Chapter 186 Do You Call This Being a Brother?
Would David forgive her?
Lily let out a scornful laugh. "Only guilty people put on such a show of bravado."
She didn't care about any so-called forgiveness from the Roberts family. After all, she hadn't done anything wrong.
"Lily, as long as you come back to the Roberts family and take over Michael's company, we can work together to grow the AI project. The Roberts family will reach new heights. This is good for both you and the Roberts family. What do you think?" David said confidently, as if he were certain Lily would lose this time.
Delbert, standing beside Lily, couldn't help but speak up. "Mr. Roberts, you've got quite the scheme going. When you kicked Lily out, you didn't say anything about being family. Now that you see she's capable, you suddenly want to play the family card. What kind of family does that?"
David's face darkened.
He said to Lily, "Staying with the Roberts family is what's best for you. Do you know how brutal Empire City is? Small companies like Maple Leaf Corporation die by the dozens every year. In the face of power and influence, you're as insignificant as ants."
Lily's expression was cold. She was in a terrible mood. David was going after Maple Leaf Corporation because of her.
She said, "If Maple Leaf Corporation goes bankrupt, I won't let you off easy either."
"Just you? A little girl - what kind of trouble can you stir up? You can't even find a lawyer, can you? I thought you'd understand by now just how insignificant you are."
"Mr. Roberts seems so calm. Have you forgotten about the time your Roberts Group's firewall had problems and you were scrambling to clean up the mess?" Lily shot back.
David remembered that incident and snorted coldly. "You really think that's enough to threaten me? Naive! You'll see soon enough."
Lily watched as David led his people forward. She stood there, her emotions far from calm.
Austin deliberately hung back a few steps and came up to Lily. He looked haggard, with an expression of wanting to say something but holding back.
Lily turned to talk to Delbert, not wanting to deal with Austin.
But Austin wouldn't leave. They were trying to discuss the case, but with Austin standing there, no one could talk freely.
Lily turned around, her eyes showing weariness. "What do you want now?"
"Lily."
"Don't call me that. We're not that close."
Lily's attitude was cold and distant. She treated Austin like a stranger.
Austin seemed unsteady on his feet. "I know David used his connections to make sure you couldn't find a lawyer. You know what David is capable of. Can't you just make peace with him this once? Come back to the Roberts family, and Maple Leaf Corporation won't get dragged down and targeted because of you."
When Lily heard about Maple Leaf Corporation being dragged down and targeted, she did feel a bit guilty.
Delbert spoke up first. "What do you mean our company is being dragged down and targeted by Lily? The company's AI project is a hot property - our competitors would love to destroy us. What does this have to do with Lily? Without her, the project wouldn't be where it is today."
Lily hadn't expected Delbert to stand up for her.
Over the years, she'd grown used to being misunderstood.
Austin's expression became awkward. "Lily, that's not what I meant. I just think going back to the Roberts family is the best solution."
"That's what you think is the best solution. It's all for your benefit, not mine!"
"I'm really worried about you."
Lily laughed coldly. "You're worried about yourself. If I actually agreed to go back to the Roberts family, you'd be the first one off the hook, wouldn't you?"
Austin's expression became unnatural. Of course, he had a bit of selfish interest, but he also wanted his siblings to reconcile.
Lily's face was mocking. "Since you're so concerned about me not finding a lawyer, why don't you just go confess to the judge that you did all this? Then I won't need a lawyer."
Austin immediately shut his mouth.
"Why so quiet now? Weren't you just acting all concerned for my sake? That would really be for my good - why aren't you willing?" Lily's words were like knives stabbing into Austin's heart.
Austin took a deep breath. "Lily, I'm still your brother. Do you really have to send me to prison?"
He knew he'd done wrong before.
He'd realized Sophie was two-faced and not a good person.
Why couldn't Lily give him a chance to make amends?
Lily laughed. "You need to get this straight - you're taking responsibility for Sophie. David pushed you out to take the fall for everything. It's not that I want to send you to prison. They want you to go in and take the blame for their crimes."
Austin's expression could barely hold. His lips were pale.
He choked out, "I really want to make it up to you."
Lily just felt disgusted. Why couldn't these people just be sincere? Why did they have to pretend?
Angry, she turned to stare at Austin. "Fine, I'll give you a chance to make amends."
A flash of surprise crossed Austin's eyes. "Tell me."
"Go confess to the judge."
After Lily spoke, she saw Austin's expression freeze, then he guiltily avoided her gaze.
See?
This was his so-called sincere desire to make amends.
An apology wrapped in fake sentiment was as disgusting as expired medicine.
Lily sneered. "What, can't do it?"
Austin looked embarrassed. "It's not that I can't, but if I go to prison, how can I make it up to you?"
"You going to prison would be the greatest way to make it up to me. Then I can let go of everything you did before. How about that?"
Austin fell into silence again.
At that moment, David turned back and called out loudly, "Austin, what are you standing there for? What's there to say to an ungrateful guy like her?"
Austin looked at Lily guiltily, then turned and followed, his steps awkward.
Lily watched his retreating figure with a mocking expression.
Delbert came over, his expression complicated. "Lily, how can your family be so fake?"
No sincerity in their apologies.
No genuine intent to make amends.
All of it was built on sacrificing Lily's interests - only then could apologies and amends happen.
What kind of family was this?
Lily saw her colleagues' expressions. "I'm used to it. I know what kind of people they are. Let's go, we should head in too."
She'd just sent Eric a message, and he said the lawyer would arrive soon.
In that case, there was nothing to fear.
Lily walked in with her colleagues. David and Austin had already taken their seats, with a lawyer organizing thick stacks of documents beside them.
Lily sat down with Delbert, but their lawyer hadn't arrived.
The judge asked Lily, "When will your lawyer arrive?"
Lily answered, "Soon, on the way."
David's tone was light. "Don't tell me they're too scared to come and you're just stalling? Lily, you're going to lose anyway. Why not settle now? What terms do you want?"
Lily looked at David without answering.
Just then, someone pushed the door open. "Sorry, I'm late."
David saw a middle-aged man with glasses appear. He said in surprise, "Mr. Ronald Ford?"
Ronald Ford was a big shot in the legal world.
He was currently the chief lawyer for the wealthy Gonzalez family.
Why would he come to take on a small case like Maple Leaf Corporation's?