Chapter 7 Boleyn Group

• Paul snorted, "No contact? He went to the hospital on his own to treat Dad. Isn't that contact with the Edens?"
• "Now everyone is trying to figure out who cured Dad."
• "If they find out it was him, what will The Big Three think? They'll believe we're still involved with the Howes."
• Paul's wife, Mayvis Lockhead, chimed in.
• "Paul's right. If he survived, he should have stayed in the countryside and lived quietly. Why come back to Eserith? For this house? He has no power or influence now. Does he think he can hold onto this place?"
• "Of course, what you choose to do is your business, but please don't involve us Edens anymore. We can't afford to be implicated."
• Eserith is dominated by The Big Three, and families like the Edens have to act according to their whims.
• They've spent years trying to escape the shadow of the Howes and start to rise again. But now, Jayce's return is a potential threat to that progress.
• If The Big Three find out the Edens are still connected to a Howe, they will surely take action against the Edens.
• Cora stood beside Jayce, furious.
• "Mayvis, what do you mean? Are you saying Jayce was wrong to treat Grandpa?"
• Paul frowned, "Cora, what are you talking about? We're not saying it was wrong for him to treat Dad. Dad's illness should be handled by experts. We didn't ask him; he came on his own."
• "We came this time to pay him for his services."
• With that, Paul took out 300 dollars, placed it on the ground, and said to Jayce.
• "You're just an ordinary doctor, and my dad was just an ordinary patient. This is your fee. We have no other relationship."
• Looking at the 300 dollars on the ground, Cora's face turned livid with anger.
• "You are so ungrateful!"
• Paul sneered, "Ungrateful? How so? He's just a small-time doctor. He treated my father, and we are paying him. Do you know the consultation fee for the best doctor in Eserith isn't even 300 dollars? I'm being generous."
• "And, Cora, I advise you to stop associating with him, or don't blame us for not recognizing you as the young lady of the family!"
• "Remember your status. You are engaged, so don't mess around outside!"
• Seeing how close Cora and Jayce were, Paul had to remind her. Cora was set to marry into the Gordons and couldn't get involved with Jayce.
• After speaking, Paul and the rest of the Edens got into their car and left.
• Cora was trembling with anger, her face pale.
• "How despicable! If it weren't for Marc, Paul wouldn't be where he is today!"
• As for the engagement, Cora didn't mention it. If the Howes were still around, she would have most likely married Jayce.
• But after their downfall, the Edens shifted the engagement to someone else, though Cora had never accepted it.
• Jayce remained calm in the face of Paul's ingratitude, smiling faintly.
• "How's your grandfather's health?"
• Cora sighed, "He's fine now. Jayce, why aren't you angry?"
• Paul's behavior was infuriating. The Howes had done so much for him, far more than 300 dollars. Now he felt he was being generous by giving 300 dollars. It made Cora furious.
• Jayce laughed, "No need to be angry. Have you ever seen a tiger get angry at the taunting of an ant?"
• Cora was momentarily stunned, looking at Jayce with a sense of admiration. After ten years, Jayce had not only changed in appearance but had also developed a more profound and composed demeanor.
• Though Jayce was only in his twenties, he carried himself with the demeanor of someone in a position of power.
• "Jayce, Grandpa will be discharged in a few days. My dad is at the hospital with him now. I came to invite you to dinner at our house tonight."
• "Sure, it's been a while since I've had a drink with James."
• Cora called her driver, who arrived in an Audi A6, and the two got into the car.
• "Cora, you must have graduated from college by now, right?"
• "Yes, I graduated and now run a company called Vitalis Medica. It's not a huge business, but it keeps us going."
• From the car she drove, it was clear her company wasn't very large. Successful CEOs typically didn't drive A6s.
• "Why did you name it Vitalis Medica instead of John Medical?"
• He remembered that the Edens had been in the pharmaceutical business for years, and the John Medical brand was well-known. He couldn't understand why Cora had abandoned such a strong brand name.
• Cora snorted, "That's all thanks to Victor, Paul's son."
• "Paul controls the family now, and only he can use the John Medical brand. I'm not allowed to use it at all."
• Jayce smirked. Paul was certainly arrogant and overbearing.
• On the way, Jayce received a call.
• "Senior? Is that you? It's Eric!"
• "Eric, what's up?"
• "I heard from Mr. Wade that you're back in Eserith. I'd like to meet with you. When would you be available?"
• Jayce thought for a moment. "Tonight's no good."
• For most people, an invitation from Eric would be an honor they wouldn't refuse.
• But Jayce had already promised to have dinner with James.
• "Alright, let me know whenever you're free. I'll be there."
• "And there's something else. For years, I've been planning to start a company named after our mentor, the Boleyn Group. It's a comprehensive enterprise focused on pharmaceuticals, with an initial investment of seven billion."
• "But because I'm not our mentor's direct disciple, I haven't felt right using his name. Now that you're back, I'd like to transfer the company to you. What do you think?"
• Jayce frowned slightly.
• As Bruce's direct disciple, Jayce felt a duty to practice medicine and help people, but running such a large pharmaceutical company seemed cumbersome.
• Sensing Jayce's hesitation, Eric quickly added, "Don't worry, I'm only transferring the title of president and 51% of the shares to you. I'll handle all the management. You won't have to do anything but collect the profits."
• Eric's intentions were clear: Jayce would be the president and majority shareholder but wouldn't have to manage the company.
• Jayce knew enough about Eric to trust him. He was a skilled businessman with good character, unlikely to tarnish Bruce's reputation.
• "Alright."
• "Great! I'll start preparations right away. We'll invite you to the opening ceremony!"
• "We'll see."
• After hanging up, Eric broke into a cold sweat, exhaling in relief.
• Though Jayce was twenty years his junior, facing him felt like facing Bruce himself, making Eric extremely nervous.