Since he discovered his true identity and learned how rich and wonderful Cristofer’s life was, Victor has been jealous of Cristofer. In his opinion, he was the eldest son of the Hans family and should be the rightful heir of the family, and the properties of the Hans family should belong to him rather than Cristofer. Sometimes, he even wished that the child York had taken away back then was Cristofer. If so, his fate would have been completely different.
Hearing his words and witnessing his sinister smile, Estelle didn’t react with anger. She found Victor’s behavior pathetic and absurd. She responded calmly, “I appreciate your advice, but I’m not interested in you.”
“Don’t be too hasty in your decision. Take your time to think about it. I’ll be waiting if you change your mind,” Victor said, now more composed with his legs crossed. He continued, “Apart from the company, Old Mr. Hans left various valuable assets, like antiques, jewelry, and overseas properties, to Cristofer, correct? Make a list for me. I want half of them.”
Observing Victor’s insatiable greed, Estelle knew it was futile to reason with him. “Victor, you relinquished your claim to the Hans family. Besides the company, none of their possessions concern you anymore. Don’t be so greedy.”
However, Victor believed the Hans family owed him, and he felt entitled to the shares. Thus, he sneered at Estelle’s words and said bluntly, “Don’t lecture me. The shares in the company are insufficient compensation for the years of suffering I endured. I want more, and I deserve more.”
Eva, who had been observing silently, couldn’t tolerate it any longer and warned, “Stop this nonsense, or I’ll have security escort you out right now!”
“Go ahead, I won’t be the one embarrassed if you do,” Victor responded indifferently. Others assumed that he was the company president, so if he were expelled, Cristofer would bear the brunt of the damage, tarnishing his reputation.
Suppressing her anger, Estelle pulled up a chair and sat across from Victor, inquiring, “What did Grandpa say before he passed away?”
When Gary was near death, only Victor was with him. Everyone believed that Gary had been unconscious and hadn’t communicated with Victor before his death. However, Estelle had a different perspective. She was convinced that Gary had shared something crucial with Victor during his final moments, which Victor concealed from everyone else.
“That’s none of your business,” Victor retorted, giving Estelle a cold glance. Evidently, he was touchy about this topic. He then pretended to be irritated, adding, “If you want to know, have Cristofer ask me himself.”
Staring at him with determination, Estelle remarked calmly, “You’re trying to hide something that can’t stand the light of day.”
Despite her intense stare, Victor maintained a facade of composure and replied with an awkward smile, “You have quite the imagination. Believe what you like. Only I know whether Old Mr. Hans spoke or not, but I won’t divulge any details to you.”
Aware that reasoning with such a shameless man was futile, Estelle decided to be straightforward, “You understand that you’re merely Cristofer’s pawn now, and he’ll recover from his injuries sooner or later. Even if you acquire shares, you won’t control the company. If you wish to continue living comfortably, we can negotiate.”
A heavy silence filled the meeting room after her statement. About thirty seconds later, a scornful laugh disrupted the quietude.
Defying the “no smoking” signs, Victor lit a cigarette and spoke while puffing away, “You can’t offer what I want. Furthermore, I’m not naive. I don’t believe you’d assist me willingly. Since you’re so eager to know Old Mr. Hans’ last words, I’ll tell you. He said he would grant me all the Hans family’s assets. Moreover, he expressed his wish for you to end your relationship with Cristofer and marry me.”
As he spoke, a distant gaze overtook his eyes as though he was reminiscing about Gary’s words.
Upon hearing his claims, Estelle immediately retorted, “You’re spouting nonsense! Grandpa would never say such things!”
“Why wouldn’t he say that? He pitied me, so he wanted to compensate me for the suffering I endured in the past. Why can’t you believe me?” Victor retorted, his eyes filled with coldness and greed. “Oh, I get it. You don’t want me to receive any of the Hans family’s assets, do you? I knew it. I’ve witnessed enough of the tricks wealthy people like you play.”
Estelle recognized his deliberate taunting but felt powerless to counter it. She took a deep breath to compose herself.
Observing Victor’s unreasonable behavior, Eva interjected, “There are countless individuals worldwide facing hardships far worse than yours, yet they’ve never harmed their own family. You persistently complain about Mr. Hans and Old Mr. Hans, never treating them as family. Yet, you audaciously demand the Hans family’s assets. Don’t you think your shamelessness knows no bounds?”
Her words hit Victor’s sensitive spot, causing him to angrily toss his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his foot. “They caused my suffering! Are you suggesting I should endure it all and act as if nothing happened? Not a chance! As long as I’m alive, I won’t allow Cristofer to monopolize the Hans family’s assets!” he exclaimed, his voice brimming with bitterness.
Convinced that Estelle and Cristofer aimed to seize the Hans family’s assets behind his back and remove him from the company, Victor suddenly grew vigilant and spoke crossly to Estelle, “Don’t think I’m oblivious to your intentions. You’re scheming to claim the entirety of the Hans family’s assets without my knowledge. I won’t let you succeed. I’ve heard you’re planning a memorial event for Old Mr. Hans this weekend, correct?”
‘It turns out that Victor came here for this matter,’ Estelle thought. Then she said coldly with a darkened face, “Yes, but it has nothing to do with you.”
“Humph. It’s not up to you whether it has anything to do with me or not. I’m the grandson of Old Mr. Hans. It’s a matter of course that I attend his memorial service.” Victor insisted stubbornly.
“No way,” Estelle refused without hesitation. “Perish the thought.”
‘Victor hates Grandpa Gary and doesn’t even call him Grandpa. He must have an ulterior motive for wanting to attend the memorial service.’
Hearing Estelle’s words, Victor didn’t back down easily. He argued, “Don’t forget that I’m now associated with Cristofer. If I’m absent from the memorial event, what will people think of Cristofer?”
Estelle remained impassive and responded, “We’ll manage it. It’s not your concern.”
Victor chuckled nonchalantly. “Fine. If you don’t allow me to attend the memorial service, I’ll head to the bar and flirt with attractive women. After all, everyone will mistake me for Cristofer. I’ll ensure everyone knows what kind of person ‘Cristofer’s truly is.”