“Mom, don’t say it like that. I went there on my own accord,” Sophia explained quickly.
“Even if you wanted to go yourself, it’s not allowed. From now on, if you want to go shopping, Leo has to accompany you,” Jessica countered.
Leo knew Jessica’s temperament and didn’t want to argue with her. He replied, “Mom, I understand. I won’t let Sophia go shopping alone in the future.”
Jessica’s expression improved a bit, “And there’s another matter. Sophia has secured the exclusive agency rights for Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. In three days, there will be a family meeting, and you’ll take Sophia there.”
“Sure,” Leo had no objections to that.
“Alright, it’s getting late. You two should rest early.” Jessica waved her hand and settled back on the couch, engrossed in her soap opera.
Sophia gave Leo a meaningful look, and they both headed upstairs.
Standing in front of the bedroom door, Sophia asked, “At the police station, you weren’t…”
Leo understood her concern and shook his head, “No, I explained everything inside, and they checked the surveillance footage at the scene. After taking my statement, they let me go.”
“That’s a relief,” Sophia sighed in relief.
“Sophia, are you worried about me?” Leo gave her a half-smile.
Rolling her eyes, Sophia retorted, “Cut it out and go sleep in your room.”
“Can I go to your room?” Leo asked with a hopeful face.
“No, you can’t,” Sophia replied. When she saw the disappointment on Leo’s face, she added, “At least not tonight.”
“Does that mean tomorrow is a possibility?” Leo caught onto the key word.
“Depends on how you behave!” Sophia’s face turned red all of a sudden, and she walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Looks like there’s a chance!
Leo felt delighted.
Since his mother-in-law had stopped pushing for a divorce, he had a new goal: win over Sophia!
Over the next two days, Leo became busy. First, he registered the clinic’s name with the Commerce Bureau, then he put up a sign saying they were closed for renovation. He hired a renovation company to design according to his ideas and began the remodeling.
As for Dr. Davy, Leo followed his instructions to treat his daughter in the small building in the backyard.
Even though he had healed Grace’s legs, Leo still felt somewhat guilty since this clinic had been passed down through their family. He wanted to transfer five million to Dr. Davy, but the doctor adamantly refused. He explained that he had been practicing medicine for years and had some savings, so he didn’t need the money. His biggest wish now was to take his daughter on a trip around the world, to make up for the past ten years.
Once the renovation began, Leo had some free time. He was waiting for the renovation to be completed so they could open for business.
Life was truly exciting. Leo thought about how he used to be looked down upon in the Henley family, but now he not only owned a cosmetics manufacturing company but also a traditional Chinese medicine clinic.
Regarding the clinic, Leo planned to keep it a secret from Sophia for now and tell her later.
Three days later, Teresa informed them of a family meeting.
At 9:20 in the morning, the meeting room was already populated with many people. The meeting was set to begin at 9:30, so Teresa hadn’t arrived yet, and Sophia and Leo hadn’t appeared.
The room buzzed with conversation as people discussed Sophia’s failure to negotiate with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company.
This news had been spread by Bruno beforehand, with the intention of setting the relatives of the Henley family at ease.
In other words, they were preparing to attack Sophia during the meeting.
“If Bruno couldn’t secure the distribution rights, how could Sophia possibly do it? Even a blind person could see that coming.”
“After losing this negotiation, do you think Sophia will resign as the general manager of Sophia Cosmetics Limited?”
“They’ve made a bet, and with so many of us as witnesses, she can’t back out. It’s impossible!”
“After Sophia resigns, who do you think is most likely to take over Sophia Cosmetics Limited?”
“I think it should be me.”
“Ha, with your abilities? Only if Granny goes blind!”
“Hey, who are you calling incapable!?”
As the people in the meeting room chattered animatedly, Bruno and Fanny entered the room together.
With an air of arrogance, Bruno held his head higher than usual.
Once the meeting was over, Sophia would be ousted from Sophia Cosmetics Limited, and then Bruno would suggest to Teresa that Breeze Cosmetics and Sophia Cosmetics Limited merge, with Bruno taking control.
Heh heh!
He was getting a little excited just thinking about it.
Fanny, who was by Bruno’s side, glanced around the room and whispered, “Bruno, Sophia and her useless husband seem to be absent.”
“No rush. With something this big, she’ll definitely show up. Just wait and enjoy the show,” Bruno had a confident expression on his face.
Fanny giggled, “I can’t wait to see Sophia’s expression after she resigns as the general manager. Do you think her useless husband will starve if she loses her job? Haha, it’s amusing.”
Bruno smiled, “Don’t worry, he won’t starve. At the very least, when I encounter him, I’ll toss him a little dog food.”
“Bad, Bruno!”
The reason Bruno hated Sophia was simple: after Grandma passed away, the person most likely to challenge him for the position of chairman of the Henley Group would be Sophia.
When their grandfather was alive, he favored Sophia the most.
Three minutes shy of 9:30, Teresa entered the meeting room with her cane.
The people inside stood up quickly and greeted her accordingly. Teresa’s position and authority in the Henley family were unquestionable.
Teresa motioned for everyone to sit down after gently tapping her hand, indicating that the meeting could begin.
Bruno and Fanny swiftly took their seats on either side of Teresa.
“Grandma, Sophia’s negotiation with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company has failed. Look, she hasn’t even shown up yet. I doubt she’d dare to come,” Bruno seized the opportunity to attack Sophia.
Fanny chimed in, “Grandma, you personally called for this meeting, but she still hasn’t arrived. I think she’s being influenced by her useless husband and doesn’t value you.”
Although Teresa was well aware that Bruno and Fanny had never gotten along with Sophia, what they said was true.
Teresa turned her gaze to Bruno and asked, “Grandson, did you just say that Sophia’s negotiation with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company failed?”