Chapter 414: Chapter 411: Pie Falling from the Sky
 

“Isabelle.”

With the help of his assistant, Stephen Crane finally stabilized himself.

Hearing that his lover was hurt by someone, Stephen Crane suddenly regained his strength.

Hate and love can both invigorate a person.

Molly Walker pressed her lips together, as if she was seeing her past self.

She didn’t want this old man to suddenly lose the will to live.

Although Stephen Crane had schemed against her, she couldn’t bear to let the old man suffer any more for her grandmother’s sake.

“Miss Walker.” Stephen Crane drank the water served by the servant, struggled to support his body, and looked at her with a gentle and apologetic gaze. “I am sorry for what happened during the competition. To make up for what I did wrong back then, you have a chance to be a substitute.”

There are substitutes in international competitions. Every country will always prepare more than one competitor for its own honor and reputation. Even being a substitute is a kind of glory.

Molly had a feeling that although Stephen Crane only mentioned her being a substitute, he would certainly try his best to get her to participate in the competition.

If that’s the case, it would be contrary to her original intention.

“Thank you, Mr. Crane. Since I didn’t make it to the finals, I am not qualified for a substitute. I appreciate your kindness, but rules are rules and should not be changed according to personal wishes.”

Hearing her say that rules should not be changed according to personal wishes, the guilt at the bottom of Stephen Crane’s eyes deepened.

This competition may seem legitimate, but his personal wishes can change many things.

If Molly had agreed to be a substitute, he would have tried his best to let her participate in the real finals.

But she was right, competitions must have rules; otherwise, they would lose their meaning.

When he was young, he had this kind of pride. When he got older and saw things for what they were, he didn’t respect these so-called rules anymore.

“I’m sorry.”

Stephen Crane knew that anything he said now would fall short. The girl had more backbone than he had imagined.

If he continued to use the competition as a way to favor her, it would be an insult to her.

Hearing Stephen Crane’s apology, Molly Walker smiled indifferently, “It’s okay. I don’t care much about my ranking in the competition. What matters is the participation.”

Stephen Crane felt even more guilty.

Molly’s words meant that the competition had no significance.

Amanda Leaford and others learned the ins and outs of this matter through their back-and-forth conversation.

It turned out to be related to Molly’s grandmother.

Unexpectedly, Stephen Crane, who was so capable, had such a past with her grandmother.

Daniel Thompson was initially angry with Stephen Crane, but when he saw how deeply Stephen cared for Molly’s grandmother, his expression changed.

Since he was so devoted to Molly’s grandmother, how could he let Phoebe Belmont get pregnant?

Indeed, all men are the same.

Stephen Crane looked at Alyssa Evans, “Give me that thing.”

Alyssa Evans nodded and took a document out of her bag and handed it to Molly, “Miss Walker, this is the certified inheritance proof from Mr. Crane. From now on, Mr. Crane will give half of the property under his name to you. After a century, the other half will automatically be transferred to your name.”

Hearing this, the whole scene suddenly quieted down.

Not to mention James Leaford, Amanda Leaford, and Daniel Thompson had amazed expressions on their faces.

Who is Stephen Crane? With a fortune of tens of billions of dollars, he founded the top three international luxury brands. It could be said that Stephen Crane is a walking treasury.

And this treasury would now give its wealth to his own daughter?

At this moment, Daniel Thompson suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

“Mr. Crane, are you not afraid of your wife and children feeling jealous when they find out?”

Stephen Crane’s smile was gentle: “I have no wife and no children.”

“Really?” Daniel Thompson’s smile was filled with meaning, “The baby in Phoebe Belmont’s belly has nothing to do with you?”

He heard Phoebe Belmont yelling that the baby in her belly belonged to Stephen Crane, and now he was blatantly lying? And he planned to deceive his daughter with a simple contract?

He was also the richest man in Sunnydale, and he would never hand over the wealth he had fought for all his life to someone else’s child.

Daniel Thompson was sure that Stephen Crane was a liar.

Upon hearing Daniel Thompson’s interrogation, Amanda Leaford frowned.

Although she couldn’t believe Stephen Crane would be this generous either, what was with that look on Daniel Thompson’s face as he watched?

Phoebe Belmont had a child for someone else, and he was so infuriated about it?

Amanda Leaford glared at Daniel Thompson, and he swallowed his remaining words in fright.

“Let me explain all of this.” Alyssa Evans stood up and said sarcastically, “Mr. Crane saw Miss Belmont leaving the bar naked and lying on the street in a disgraceful manner, so he had me take her to the hotel for safety. During this entire process, Mr. Crane never got involved nor met Miss Belmont. When she woke up, she mistakenly thought it was Mr. Crane who had touched her, which led to the misunderstanding.”

“Miss Belmont has nothing to do with Mr. Crane, and the child in her belly is not related to him either. I’ve been following him for years, and he never had any interest in women. He was solely devoted to Miss Walker, with no spouse, no siblings, and no later generations. You can be assured in this regard. The transfer of this wealth has no additional conditions; he is doing this only for Miss Walker.”

Upon hearing this, James Leaford was full of admiration.

He too was a man of some wealth, but he couldn’t treat someone else’s child as his own, even at his most honest.

As expected from Stephen Crane, a man who had reached the pinnacle of the world, his perspective was extraordinary.

Hearing these words, Daniel Thompson’s expression became somewhat awkward.

Alyssa Evans’s words completely slapped him in the face.

He didn’t expect Stephen Crane to truly have no descendants and to give all his wealth to Ivy.

“By the way, Miss Walker, I know that you are the lost child of the Thompson family. I wonder if you will continue to use the surname Thompson or continue with the surname Walker?”

Stephen Crane’s words made Daniel Thompson shiver: “What do you mean by that? She is my daughter, of course she will continue to use my last name!”

“Really?” Stephen Crane smiled but did not reply. “Although I don’t know the specific details between you, I’ve heard that you seem to favor your adopted daughter.”

“An adopted daughter is just an adopted daughter; she can’t be compared to a biological one!” An impatient Daniel Thompson interrupted, “If you want to threaten my daughter to continue using the surname Walker with your wealth, I won’t agree. You have money, and I also have it. My daughter doesn’t need your money.”

Molly’s grandmother is a Walker, and this Stephen Crane has a love brain. When he asked this question, Daniel Thompson already knew what he was planning.

If Molly changed her name, it would have nothing to do with that Miss Walker. Stephen Crane might not agree to give the inheritance to Ivy.

But he absolutely would not allow his own daughter to take someone else’s name.

“Ivy, you wouldn’t deny your parents just for the money, would you?” Daniel Thompson looked at his daughter, his words filled with threats and skepticism.

Molly laughed, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

Amanda Leaford glanced coldly at Daniel Thompson and said, “This is not just a bit of money; it’s a lot of money. As long as my daughter can establish a relationship with Mr. Crane, even if she doesn’t acknowledge me as her mother, I won’t mind. There’s no need to acknowledge her father at all since he prefers Gillian Thompson anyway.”

Amanda Leaford’s words almost made Daniel Thompson spit out a mouthful of old blood.

Such unscrupulous words actually came from Amanda’s mouth?

“Amanda, she’s our child! How can you say something so outrageous?”

“Do those words seem excessive to you?” Amanda Leaford blinked and laughed playfully, “Choosing Mr. Crane is normal, right? Besides, can your wealth compare with Mr. Crane’s? Didn’t you divide your own company to give to Gillian Thompson? What Ivy will inherit is all of Mr. Crane’s wealth, you know…”