Chapter 147
"The Clark family sure has a diverse range of daughters. Here's another delicate type." Clea complained in a low voice.
Jasper took a deep breath, walked over, and covered Clea's mouth.
She should talk less and not cause trouble.
Clea blinked her eyes, flirting with Jasper, "Boyfriend, are you worried about me?"
"I..." Jasper felt a tingling sensation in his palm. Clea was clearly teasing him on purpose.
He quickly pulled his hand back, and Jasper stood behind Clea with a dark expression, "Boss, please behave yourself."
"No can do." Clea leaned against Jasper, putting all her weight on him.
At this moment, if Jasper stepped back, she would definitely fall to the ground.
But she dared to lie directly in his arms.
Jasper took a restrained breath and stood straight, helplessly.
Clea looked up and continued to tease Jasper, as if she wasn't the one who had hit Pearl, as if she was just watching a show.
"Michael, you understand Aria's condition better than anyone. I don't need to remind you what happened between you two. Since your father has already agreed to the marriage between our families, you should weigh what's more important." Haven sternly lectured Michael from an elder's perspective.
Clearly, he was confident that Michael would marry Aria.
"My father agreed to the marriage. What does that have to do with me?" Michael gently patted Samuel's back, lowering his voice, "The child is tired. As an elder, keeping your voice down shows good manners."
Haven said angrily, "Nolan, look at your son."
Nolan's face looked terrible, but because of Luna poisoning someone in Shadow City, he felt somewhat guilty and hadn't been too aggressive, "Michael, come out here."
Michael clearly had no intention of paying attention to Nolan, "Do you think Pearl did the right thing?"
Nolan's face darkened. Now Michael was asking him.
"I heard from Haven that you told business partners to suspend all cooperation with the Clark family? What do you mean by this? For an outsider..." Seeing that Michael had no intention of going out, Nolan felt embarrassed and could only speak now.
"Outsider? Who's the outsider? Father, shouldn't you be very clear about this? Or is it that when you need to use me to help James, she's family, but now that James is out, she's become an outsider?" Michael was reminding Nolan that Nora was the Smith family's daughter-in-law, something he knew very well.
Back then, to get Nora to drop the case, didn't Nolan tell him to first agree to marry Nora?
"Michael!" Nolan was losing control a bit, raising his hand to signal him not to talk nonsense, "In this matter, both sides bear great responsibility. Pearl was also injured and paid a price. Call the business partners immediately and arrange things within the company too! For a little bastard, I see you're deliberately causing me trouble."
Nolan thought he understood Michael well. He had just returned from Shadow City and was being so aggressive, definitely not because of Nora and Samuel.
It was clearly because of Luna's situation that he was opposing him and making him uncomfortable.
The problem was, he was in the wrong now and could only make himself half-dead with anger.
"Impossible." Michael's voice was firm.
"Michael, you're going too far. Are you trying to destroy the Clark family completely?" Eloise looked at Michael in shock, "Michael, Haven and I both think highly of you. You and Aria are a good match. We're family. What are you doing?"
"Have Pearl publicly apologize, confess all her crimes, and clearly state in front of the media all the harm she's done to Nora—whether it's school bullying, slander, or physical harm—explain everything clearly, apologize sincerely, and publicly promise never to hurt Nora or Nora's family again. Have her leave Emerald City and never appear in my sight again. Then I can consider letting her go." Michael held the sleeping Samuel, his voice not loud but extremely intimidating.
Nora hid behind Michael, staring up at him blankly.
Her eyes were very red, and Nora looked away.
Even if the Clark family didn't agree, the fact that Michael had this intention was enough for her to be grateful.
She had once begged Walter to publicly acknowledge Pearl's wrongdoings and publicly break off the engagement, but he refused.
But Michael was willing to force the Clark family to apologize publicly.
"Michael, your demands are too much. The Clark family is also a prominent family in Emerald City. How can they continue to stay here after this?" Nolan rubbed his temples. Why was Michael constantly pressuring the Clark family?
People in business circles all value face, the Smith family as well as the Clark family.
Having their daughter publicly admit her crimes was even worse than directly slapping their faces.
"You're simply..." Haven was already trembling with anger, "The Clark family isn't just forming an alliance with the Smith family, but also with the Wood family from Silverlight City. Pearl's matter involves too much. We're in the wrong this time, and I'll have Pearl apologize. Michael, don't keep pushing. Let's both take a step back, don't you think, Ms. Nora Adams!"
Haven turned his attention to Nora.
Nora was silent for a long time before speaking hoarsely, "All of Pearl's wrongdoings are because of your indulgence."
Haven's face twisted with anger. This Nora now had someone backing her up.
"Nora, smart women know how to go with the flow. No one can protect you for a lifetime." Haven reminded Nora not to wait until the day when Michael wouldn't protect her anymore.
Nora straightened up and spoke hoarsely again, "It has nothing to do with anyone else. Even if you broke my pride, I will never forgive Pearl in this lifetime. What she did to me, what the Clark family did to me, you know best."
In Silverlight City, Eloise had James take her to a warehouse in the outer ring. She almost died there.
Haven snorted, "Michael, this matter doesn't have much to do with you. Don't make things ugly for both our families."
"This condition is already the maximum I can give. If Pearl refuses to publicly apologize, admit her wrongdoings, and get out of Emerald City, then I'll make public all her evil deeds over the years. I'll personally hold a press conference and say I'm very dissatisfied with the Clark family's upbringing and family values. Because of Pearl, it will also affect her sister Aria, won't it?" Michael had wanted to clarify the relationship between him and Aria anyway.
Using Pearl's situation was a good excuse.
Aria's eyes were red, her face pale.
Michael was using Pearl's situation to distance himself from her.
She had deliberately provoked Pearl to go after Jasper and Samuel, thinking that with Walter's connection, nothing major would go wrong. She didn't expect Michael to be so ruthless.
For a Nora and a little bastard, he could actually go this far.
"Michael, you're..." Eloise was terrified. Once Michael spoke out, the Clark family would be ruined!
Who would dare to marry the Clark family's daughters in the future?
If this matter blew up, it would be hard to explain to Noah's side. What if the Wood family also called off the engagement...
"Haven, what should we do? Quickly have Nolan talk some sense into Michael!" Eloise was almost crying with anxiety.
She only had these two precious daughters.
"What's the rush?" Haven snorted coldly, clearly still having a trump card, "Walter is still in Emerald City and will be here soon. He's Pearl's fiancé. This is a family matter! He has to handle it!"
Even if the Smith family didn't give the Clark family face, they had to give the Wood family face. Once Mountain Construction Group cut off cooperation with the Smith Group, the Smith Group's losses wouldn't be something Michael could bear at this stage either.
You have to know that Michael's position was already precarious. Could he really put himself on the edge of a cliff for a Nora and a little bastard?
No one was a fool. They'd just give each other an excuse and let it go.
Hearing Walter's name, Nora looked up at Michael in panic.
She didn't want Michael to oppose Walter.
This would be bad for his position in the company.