Chapter 151
I casually placed my bag on the nearby table. Oscar immediately stood up, his expression softening into a gentle smile as he walked over and began massaging my shoulders. "You must be exhausted today, right?" he said. "The food is probably cold by now. Why don't you sit for five minutes while I heat it up, and then we can eat."
Ignoring William and Grace, I nodded and smiled back, saying, "Thanks for all your hard work. I'm so lucky to have you."
Visibly, Gregory's face darkened. He was about to jump up from his seat when Grace grabbed him and pushed him back down onto the sofa, silently shaking her head at him.
I looked away, pressed my lips together, and let out a cold smile before sitting down at the dining table and scrolling through political news on my phone. I accidentally turned on the speaker, and it just so happened to be the financial channel analyzing The Novagen Group's impending bankruptcy.
William's expression darkened as well, but he forced himself to stay calm and sat back down. His heavy breathing was so loud I could hear it from across the room.
Oscar soon came out carrying the food and smiled at them, "Sorry, I only made enough for the two of us. You must have already eaten, so I won't invite you to join us."
Grace quickly nodded with a smile, "No problem. We ate before coming. You two go ahead—we're not in a hurry."
Like hell she wasn't in a hurry.
Oscar and I ate slowly while they sat nearby, their eyes meeting each other's with visible anxiety.
Finally, when we finished eating, William hurried over and said, "Oscar, now that everyone's here, can we talk about the will?"
Oscar looked at the dishes on the table and replied with a smile, "Weren't you not in a hurry? Let me wash the dishes first. It won't take long."
Grace quickly stepped forward. "I'll wash the dishes. You should discuss business first."
"That's so kind of you," Oscar said with a faint smile, "but you probably don't do this kind of work at home. I can handle it myself."
"It's fine, I have nothing else to do anyway. You go talk and leave the rest to me." Grace quickly and efficiently began clearing the dishes, not giving Oscar a chance to object.
Oscar shrugged, and didn't argue with her, he then led me to sit down in front of William and Gregory. "What does William want to talk about?" he asked. As for the inheritance, shouldn't we have a notary present when it's divided? Wouldn't it be more convenient to handle all the transfer procedures on the spot?"
William pulled out another will, "Oscar, this is the will Dad made initially. It was also notarized, but since the later will is the one that takes effect, let's consider this one void. However, there's something I need your help with."
Oscar remained calm, and simply waited for his response.
"You must know about The Novagen Group's current situation. Gregory went to Solstice to raise money and ran into big trouble. The repayment deadline in the contract is coming up soon, and the company's market value is dropping faster than a rocket. You're also part of the Lopez family, and The Novagen Group is part of the inheritance. You can't just stand by and do nothing, right?"
Oscar shrugged and exchanged a glance with me. "What can I do? My money is all tied up in projects. I probably can't help you."
William quickly said, "Since I'm asking you, you must have the ability to help. What I'm thinking is this: why don't we mortgage Dad's real estate to the bank first, temporarily get a loan from the bank to solve the company's urgent problem. Once the company is running normally again, everything else won't be a problem. So could you and Emma temporarily refrain from claiming this part of the inheritance?"
I laughed lightly, "You want us to give up the inheritance?"
William quickly said, "No, I'm just talking about mortgaging it temporarily. Once the company's crisis is resolved, we'll still give you what's yours. Besides, the inheritance includes company shares. If the company goes under, won't you lose out too?"
I rejected him directly, "That would only be a partial loss. You want to swallow up the entire inheritance?"
William looked at Oscar, his expression earnest, "Oscar, The Novagen Group is Dad's life's work. Can you bear to watch it go bankrupt like this?"
Oscar's smile was relaxed, "To be honest, yes I can. After all, I never saw how The Novagen Group struggled to develop, so naturally I don't care if the company goes bankrupt."
William was speechless for a moment. Looking at Oscar's indifferent attitude, his expression grew serious, "I'm begging you, okay? As long as you agree to let me mortgage these assets, you can name any condition. You can stand by and watch the company go bankrupt, but I can't. Dad's inheritance doesn't mean much to you anyway, does it?"
Oscar nodded, "True, it doesn't mean much. But whether I'm willing to give it up is another matter. How you want to liquidate assets is your business. Don't try to drag me into it."
Grace walked out of the kitchen with wet hands, water stains marring her designer velvet dress. Her tone was sorrowful, "Oscar, we're asking you because we consider you family. And Emma, I watched you grow up. Even if you and Gregory weren't meant to be, there's still the bond you once shared. We're just trying to get through this temporarily. Once we have the money, everything will come back."
Oscar smiled and replied, "Sorry, but if you're really in such a hurry, we can go to the notary office tomorrow to notarize the inheritance. You can do whatever you want with your share. As for our share, we won't lend it out under any circumstances."
Gregory finally couldn't hold back anymore, "Dad, Mom, don't you see it yet? They just want to watch the Lopez family fall. I told you coming here would be pointless. Do you believe me now?"
His eyes were filled with disappointment as he looked at me with a complicated expression. "Emma, are you really this heartless? Are you just going to stand by and watch the Lopez family decline like the Brown Family? Even if I wronged you, I've already paid for it all these years. What will it take for you to stop hating me?"
I looked at him mockingly, "Don't flatter yourself. You're not important enough for me to hate. The Lopez family has fallen to this state—shouldn't you reflect on how you, as the heir, pushed the company step by step toward bankruptcy? In the end, it all comes down to your incompetence."
Gregory reacted like someone had stepped on his tail, "I'm incompetent? You think I don't know you set a trap for me and saddled me with massive debt? Let me tell you, this kind of loan shark debt that exceeds legal limits isn't protected by law. Go ahead and let them try to kill me."
I looked at him with faint amusement. Getting worked up already? Well, the times when he should really be worried were still ahead.
After all, debts not protected by law are also not constrained by law. There are plenty of ways to make someone wish they could sell their organs just to repay what they owe.