Chapter 267 A Perfect Plan?
“In your eyes, not only is Courtney Lucian’s daughter, but she is also the Young Lady of the Hunter Family and the legal beneficiary of Hunter Group. However, the prerequisite for enjoying all these titles is the opportunity for her to be treated fairly by the Hunter Family.”
Alicia’s strong and powerful voice silenced the rest of the reporters at once.
“How do you think the Hunter Group was founded? Do you think Lucian built it from scratch? He merely depended on his ex-wife’s family. After his business became successful, he dumped his wife who stuck with him through thick and thin. On the day that Courtney was born, her mother passed away as she lost a lot of blood during delivery. Use your brains for a moment—how would a mistress who finally chased the wife away treat Courtney? Courtney has shares in Hunter Group? Just how great do you think humanity is?”
Hurt and pain were apparent in her voice as she spoke about Courtney’s miserable life, which she had witnessed all those years. From a young age, Courtney was with her grandfather. When he died, she was callously sent to Lucian’s family because Alicia did not want her to be pampered. The harsher the environment, the more her will could be trained. Alicia’s worst fear for Courtney—Cecilia’s daughter—was for her to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Hence, she did not want to raise Courtney as a young lady who did not know the harsh realities of the world. Alicia would rather Courtney hate her in the future as long as she knew how to protect herself.
After ten years in the Hunter Family, Courtney did not disappoint Alicia at all. She had great achievements—she managed to enroll in the best medical university in Melrose City.
“Apart from having the title as the Second Young Lady of the Hunter Family, she did not experience any treatment that matched the title. Ask yourselves—why would you expect a young woman like Courtney, who’s in her twenties, to take responsibility for a company that’s going bankrupt for the people who were never kind to her at all?”
Upon listening to Alicia’s words, the reporters below the stage awkwardly looked at each other as they were unable to answer the question. Truth be told, not many among them knew about Courtney’s complicated relationship with the Hunter Family. In fact, they even thought she was Lucian and Susan’s daughter—based on the pictures that were exposed and her appearance at Anna’s funeral.
Everyone took it for granted that Courtney was a pampered young lady raised in the Hunter Family, which was why everyone thought she had to take responsibility for the Hunter Group. After all, they discovered that she had many assets under her name.
Alicia was so furious that her body could not stop trembling. Courtney shot a glance at Alicia’s assistant, who understood what she meant before she helped Alicia down the stage to take a rest. I guess that’s the most Aunt Alicia can help. The rest depends on myself.
“You might not know this, but the person who just spoke up for me is Aunt Alicia, my mother’s closest friend and sister-in-law. She’s my family.” Courtney stood up and looked at the group of reporters below the stage. “Initially, I didn’t even invite her to the press conference today, but you know how much coverage this incident has been receiving, so it alerted her. Well, this is actually a good thing, so I won’t have to explain everything again.”
“So, are you really unrelated to the Hunter Group?” a reporter asked amidst the pressure. “However, we heard that Citron Apparel used to be a subsidiary of the Hunter Group.”
“I guess everyone has investigated the assets under my name. I don’t have any shares in the Hunter Group. As for Citron Apparel, it originally belonged to my mother. Before my father died, he asked me what I wanted from him, so I merely took what belonged to my mother. This isn’t too much, is it?”
“Miss Hunter, what about the incident when the blue collar worker committed suicide by jumping from the building that housed the Hunter Group? Didn’t you help by saying that you will take responsibility for this incident? If you are really unrelated to the Hunter Group, why did you rush over there to save him?”
Courtney froze before looking to the source of the voice. After all, criticisms can never be easily stopped.
When the rest of the reporters were talking among themselves, a man wearing a face mask looked at her fiercely with a hint of slyness in his eyes.
“President Hunter—” The PR Manager, Lionel, wanted to stand up and reply on her behalf. However, Courtney pressed him back. She then looked at the reporter as she replied in a low voice, “Saving a human’s life is more important than anything else. If I don’t try to save him, are you expecting me to watch him fall to his death and happily clap after that?”
Upon hearing her reply, the reporter who questioned her was momentarily stunned. After he heard the people around him agreeing with her, he panicked for a few seconds before regaining his composure to continue asking the next question.
“Since you are such a kind person, Miss Hunter, why don’t you take care of Hunter Group and the blue collar workers? Even though the temperature has been dipping these few days, they have been sitting outside the headquarters of Hunter Group for an entire day while waiting for a reasonable explanation.”
“Did I say that I’m going to ignore them?” Courtney shot a glance at him. “I don’t think I said that, right?”
The facial expression of the reporter who questioned her immediately changed. Suddenly, everyone around her started to enthusiastically discuss the trending articles. Meanwhile, an article that a popular page posted on Facebook had already been shared millions of times.
The news about Courtney helping a blue collar’s daughter who suffered from leukemia swept Facebook like a tide. Because of that, the Hunter Group’s official website announced that the property project, which had previously been suspended, would be resumed once again.
The reporters present at the scene started to receive calls from their headquarters—one after another—with the news that there was a change in the interview plans. In mere moments, the entire direction of the press conference had changed.
“Miss Hunter, are you implying that you are going to deal with the mess left by the Hunter Group? Aren’t you worried that this black hole will drain all of your money?”
“Miss Hunter, since the relationship between you and your father is not that great, why are you still willing to inherit the Hunter Group? Are you doing this purely because of business or kinship…”
Questions after questions were being directed at Courtney.
In the Ivory Apparel’s vice-president’s office situated at the Melrose City business district, a middle-aged man dressed in a business suit angrily barged into the office. With a loud thud, he threw a newspaper on the vice-president’s desk. “Look at this! This is your so-called ‘perfect plan’!”
His roar immediately rang in the entire area. The young man wearing a coffee-colored checkered suit and seated behind the office table froze. After reading the contents of the newspaper, his expression immediately changed. “Why is this happening?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you this question?” With a dark look on his face, the middle-aged man continued yelling, “What did I tell you? Once we receive the bid from Sakura Group, do not think about taking those illegal routes! If you do it often, you will be caught one day!”
“It’s not like that.” The young man looked anxious. “This is impossible! Martin from Citron Apparel told me that it’s impossible for Courtney to agree to settle the mess left behind by the Hunter Group. Even if he doesn’t tell me that, it’s impossible. Is she crazy? That is—”
“Why don’t you take a look at the people behind her?” As his entire body trembled in fury, the middle-aged man pointed his finger at the newspaper. “Clearly have a look at them. Who’s this person sitting next to her? How about that one? Have you really looked into her background? Yet, you dare to play tricks on her! Are you planning to bring the entire company down?”
As the young man was still stunned, the middle-aged man’s anxious voice reverberated throughout the entire room.
“Alexander Duncan from Sunhill Enterprise, Mrs. Somerfield, President Lewis of AW Group, and the chief editor of Vivi Magazine—these are the people who are backing her! Apart from that, she has connections abroad that even I myself can’t investigate! Andy Greene, you are digging your own grave!”
