Substitute Marriage With the Illegitimate Son novel Chapter 111

The partner then spoke, his tone bland. "I heard that you once arranged your biological daughter's marriage, only to make your adopted daughter marry in her stead. You still owe the girl a sum of money, don't you? Yet you refuse to give her proper compensation. Your adopted daughter has made this matter public, and she certainly wasn't subtle about it. Clearly, you are not a trustworthy person. In our recent meeting with the shareholders, we have reached a consensus to no longer engage in any cooperation with your dubious enterprises."

Although the man's voice was relatively calm, Bernie felt it rumble in his core.

"Mr. Walton, these allegations aren't true at all! We have our fair share of difficulties. Can't you please reconsider the matter?" Bernie was so frightened that he could barely think properly before speaking.

He was still honest, to a degree. He wanted to acknowledge the Lind family's fault in the issue with the marriage, but he didn't know how to even begin his explanation.

"Why should I? How dare you insist on a collaboration when you and your family have already been exposed for your deceit?"

Bernie felt his face burn with shame. He had nothing to say to that.

Fiona was seated beside him, and she had been pressing her ear to the other side of the phone the whole time to listen in on the conversation.

She was just as shaken to learn that their business partner intended to terminate their cooperation. Unlike Bernie, however, she was quite adept with words.

"Let me talk to him," she said impatiently as she grabbed the phone from his hands.

"Please, Mr. Walton," Fiona said in a singsong voice. "You must allow us to explain our side of the matter. You can't just listen to what other people are saying. It is true that we have an adopted daughter. However, this so-called expose of hers is nothing but a ploy to extort us of money. Such an ungrateful girl, really. We raised her like our own, and here she is now, maligning us for profit. I'm afraid that she won't stop until she has taken every single penny to our name. We would have gladly given her what she needed, but we know her well enough to know that she's only going to squander any cash she gets her hands on. This is a family matter, Mr. Walton. We are trying to handle it as best as we can, but I hope you understand that personal affairs have no place in business transactions."

Fiona had fully expected to convince the man with her persuasive ways, but she only received more disdainful remarks.

"I disagree. As a matter of fact, I had this issue investigated exactly because of our existing collaboration. I must say, I'm quite appalled that you persist in slandering your adopted daughter. I already know that Janet asked you for money in order to finance the surgery of a maid that used to serve the Lind family. She wasn't going to spend it on herself. It seems that you and your husband are incapable of truth. Only an idiot would be willing to enter a business deal with you, and I assure you, I am no idiot. Furthermore, the Lind family has been on the decline in recent years. The only reason why we kept giving you contracts is to honor the friendship between the previous generations of our two families. Now that you have broken that trust, I believe I have no other choice but to sever our ties for good."

Fiona's lips twitched, until her face contorted into a hideous expression.

They shouldn't have adopted Janet in the first place! Even as a child, she had always stolen the limelight from Jocelyn. As an adult, all she did was to go against the Lind family. If Fiona had known that things would turn out like this, she would have just left Janet to die in the cold.

"No, please don't hang up, Mr. Walton!" she cried out in a hurry. "Let's continue with this discussion. Please tell me what we need to do so that you'll continue working with us."

The man snorted derisively. "Do honestly need me to spell it out for you? Don't you have any idea what you've done wrong at all? Our cooperation was built upon integrity, something that the Lind family is painfully lacking."

Then he hung up the phone before Fiona could say anything else.