Chapter 25
That evening, Oscar didn't come back.
Early the next morning, I called the butler to request a car, then drove straight to Lumina Trade Center.
When I got to the third floor, just as I expected, the Brown Group's sign was still there. I could even see people coming and going inside—no signs of moving out at all.
So when sweet talk fails, they're going for the strong-arm approach? Three years at Solstice taught me nothing else, but I've got a PhD in handling bullies just from watching.
I waved my hand, and the group of professional bodyguards in camouflage uniforms following behind me stepped forward. I pointed at the automatic glass door, glanced at the camera crew already set up nearby, and said casually, "Smash it."
I have to say, people, you pay top dollar for, they are pretty obedient. At my command, the lead bodyguard took three or four guys over. One swing of the sledgehammer and the thick tempered glass instantly turned into a web of cracks. The second swing, the massive glass door shattered into pieces and scattered everywhere.
I took two symbolic steps back and saw my dad, Charles Brown, rushing out with Jasper and their employees. "Who is it? Who dares to smash our company's door? Call the police now."
The moment Charles saw me, his aggressive attitude softened a bit. He walked around the pile of broken glass and slowly approached me, his eyes full of contempt. "Jasper told me—you come back and immediately want to take the property. You're... Emily, right? You should know something about the relationship between the Brown and Lopez families. Doing this—aren't you thinking about the consequences?"
I had no idea where his confidence came from. Or maybe what I said yesterday wasn't strong enough, making them think there was room for negotiation?
As for Charles, however humbly I once tried to please him and craved his approval, that's how much I despise him now. Not caring about their provocation, I said to the property management staff nearby, "According to the contract, everything in my property belongs to me, right? Don't just stand there watching. The door's already smashed—time to clear out what's inside."
"Emily, don't go too far." Charles blocked my way, shouting angrily, "I'd like to see who dares!"
Years of being in a position of power gave him plenty of presence. The people behind me hesitated for a moment, all looking at me.
I still had a smile on my face. "Mr. Brown, I brought property management staff and lawyers. If you have any issues, feel free to discuss them with them. I need to renovate my own property, so naturally, everything inside needs to be cleared out. I gave you time to move. I have recordings of our conversations. Since you won't move, I have no choice but to be rude."
I turned to the bodyguards behind me. "Throw everything inside out. Don't touch anyone—we're just clearing garbage, not looking for trouble."
With clear orders, they stopped paying attention to Charles's attempts to block them and pushed their way in. Soon, arguing erupted inside. The bodyguards carried desks and chairs out and threw them, and the Brown Group employees couldn't stop them. In no time, it was complete chaos.
The police arrived quickly. Charles angrily accused them: "Officer, it's them—they damaged our company's public property and broke in to wreck the place."
I calmly crossed my arms and watched the show. My lawyer stepped forward and handed the police the commercial property purchase contract, the Brown Group's lease agreement, and recordings of our conversations.
The police walked over to Charles. "Mr. Brown, this is a civil dispute. The evidence shows Ms. Wilson's repossession is legal and proper. She's now claiming financial compensation. I suggest you sit down and talk this out. Settlement is best—otherwise, if she countersues you for property occupation, that'll be harder to deal with."
Charles frowned at me, his tone still domineering. "What occupation? This place used to belong to the Brown Group. We just mortgaged it out because of cash flow issues. She bought it from someone else. We agreed back then that this place would continue to be used by the Brown Group, and we'd pay rent. How can she just take it back whenever she wants?"
I couldn't help but laugh coldly at him. "Are you kidding me? By your logic, this place is yours to use forever, so you tricked people into giving you working capital, and you just pay interest? It's my property. Even if I smash it and leave it empty, it's none of your business. Officer, now that everything's clear, can we continue clearing the garbage?"
The police said nothing, which meant tacit approval. I raised my hand. "Everyone works faster—I'll double your pay today."
Charles suddenly lunged at me, but before he could reach me, the bodyguard standing beside me blocked him.
"You woman, don't push too far." He gritted his teeth, wanting to hit me.
I gestured to the side. "The media's right here. I think as the leader of the Brown Group, you should watch your image."
Only then did Jasper step forward to hold Charles back, saying quietly, "Dad, don't be impulsive. Let's just move to the factory for now. There are still other options. You go to the factory and make arrangements—I'll keep an eye on things here."
Charles looked at me with cold eyes. "You're a girl who just came back from abroad—you don't really think having money means you have everything, do you? Let me remind you—when you're walking alone at night, you'd better be careful."
I turned to look at the nearby police officer, putting on an innocent expression. "Officer, that's a personal threat, right? I can report this, can't I? And you're right here—can you handle it directly?"
Charles sneered. "Don't pull that on me. Aren't you trying to start some company? I'll just wait and see if your company can get off the ground. When you're doing business, it's best not to offend people carelessly."
"Right, you're absolutely right. So when my company opens, you must come to the ribbon-cutting ceremony." I smiled graciously.
With the police and property management supervising, my people spent the entire morning clearing out the whole office floor. Looking at the pile of stuff at the door, I kindly asked, "Mr. Brown, do you need me to find you a cleaning service?"
Jasper's face turned livid. He directed employees to carry useful items back and forth, seemingly unwilling to acknowledge me.
I didn't care about his cold shoulder. Now that everything that needed clearing was cleared out, he couldn't be shameless enough to move it all back in. After giving instructions about what came next, I prepared to leave.
"Emily, are you okay?" Nina rushed over anxiously, grabbed me, and looked me over carefully. "Nobody bullied you, did they?"
I patted her on the head twice. "No, what are you doing here?"
Nina's eyes were full of concern. "I saw it trending and rushed right over."
She turned and saw Jasper, immediately let go of me, and walked up to him, stepping on the chair he was about to sit in.
Jasper was about to speak, but seeing it was Nina, he swallowed his words and greeted her with a smile. "Nina, what brings you here?"
Nina didn't even bother to look at him properly, saying with a cold laugh, "Came to watch the show. Have you seen the trending topics today? The Brown Group probably doesn't have much reputation left. Netizens are all saying you guys have real potential as deadbeats."
Jasper's face flushed red, but facing Nina, he didn't dare say anything harsh. He could only lower his head with a forced smile. "That's all a misunderstanding. Our PR will clarify it."
Nina laughed out loud. "PR? Are you joking? Your PR department employees are all moving desks and computers right now. Do they... have time for PR?"
Jasper was once again left speechless by her.
Nina snorted coldly. "Emily's being kind, letting you move slowly like this. If it were me, I'd throw everything onto the street and make you lose face beyond just trending topics."
Jasper suddenly seemed to remember something, looking between Nina and me with some confusion. "Didn't she just come from abroad? How do you two know each other?"