Chapter 272

Chapter 272

Just then, a small figure darted through the crowd, bringing a sweet breeze as she rushed straight over and wrapped her soft little arms around Olivia's leg.

Olivia froze, instinctively stopping what she was doing, and slowly looked down.

The evening sun streamed through the airport windows, and the little girl tilted her head up, revealing a soft, fair little face with a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes — adorable and delicate.

A moment later, a clear, sweet little voice rang out, gentle yet bright.

"Aunt Olivia!"

Those familiar features, that cute little face — they hit Olivia right in the heart.

"Zara?!"

Olivia's eyes instantly lit up with surprise. All the exhaustion from the past few days melted away the moment she saw Zara's beaming smile.

She immediately bent down and gently pulled the little girl into her arms.

Zara was so light — no burden at all. She obediently wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck, snuggling close against her.

"Why did you come back all of a sudden? Is school on break? Or did you have trouble adjusting out there and wanted to come home?"

Olivia couldn't hide her concern, worried that something had upset Zara and driven her back.

Zara buried her face in Olivia's arms, nuzzling her shoulder, and said in her soft little voice,

"School has a long holiday! I came back specially to hang out with Uncle Andrew."

As she said it, Zara glanced over at Andrew with a hint of guilt in her eyes.

Andrew, who had been quietly watching the two of them, let out a low chuckle and stepped forward, gently calling her out.

"Oh really?"

His smile was warm, his eyes full of affection.

"Did you come back to hang out with me, or have you been missing your Aunt Olivia this whole time?"

Zara's little face turned slightly pink. She buried herself shyly in Olivia's neck, pressing her lips together with a bashful smile, but refusing to let go.

"Okay, let's go home!"

……

After signing the supply contract at full price, Holden had hoped the order would bring in enough cash to keep his struggling company afloat — barely.

But somehow, word got out that he had crossed Andrew, and now the whole business circle knew about it.

The Anderson Group was the industry leader, with deep ties running up and down the supply chain. Nobody in the circle dared make an enemy of the Anderson family.

Business partners who had previously worked with Holden rushed to cut ties, afraid of getting caught in the fallout. Those who weren't strong enough to take a clear side didn't want to fully offend either party, but they still made it clear — once the current deal expired, they wouldn't be renewing.

"Mr. Edwards, there's another group here to see you..."

For the entire afternoon, Holden's office had a revolving door. His assistant had come in to report so many times it nearly matched a whole week's worth. After going back and forth so many times, even the assistant was worn out — her voice getting quieter and quieter, her eyes constantly checking Holden's expression.

Holden stared blankly ahead.

"Just tell them — if they want to terminate, go straight to finance. Don't bother coming to me with their fake excuses."

After dealing with these people all afternoon, Holden felt like he was about to explode with frustration.

After the assistant left, there was another knock at the door. Holden's brow furrowed with irritation and he shouted toward the door,

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

The knocking paused for a moment, and then the office door slowly swung open.

"Mr. Holden Edwards, Mr. Vaughn Edwards would like you to come back to the Edwards Estate."

Holden's head snapped toward the door. It was his grandfather's butler.

"Vance? You came yourself?"

Vance was his grandfather's most trusted aide and had watched Holden grow up. Holden had always held a genuine respect for him.

"Mr. Vaughn Edwards is very angry this time. You'd better start thinking about how you're going to explain all of this."

Vance let out a sigh. In all his years, he had never seen Vaughn like this.

Holden's heart sank. This mess had finally reached the family.

"Understood."

The Edwards Estate.

The atmosphere in the living room was heavy. Vaughn sat stiffly in the main seat, his face dark. The moment he saw Holden walk in, he hurled a teacup at him. It hit the floor with a sharp crack, shattering into pieces.

"You fool!"

Vaughn's face and voice were both filled with disappointment, his eyes locked on Holden with a look of deep frustration.

"Before you went out on your own, what did I tell you? I said it over and over — always leave room in business, don't chase short-term gains. Did any of that go in one ear and out the other?!"

Still not satisfied, Vaughn slammed his hand on the table, rattling the tea set on top of it.

"Look at you. You picked a fight with Andrew over a little bit of money? Do you have any idea what you're up against? You actually dared to go against the entire Anderson family?!"

"The only lucky thing is that your businesses are clearly separated from the Edwards family's. That's the only reason this hasn't damaged the family's foundation. But if you had dragged the whole family down because of your own stupidity, I would never let it go."

There was not a single word of comfort — just cold blame and a clear line being drawn.

Holden stood where he was, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes fixed on the floor.

He knew exactly what he was facing. Vaughn not only refused to help, but had called him back just to lecture him and make sure to distance the family from him — all to protect the Edwards name.

Every humiliation and grievance piled on top of each other, and a deep, burning hatred took root inside Holden.

And the one responsible for all of this was Andrew.

If Andrew had just accepted the price increase, Holden would have made a fortune. His company wouldn't be on the edge of collapse, and his own family wouldn't be looking at him with contempt.

The Andersons already had more money than they could spend. The fact that Andrew had made such a fuss over a small markup was nothing but pure disrespect.

Swallowing his rage, Holden refused to admit defeat. He quietly reached out to old contacts and had them track Andrew's daily movements.

Before long, word came back — that evening, Andrew would be heading to the airport, and Olivia would be with him.

When he heard this, a cold gleam flickered in Holden's eyes, and a dark smile crept across his face.

He turned, grabbed his car keys from the entryway, and stormed out of the Edwards Estate.

The heavy gate slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.

Vaughn, still in the living room, felt a sudden chill. He knew Holden's nature better than anyone — pushed into a corner, the boy was likely to do something reckless.

"Someone come! Quickly!"

Vaughn's expression shifted, his voice sharp with urgency as he called out toward the door,

"Go after Holden! Hurry up and follow him!"