breathe!
"Y-you... who are you? You’ve called the wrong number!"
A nightmarish laugh echoed, "I’m your former maid, Mrs. Jones. Didn’t expect Mrs. Davis to forget so easily!"
"No, you’ve called the wrong number!" Brianna, pale-faced, quickly hung up the phone.
But the phone rang again, relentlessly!
Seeing the unfamiliar number, Brianna, startled, threw the phone to Hannah as if it were hot, "Quick... turn it off!"
She was trembling, cold sweat dripping from her forehead, her temples throbbing!
Hannah looked at her strangely but obediently turned off the phone, bringing silence to the room.
Hannah was greatly surprised. She had rarely seen Brianna in such a panicked state. Even when Robert was caught cheating, she was more angry than scared, never showing this level of terror.
"Mom, what’s wrong? Who was that on the phone?" Hannah asked softly, patting Brianna’s back.
Brianna was breathing heavily, almost suffocating, her eyes filled with disbelief and fear. "She... she’s still alive! After all these years, I thought she was dead!"
"Mom, don’t be afraid. There’s no one here but me! Who was it? No matter who she is, she can’t hurt you while we’re at home!" Hannah said loudly, trying to bring Brianna back to her senses.
Brianna finally calmed down a bit, taking several deep breaths, her eyes still somewhat vacant. "I can’t believe she’s still alive. What should I do... what should I do?"
Brianna felt like an ant on a hot pan, and Hannah wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "Mom, calm down and tell me what happened."
Hannah, being an outsider, was much calmer than Brianna. She nodded and, with a pale face, began to recount the events.
"Back then... when I poisoned that bitch Isabella, our maid Mrs. Jones saw me! I had her killed while she was out grocery shopping! But I never expected... she’s alive! She’s been missing for fifteen years! I thought she was dead!"
Brianna felt a sharp pain in her chest; problems seemed to pile up endlessly.
If Mrs. Jones had returned, then... wouldn’t her schemes be exposed?
"Mom, you said it happened over a decade ago. She’s only a witness without any physical evidence, making it hard to prove you’re guilty! Besides... Isabella has been reduced to a handful of ashes; there’s no way to conduct an autopsy!" Hannah said after pondering for a moment.
"No! If they have a witness... once they hire a competent lawyer, they can convict me!"
Brianna was in a panic. She was now a lady of high society; such a scandal would ruin her reputation!
"Even without evidence, if she’s been missing for fifteen years, she must have gone through a lot. If she dramatizes her kidnapping, people will sympathize with her and blame me! Whether I’m the actual culprit or not, my reputation will be tarnished!"
Brianna panted, "No, she can’t be allowed to live!"
"Mom! Calm down! She called you because she knows you’re the mastermind and wants to mess with your mind! But she has no evidence. Your accomplices from back then are nowhere to be found! So you must stay calm! If she confronts you, just deny everything!"
Brianna began to regain her composure.
Hannah was right. As long as Brianna firmly denied the accusations from Mrs. Jones, they couldn’t do anything to her!
Moreover, Mrs. Jones had no evidence. Brianna could easily claim that Mrs. Jones was trying to extort her after a kidnapping.
"Mom, if you act rashly now, you’ll play right into Mrs. Jones’s hands! She wants evidence of you committing a crime, so don’t do anything foolish! Besides, do you even know where Mrs. Jones is? Even with money, it might be impossible to find her!"
Hannah scoffed and sneered disdainfully.