Chapter 246

"Ethan, why don't we wait a bit? The company's swamped right now. You know the new project just launched—there's so much to handle. Give it some time, and I'll go with you."

Ethan's expression remained neutral, but his tone carried a faint edge of warning.

"Uncle Aubrey, you know Grandma's health isn't good. We have time, but she might not."

After a moment of silence, Aubrey spoke up.

"What if we send Yanny instead? Aunt Cleo really likes Yanny, doesn't she? Perfect chance for them to catch up."

Knowing he wouldn't budge any further, Ethan nodded.

"Fine."

A flash of triumph crossed Aubrey's eyes. Just recently, Ethan and Bianca had a huge fight over Yanny.

There was no way Bianca wasn't holding a grudge. If those two clashed again and things got even more tense, it would only work in his favor.

Yanny caught the subtext and gave Ethan a reassuring look.

"Don't worry. Grandma will be fine. I'll check on her and let you know."

At the nursing facility, Yanny walked into Cleo's room under the watchful eyes of the Smith family members.

Cleo lay in bed, looking much better these days thanks to the professional medical team caring for her.

"Yanny, you're here?"

Yanny nodded, then turned to Bianca with an awkward greeting.

"Mom."

The air between them felt delicate. They hadn't fully cleared up their misunderstanding, but Bianca no longer felt that sharp dislike toward her.

"Grandma, how have you been feeling lately? Any discomfort?"

Cleo took her hand.

"Don't worry about me. As long as you two are doing well, I'm fine."

Bianca quietly straightened the bedding nearby. Seeing the two of them talking, she picked up the basin of water she'd just used to wipe Cleo down.

"I'll go change this. With the weather heating up, extra sponge baths help with recovery."

Yanny grabbed a few pieces of dirty laundry.

"Mom, let me come with you. Grandma's clothes need washing anyway."

They made their way to the bathroom, both busy with their tasks. While the others chatted with Cleo outside, Yanny spoke quietly.

"Mom, don't worry. Everything's okay out there. You and Grandma stay here and rest. When the time's right, we'll bring you both home."

Bianca froze mid-motion while emptying the dirty water. Then, strangely, her restless heart settled.

At some point, she'd started relying on Yanny—from Ethan's disappearance, to him nearly becoming a vegetable, to now, with her and Cleo trapped in this facility.

Seeing Yanny made her believe things would get better someday.

"Okay."

After leaving the nursing home, everything seemed normal. Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief.

The new project was ramping up fast. He'd barely left the facility when Delbert called.

"Dad, I just signed the contract. We're about to take control of the Smith Group."

Delbert's triumphant laughter came through the line. Looking at the contract before him, he felt like he held the whole world in his hands.

Excitement flashed in Aubrey's eyes.

"Delbert, I knew you could do it. Everyone said Ethan was the best choice to take over the Smith Group—just because we're collateral kin? Once we're running the company, let's see what they have to say then."

Delbert snorted.

"Dad, announce now that I'm taking over the Smith Group. Perfect timing to build buzz for our new project."

Aubrey still felt cautious.

"Delbert, isn't it too early to say all that?"

Delbert was already brimming with confidence.

"Dad, the contract's signed. Why worry? The Smith Group will be ours eventually."

"Fine. I'll announce it now!"

Soon, news of Delbert taking over the Smith Group spread like wildfire. Everyone assumed Ethan was no longer in charge, and Delbert started calling himself General Manager.

But no one expected Monday's staff meeting to flip everything.

During the meeting, someone brought up the new project. Delbert found it odd.

By this timeline, implementation should've already started, but there'd been radio silence from the client's end these past few days.

"Why the rush? This new project needs more prep time than those little projects. Can't compare them."

Just as he finished speaking, a knock echoed through the conference room. His assistant stood nervously at the door, breathless.

"We've got a problem. The client's delaying, and the project's stalled. The news is already out."

Delbert's face darkened. Amid the chaotic murmuring in the room, he barked out.

"Enough. Must be some misunderstanding. I'll go talk to the client right now."

He stood and headed out. Downstairs, he ran straight into Oscar.

"Delbert, what the hell's going on? The partnership's been announced, the news is full of delay headlines—do you have any idea how much damage this delay causes us?"

Worst of all, if the delays continued, this could end up as a dead-end project.

Delbert quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Mr. Loomis, don't panic. I was just heading over to see them."

Oscar's expression hardened.

"Good. We'll go together. Let's find out what they're playing at."

Soon, they arrived at the client's company. After waiting a full twenty minutes, they finally got a meeting. The moment they sat down, Delbert couldn't hold back his frustration.

"Mr. Young, what's going on? Why the sudden delay?"

Lewis wore a polite smile.

"Delbert, don't worry. We're working on a strategy here. The project still needs five million dollars in startup capital. Once we have that, it'll make serious money. This delay's just to build hype. We've come this far—you don't want to quit now, do you?"

Delbert and Oscar exchanged glances. They'd already invested too much to walk away. Right then and there, they pooled together another five million dollars for the project. As they left, both wore satisfied smiles.

"Mr. Loomis, trust me—this project won't fail. After all, I signed the contract myself."

Oscar laughed heartily.

"Good. I knew I picked the right person from the start. Now that you're solidifying your position at the Smith Group, and this project's so profitable, why not bring others in on the investment? The more we invest, the higher the returns, right?"

Delbert thought he had a point. That very afternoon, he returned to the company and gathered everyone who supported him, inviting them to invest. The bigger the investment, the bigger the dividends later.

He talked up the project so much that others eagerly jumped in with their money.