IMDD CHAPTER 136 [NOVEL] (Patreon)

Dressed in a black and white suit, Eva stood in front of an apartment building. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a low ponytail. The absence of her tight bun, her signature look during her time as CEO of XY, seemed to signal a departure from her past and a move towards something new.

To Eva's surprise, her grandfather, Samuel Young, was sitting in the back seat, wearing his usual stern expression. He wore a tailored suit and tie, as always, and his silver hair was perfectly combed. She honestly didn’t expect this man to come pick her up himself. Samuel Young, the powerful and intimidating patriarch of the family, never deigned to do anything as mundane as picking up a family member.

“Why are you living in this shabby neighborhood when you have a high-end apartment?” her grandfather asked, his voice betraying a hint of disapproval.

“I just want to live in a place where no one knows me for a while, Mr. Young,” Eva replied, her tone calm but firm.

“Call me grandfather. You're still a Young, Eva,” Samuel insisted. “Your parents must have disowned you, but not me. I never wanted you to leave-“

“Grandpa,” Eva cut him off. “I don't want to talk about that right now. I would like to ask you instead if you have fulfilled the conditions I've told you about.”

Samuel's face tightened in displeasure at Eva's interruption, but he quickly tried to mask his emotions. Eva, however, could read him like a book. Samuel had always prided himself on his ability to command a room. He saw interruptions as a sign of disrespect, a challenge to his authority. Eva had learned this lesson the hard way, after years of being scolded and belittled for daring to speak out of turn even when it’s very much needed and reasonable.

“Don’t worry. I have never told anyone that you’re coming back.” Samuel sighed.

“Even to...my parents?” she asked, Eva had to pause before saying those two words. Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. ‘Parents…’ The word felt foreign on her tongue, like a costume that didn't fit quite right. It all felt really strange now. And somehow, she suddenly couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she had grown up in a loving family, with parents who actually cared for her and supported her dreams.

"Yes, Eva, I haven't mentioned that you are coming back to them.” Samuel answered.

“How about Jessa?"

"I haven't seen that brat for a while now. I told her not to show her face to me until she clears her name from that stupid scandal she was dragged into." Samuel’s face twisted with quiet anger.

Eva's eyes twitched, and she asked, "Are you sure she was the one who got dragged into that scandal?”

"Eva, the man is the CEO of our rival company. Of course, he'd have to do something despicable like that to ruin our newly appointed CEO. That boy must be leisurely chilling in his home now, little did he know that the throne is going to be snatched away from him before he realizes it, now that you're back," Samuel chuckled like a villain too full of himself, while Eva simply stared outside the car. Her eyes gleamed dangerously in secret.

"Grandpa, I understand your animosity towards the Acherons, but if we want XY to make a swift recovery and surpass ACEON, we need to form a major partnership with them.” Eva's voice was calm and measured as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the car window. “If you want XY to recover and even overtake ACEON again, not only by a few margins but by a lot overnight, I'm afraid the only solution is for XY to clinch a huge deal with ACEON.”

Samuel Young's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he remained silent, allowing Eva to continue.

“A significant collaboration between the two long-time rival companies would not only make investors forget about Jessa's scandal but also instill greater confidence in them to invest more in XY. Don't you agree?”

Samuel's eyes narrowed, and Eva could tell from his expression that he was already visualizing the outcome of her proposal. Eva knew Samuel Young was at least a skilled businessman, despite not being as exceptional as she once thought. As the founder of the company, he had taught her many valuable lessons over the years. And that’s when she was younger, she had thought that Samuel was the best in his field, but as she grew older, she realized that he was merely average. Samuel Young just have a really amazing luck on his side and most probably because he must have been using unfair and underhanded methods all these years.