Finally, “Cristofer” decided to put an end to the drama. After lingering here in vain for a long time, the disgruntled media muttered curses under their breath and gradually dispersed. Their initial sympathy for Gretchen had turned into disdain and mockery.
Gretchen stared at Victor in bewilderment and began to speak, “It was you…”
“Shut up!” Victor snapped before Gretchen could finish her sentence. “Get lost!”
Fuming with anger, Gretchen was left speechless. “You…”
“Cristofer, don’t be so cruel to her. Miss White has had a tough time. She’s been kneeling here for hours. How about we let her go inside and rest for a bit?” Estelle suggested to Victor with an innocent smile.
Victor, still filled with suspicion and resentment, retorted, “Are you out of your mind?”
“When a woman becomes a mother, she tends to become more compassionate and can’t bear to see others suffer. I just can’t help but feel sorry for Miss White and her son,” Estelle explained gently.
“Is this some kind of entertainment for you to put on a show in front of everyone?” Victor felt uncomfortable witnessing Estelle’s behavior. “Since when did you become like this?”
In response, Estelle smiled and remarked, “I just wanted to experience what it’s like to perform in front of a large audience. Acting seems to be quite enjoyable. It’s no wonder Gretchen used to love it so much.”
With a darkened expression, Victor glared at her and asked, “Did Cristofer instruct you to do this?”
“Acting in front of others?” Victor questioned.
“Cristofer instructed you to perform in public and use the company’s shares to threaten me, didn’t he? What else has he planned to prevent me from claiming the Hans family’s properties?” Victor continued, suspicion evident in his tone.
Estelle replied with a serious expression, “You already own half of the company’s shares and half of the Hans family’s properties, but your greed compels you to seek more. If you hadn’t orchestrated this spectacle today, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make such threats.”
“As I’ve said before, I’m entitled to the other half of the shares and properties. The Hans family owes me, and I should be compensated for the suffering I endured in the past!”
Ignoring his protest, Estelle bent down and took Gretchen’s son by the hand. She gently comforted him, “It’s quite noisy out here. How about we go inside and have some fun?”
The little boy smiled at her and nodded. Estelle then led him into the building and instructed the receptionist, “Please arrange for someone to take care of him.”
“Of course,” the receptionist agreed with a nod. She gestured towards Victor and Gretchen and asked, “Miss Hudson, what should we do with them?”
After a moment of consideration, Estelle decided, “Just ignore that man. As for the woman… Ask her to come inside and escort her to the meeting room. I’ll have a conversation with her after I finish my work.”
“Understood,” the receptionist acknowledged.
Estelle proceeded to the elevator and returned to her office. Upon her arrival, Eva was already waiting for her.
“Mrs. Hans, this is the list of the gemstones that have just been delivered. Please take a look,” Eva said as she handed Estelle a folder.
Estelle accepted the folder, seated herself at her desk, and quickly perused the list. Cristofer had sent a significant quantity of diamonds and emeralds, which were the most in demand, along with various other gemstones like amber, figurine stones, obsidian, turquoise, and more.
“Miss Hans, Mr. Hans mentioned that these are the initial batch of gemstones. If you require additional ones, please inform him, and he’ll have them delivered within an hour.”
“Eva, it’s more appropriate to call me Miss Hudson or just Estelle here,” Estelle softly suggested as she closed the folder.
Eva was taken aback by the request. “Aren’t you planning to reunite with Mr. Hans?”
“Did he ask you to ask about this?” Estelle looked directly into Eva’s eyes.
“No, not at all. I was merely curious. You know I enjoy company gossip,” Eva admitted.
“Focus on your work and avoid indulging in office gossip, alright?” Estelle gently advised.
“Of course…”
With a slight sigh, Estelle continued, “I’ll cover the cost of this batch of gemstones. However, as you’re aware, our company has been struggling lately. So, there may be a delay in payment.”
Hearing this, Eva immediately waved her hand and reassured, “That’s perfectly fine. Mr. Hans mentioned that you can settle the payment at your convenience. Take your time.”
“I’ll transfer the funds to him as soon as I can,” Estelle affirmed.
“Miss Hudson, it’s not even necessary for you to pay for the gemstones. You and Mr. Hans are… family. What’s his is yours.”
Estelle shook her head gently and replied, “A deal is a deal. Moreover…”
“Moreover, you wouldn’t want to accumulate too much debt with Mr. Hans, right?” Eva finished Estelle’s sentence with a knowing smile.
Estelle was a little stunned and thought, ‘Eva, how did you know what I was going to say?’
Seeing Estelle’s reaction, Eva adjusted her glasses and said with a sigh, “Mr. Hans knows you really well. He expected you to say that.”
“What else did he mention to you before you came here?”
“… Nothing much. He just asked me to bring the gemstones and show you the list. He also mentioned not to persuade you if you want to pay for them. He knows that when you make up your mind, you’re quite determined.”
“Determined?” Estelle raised an eyebrow.
“Well…” Eva realized she slipped up and quickly clarified, “Sorry, that last part wasn’t what Mr. Hans said. That’s just my opinion. Sometimes, you can be quite stubborn. Oh dear, I shouldn’t have said that…”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the receptionist entered, speaking softly, “Miss Hudson, Mrs. Jones is here to see you.”
“Mrs. Jones?” Estelle looked puzzled.
“She’s a former customer who ordered custom bracelets from us. Unfortunately, Mr. Grantham, who used to manage the company, had to cancel many orders due to financial troubles. Mrs. Jones has visited multiple times before, but you weren’t here. She saw the news that you’re back at the company and rushed here again…”
Hearing this, Estelle rubbed her temples wearily, deep in thought. ‘It’s been four years, and I’m still cleaning up the mess left by York. If I hadn’t switched the company’s legal person to Mom back then, York would have caused even more trouble, and the Hudson Group’s reputation would have been completely ruined.’
“Miss Hudson, should we ask the security guards to handle her?”
“No, we need to handle this properly. Let her in and take her to the VIP reception room. By the way, is Vic… I mean, Cristofer still outside?”