Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Max frowned and looked at Charlotte in confusion.

Charlotte was also a bit surprised: "What illness?"

"Heart disease."

Helen sighed, "The doctor said there's always been something wrong with her heart. It wasn't detected before, but she was just diagnosed recently. And because of this condition, she won't be able to have children in the future."

David's voice came through the phone as well, his tone somewhat heavy.

"Ellie has been frail since childhood. We never expected her to be this seriously ill. With her body in this condition, we really can't feel at ease arranging for her to marry and have children."

Charlotte held the phone, already understanding what they were getting at.

"Just tell me directly what arrangements you have for her."

"We're thinking it might be better to just let her stay in the country."

Helen said carefully, "She doesn't need to do anything, just hold a nominal shareholder position at Bliss Group, collect some dividends each year, and live her life peacefully. What do you think?"

Max's expression instantly became serious, looking at Charlotte as if wanting to say something but holding back.

Charlotte noticed what he wanted to say, and after a few seconds of silence, said flatly: "You decide. I have no opinion."

She hung up the phone, her eyes somewhat cold.

Heart disease? Can't have children? Can't get married?

Can only stay at the Bliss Group?

What a coincidence!

She didn't believe it.

To her, this seemed more like a tactic to stay and compete with her for the Bliss Group.

Seeing her expression, Max became anxious too.

"What's going on? Why are they suddenly giving Ellie shares in Bliss Group?"

Charlotte pondered thoughtfully.

"Maybe my parents think she's rather pitiful."

"So what?"

Max said unhappily, "If she's pitiful, at most just support her. Your family has plenty of money anyway. But why give her shares? She's scheming to stay at the company because she wants to compete with you for shares and the company, right?"

He spread his hands, "But I don't understand why your parents, even though they've found you, their biological daughter, are still so soft-hearted toward her!"

The more he spoke, the more complex and dark Charlotte's expression became.

Hearing her parents' arrangement, it would be a lie to say she wasn't hurt.

Charlotte could feel that her father and mother still cared about Ellie in a way that exceeded her imagination.

And this kind of caring was something she couldn't accept.

But she also couldn't just kick Ellie out directly - after all, she was the child they raised.

However...

Charlotte looked up at Max: "Find a way to get Ellie's heart disease medical records. I want to see what's going on."

Max's expression changed, and he said with a pout, "Why help her? You're an expert in heart disease and have led us in developing many heart disease medications, but we can't let her benefit from it. If she's sick, let her get treatment herself."

Hearing this, Charlotte just curved her lips slightly with a meaningful look: "How can you be so sure that Ellie really has heart disease?"

Max's expression changed slightly, immediately understanding what she meant.

"Okay, I'll investigate right away."

Near the end of the workday, Charlotte received Ellie's heart disease examination report.

Before she could look at it, someone knocked on the office door.

Charlotte looked up in confusion and saw Richard standing outside, smiling at her with a complex expression.

"Are you off work? Have you finished all your work?"

"Why did you come to Smith Group?" Charlotte closed the file and got up listlessly to walk out with him.

But Richard suddenly raised his hand to stop her, looking down to carefully examine her expression.

"I already know about what's online regarding Thomas and the others trying to use Grandpa's belongings to scam the company. Are you in a bad mood because of them?"

"No, the matter has been resolved. I'm not in a bad mood because of that."

Charlotte acted as if nothing was wrong, but this made Richard feel even more distressed.

"You can tell me if you're upset about something. What exactly happened?"

Charlotte was silent for a moment, then followed him downstairs to the car before taking out the test report.

After reading it, he couldn't help but laugh coldly and directly handed it to Richard.

"Faking heart disease to make my mom pity and feel sorry for her, so she can stay at the company as a shareholder. Ellie's scheming is really no less than Stella's."

Richard looked down with a frown: "Should we send this medical record to your mother? Let them see what Ellie has done."

"No need."

Charlotte thought of her parents' attitude and felt somewhat annoyed.

"She can use these methods of faking illness and acting pitiful to compete for my parents' affection; that's fine. But don't disgust me, and don't touch my interests, or I won't tolerate it."

"Okay."

Richard gripped her hand tightly, "I'll help you protect Bliss Group. What's yours absolutely cannot be taken away by anyone."

Charlotte glanced at the time.

"Take me to the auction house. I have something to bid on."

"It's your grandfather's belongings, right?" Richard saw through her thoughts at a glance.

Charlotte didn't hide it from him and nodded slightly.

"Yes, Grandpa's watch was already sold to the auction house by them for tens of millions. The auction house is holding an auction now, and I'm planning to buy it back. I don't want the belongings Grandpa wanted to entrust to me before he died to be bought by someone else."

Max had already found information about the auction - it was tonight at 8 PM, and the official bidding would start in half an hour.

Richard immediately turned the car around and took Charlotte to the auction.

But on the way, they were stuck in rush hour traffic. What should have been a half-hour drive took an hour.

By the time Charlotte and Richard got inside, the auction had already announced all the items that had been sold.

And the third item sold was the watch that William had treasured most during his lifetime.

Charlotte's expression instantly turned ugly when she saw it. She then used hacking techniques to find out who the buyer was.

To her surprise, the buyer was actually Ellie.

Seeing this name, Charlotte was shocked.

How could it be her?

She didn't believe this was just a simple coincidence.

The next second, the car stopped at the auction venue entrance, and Ellie was already walking out.

Charlotte's expression changed slightly. She immediately got out of the car and went up to her, directly blocking Ellie's path and looking at the box she was holding.

"Did you buy the watch?"

Ellie looked at her with surprise and innocence, blinking.

"How did you know I came here to bid on something? I did get a very beautiful antique watch. Why?"

Charlotte directly took out her bank card.

"However much you paid for it, I'll give you double. This watch was my grandfather's belonging from when he was alive. I have to get it back."

Ellie smiled sweetly, "Sorry, not for sale."