“Did all of them get scrapped?” Cristofer inquired.
“Yes,” Nelson confirmed, looking a bit puzzled. “Why are you suddenly interested in this?”
Cristofer replied with a gentle smile, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just feel quite nostalgic for them.”
Nelson responded, “Nostalgia won’t change anything. It’s better to move forward. What’s the second thing you wanted to ask about?”
“It’s also about cars,” Cristofer replied. “I mentioned it to you on the phone earlier. I don’t believe my parents’ deaths were as simple as I once thought.”
Nelson continued eating without looking at him. “Why are you bringing this up now after all these years? We know Gretchen was behind the car accident. By the way, has she been imprisoned?”
Cristofer answered, “I’m not sure. I’ve been quite occupied lately and haven’t kept up with the latest news regarding her.”
“Your career should be your priority. Concentrate on your work, and I’ll handle this matter for you,” Nelson advised casually.
Cristofer insisted, “Uncle Nelson, please don’t do that. I still have questions for her. After our conversation, I’ll let my lawyer handle it and ensure she faces justice.”
When Nelson heard Cristofer’s words, a hint of unease flickered in his eyes briefly, but he quickly composed himself. He responded in the same calm tone as before, “A woman like her isn’t worth your time. I’ll have Geoffrey handle the matter. You can trust him.”
“Alright,” Cristofer agreed, not pressing the issue further. He couldn’t help but think, ‘Nelson, you’re concealing something about the car accident that claimed my parents’ lives. Those cars weren’t scrapped, and you’re preventing me from speaking to Gretchen.’
“Uncle Nelson, when did you decide to choose me as your heir?” Cristofer inquired.
“Do you remember the financial crisis that hit the Hans Group when you were twenty-one and you helped your father?” Nelson posed a counter question.
“You mean the crisis that occurred at my company when I was twenty-one years old?”
“Yes, Cristofer. At that time, your father mistakenly purchased a batch of fake jade, leading to significant financial losses and cash flow issues for the company. To this day, I still wonder how you swiftly managed to convince the fake jade seller to return the money, resolving the company’s financial woes.”
“You knew me when I was twenty-one?”
“Yes,” Nelson confirmed. “For the subsequent two years, I closely observed your actions. Your maturity, business acumen, and evident talent convinced me that you were the right choice as my heir. I was confident that I wouldn’t find a more suitable successor than you.”
“So, you didn’t select me as your heir until I turned twenty-three?” Cristofer clarified.
“That’s correct.”
Hearing this, Cristofer was lost in thought, ‘When I was twenty-three years old, everything in my life changed dramatically. My parents died in a tragic car accident. Then I fell out of love with Estelle, and later, I met Gretchen, who’d been lying to me all the time. And in the same year, you chose me as your heir. It’s definitely not a coincidence that all these things happened in the same year.’
After coming back to his senses, Cristofer asked, “Uncle Nelson, do you know Gretchen?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know me,” Nelson quickly answered.
“Then why didn’t you try to split us up when I was with her? Why did you ask me to cut all ties with Estelle?” Cristofer asked in confusion.
Nelson responded with a firm tone, “I made that choice because I believe Gretchen can’t sway your decisions, but Estelle might. If you had to choose between your promising future and Gretchen, you’d likely choose your future without hesitation. However, if the choice was between your bright future and Estelle, it’s hard to predict which path you’d take.”
Cristofer smiled and understood, saying, “So, Uncle Nelson, you’re concerned that my relationship with Estelle might lead me to prioritize love over my career, correct?”
Nelson confirmed, “You could put it that way.”
“But what if I can successfully balance my relationship and my career? Would you still want to keep Estelle and me apart?” Cristofer inquired.
Nelson’s reaction was immediate and emotional. He angrily threw his fork to the ground, exclaiming, “Nonsense! Why do you always act so irrationally when it comes to Estelle? Yes, she’s beautiful, but I don’t believe she’s worth your energy over all these years. She’s fallen in love with another man. Why can’t you move on from her?!”
Cristofer chuckled and tried to calm him, saying, “I was just asking out of curiosity, Uncle Nelson. No need to get upset. Anger isn’t good for your health.”
Nelson persisted, his tone intense, “Tell me honestly, do you still have feelings for Estelle? Are you trying to win her back?”
Without answering Nelson’s question, Cristofer changed the topic and asked, “Uncle Nelson, let’s not talk about this. I have another question to ask you. Besides you and me, who else in Hadale could hide the two scrapped cars involved in my parents’ car accident for nearly six years and make me unable to find them?”
Hearing this, Nelson immediately stared at him and asked, “What do you mean? Do you think I hid the cars?”
“I didn’t mean that. Uncle Nelson, I just thought that if I could find the two cars earlier and find that someone had tampered with the brakes of my parent’s car, I would have found out that it was Gretchen who plotted the car accident earlier.”
“And then you would have gotten back together with Estelle earlier?” Nelson said with displeasure.
“Shouldn’t we get back together with each other? She didn’t plot the car accident and did nothing to harm me. We shouldn’t have lived in torment and pain during our marriage,” Cristofer snapped back.
The more Nelson heard his words, the more furious he was. Trying to hold back his anger, he said, “If you had been reconciled with Estelle earlier, your career wouldn’t be so successful now.”
“Uncle Nelson, you haven’t answered my question yet,” Cristofer said calmly.
“I don’t know. It’s not me who hid the cars!” Nelson was so angry that he threw the knife and fork on the table heavily. “I have no appetite now. Where is Geoffrey? Geoffrey!”
At that moment, Geoffrey entered the villa and rushed over upon hearing Nelson’s call. He had his walking stick with him and said, “Uncle Nelson.”
Nelson demanded, “Help me get back to my bedroom!”
“Did you finish your dinner?” Geoffrey inquired as he approached.
Still upset, Nelson replied, “I’m too angry to eat. Hurry up! Let’s go to my bedroom right away!”