CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: WHAT VIDEO

Yvonne Hawthorne opened the album and found a video she shot a few hours ago.

It was the scene of Tanya Sinclair stepping over the fire basin and then being whipped by Uncle Langdon with willow sticks.

The angle she shot from deliberately made Tanya look both silly and foolish.

Yvonne Hawthorne curled her lips with satisfaction and casually sent the video to a WeChat group, where all the members were Aris’s top elite second-generation rich kids.

Yvonne Hawthorne: [Everyone, I have good news to announce, my sister-in-law Tanya Sinclair has finally awakened from a five-year coma. Today she returned home and stepped over the fire basin to dispel bad luck. Sharing the joy with everyone.]

Mother Hawthorne watched nearby, feeling a bit concerned, "This video, people in the group won’t spread it recklessly, will they?"

"So what if they do? It’s a perfect chance for everyone to see how unworthy this bumpkin is for my brother!" Yvonne Hawthorne was completely unconcerned; she leisurely sipped on bird’s nest soup, "Mom, Tanya Sinclair is a poor match for our family, and my brother dumping her is just a matter of time. You know that when my brother married her, it was also out of necessity. Now my brother is fine and doesn’t need her anymore!"

Mother Hawthorne also let out a cold smile, "Indeed, since she’s already given birth to a child, retaining the child while discarding the mother is much easier."

"Previously, Tanya Sinclair became a vegetative state due to difficult childbirth. If my brother were to divorce her, people would gossip. Now though..." Yvonne Hawthorne lazily leaned back on the sofa, her eyes full of clever calculation, "Let everyone watch more to see how tacky Tanya Sinclair truly is and how she doesn’t deserve my brother! When the time comes for my brother to file for divorce, public opinion will support him!"

This struck a chord in Mother Hawthorne’s heart.

That bumpkin Tanya Sinclair was nothing more than a stepping stone on her son’s path to prosperity.

Mother Hawthorne gleefully stated, "I heard from your dad, the second son from The Pierce Family invited tonight is the new boss of Westgard Pharmaceuticals! As long as your brother seizes this opportunity and continues the strategic cooperation with Westgard Pharmaceuticals, his status within the group will be greatly enhanced! Silas from the second branch family will no longer threaten him! In the future, your brother’s chances of inheriting the group will be even higher!"

Mother Hawthorne became more delighted the more she thought about it.

"Oh dear, and with Vincent’s remarkable personal qualities, once divorced, he can immediately find another top-level beauty to further support his career. Even if he takes her out, The Hawthorne Family would gain more prestige!"

Mother Hawthorne’s subsequent words faded out as Yvonne Hawthorne’s attention was entirely absorbed by that mysterious second son from The Pierce Family.

"Mom, how did dad manage to contact that enigmatic second son from The Pierce Family? Have you met him? Is he handsome?" Her curiosity peaked.

"How could I have seen him?" Mother Hawthorne replied, "Your dad never likes me to interfere with his business matters. You should also refrain from snooping to avoid getting scolded and focus on managing your gaming company properly. By the way, didn’t you have an important event tomorrow? Some overseas company, right?" Mother Hawthorne couldn’t recall the name at the moment.

"It’s AU International!" Yvonne Hawthorne became excited when mentioning the company, "It’s currently the largest gaming company overseas! They are coming to inspect the domestic market, and I tapped into many connections just to ensure their first stop is our company!"

If she could become the first domestic game company to cooperate with AU International, it would be equivalent to having a golden endorsement, making future financing and listing much smoother!

Mother Hawthorne quickly responded, "Then mom will contact the celebrity makeup artist and stylist now, have them come over early tomorrow morning to doll you up nicely!"

On the other side of the night.

In the top-floor of a grand commercial building, within an exaggeratedly spacious conference room.

Declan Pierce lounged at the main seat, his trouser-wrapped long legs casually propped, playing with a piece of A4 paper, folding it a few times until a butterfly was crafted at his elegant fingertips.

Facing him, seven or eight usually stern-faced executives sat surrounding the table, each looking at the reports in their hands, all detailing the departments’ quarterly earnings from the past year.

Without exception, every department experienced varying degrees of losses.

The executives dared not breathe, with cold sweat even emerging from their neck seams.

’Tap—’

The butterfly lightly floated down on the table.

Declan Pierce lifted his eyelids slightly and spoke casually, "This is last year’s revenue situation of your respective departments. I need an explanation."

The room was deathly silent; after a few seconds, the head of the marketing department sitting to Declan Pierce’s right timidly spoke up, "President Pierce, I’ve already conveyed the work targets to the team, it’s the people under me..."

"Ha..." Declan Pierce raised a brow and smiled. This handsome face suddenly turned wickedly captivating with that smile.

He stood up, and the imposing aura around him surged unexpectedly with his elevated stature.

Seeing the big boss approach, the executive who had been speaking paled slightly.

In the next moment, Declan Pierce’s hand fell on his shoulder.

The man in his forties visibly trembled with fear.

"President... President Pierce..."

Declan Pierce’s face showed no excess emotion.

"I asked for an explanation, and you’re shifting blame to your subordinates? Your million-year salary, do you want to share it with them?"

"Pfft—" In the corner of the sofa, Zion Monroe couldn’t hold back and abruptly chuckled.

The next moment, he swiftly covered his mouth and knelt on the sofa, admitting fault.

His elder brother Jasper Monroe knew Declan Pierce had returned to the country, and immediately dispatched people to bring this pampered scion back from abroad, throwing him at Declan Pierce’s side, under the guise of letting him learn. But actually, it was clear that Declan Pierce was the one he feared most, letting Declan help manage him.

Of course, the business benefits were definitely not small.

At this moment, the executive from the marketing department had stood up, his voice trembling slightly, "I’m sorry, President Pierce, it was my negligence at work. I promise to double the performance next quarter!"

Declan Pierce didn’t respond.

Clearly, he was unsatisfied with this answer.

The executives in the room were all savvy individuals and quickly stood up unanimously.

All were top elites worth millions, yet at this moment each bowed their heads before Declan Pierce like grandsons awaiting reprimand.

Declan Pierce expressionlessly tossed the file in his hand onto the table, his gaze sharp and cold sweeping across the room.

"Next quarter, I’ll be waiting to see your results. If you can’t deliver, go to the HR department and resign yourself."

He threw down these words and turned to leave.

Janne Hayes immediately followed quickly.

He could tell that President Pierce was not in a good mood tonight, probably since returning from The Hawthorne Gardens...

"Brother Pierce, wait for me!"

Zion Monroe also hurriedly chased after, almost getting caught by the elevator doors.

Declan Pierce didn’t even give him a proper glance.

"I really didn’t laugh on purpose just now." Zion Monroe was wrongly accused, "Oh, it’s all because of that Hawthorne lady... what’s her name again."

He couldn’t recall the name for a moment and checked in the group to confirm.

"Yes, Yvonne Hawthorne, this woman, she posted a video of her sister-in-law in the group..."

Declan Pierce, who had been ignoring him, suddenly turned around, his stern and piercing eyes fixed on him.

"What video?"

Zion Monroe didn’t expect Declan Pierce, usually indifferent to such gossip, to react so strongly and was taken aback. He opened the video and handed the phone over.

"Just this video, Yvonne Hawthorne just posted it in the group, and several people have shared it, it’s really quite funny." Considering that Declan Pierce had been abroad these years and might not know who’s in the video, he kindly explained further, "Brother Pierce, the person in the video crossing the fire basin is Yvonne Hawthorne’s sister-in-law, what’s her name... Tanya..."

Declan Pierce looked at Tanya Sinclair in the video, crossing the fire basin and getting hit with willow sticks, his gaze growing colder by the inch.

"...Tanya Sinclair." He spoke with a chilling tone.