One Night Surprise - Season 3 Episode 20

“I’m coming,” she answered in low spirits, then dragged her tired body into the bathroom to wash up.

There was a lot of work to do at the company. Before she took over this position, she had no idea that her father had to deal with so many things each day. She had only experienced it for a few days and was already at her limit.

At the thought of the referendum during the board meeting today, she felt even more disconcerted.

It was evident that her father had left that position for her a long time ago. Due to her mother’s intervention, however, it felt like she had stolen it, and it constantly put her on edge.

It finally stopped raining. Early in the morning, Courtney invited her late father’s personal lawyer, Jeremy, out for a cup of coffee.

Jeremy was an old friend of her father’s. He was quite reputable among lawyers in Melrose City. Even though he had always worked in defending business lawsuits, Courtney felt like he was a trustworthy person. Thus, she decided to consult him regarding her custody of Jordan.

To her surprise, Jeremy handed her an insurance policy before she even began speaking.

“Mr. Hunter bought this insurance in Hong Kong when he was still alive. It has already been paid for five years. You’re the beneficiary, Miss Hunter.”

She was taken aback to see the huge title at the top of the insurance policy that read, ‘Critical Illness Insurance’.

“Why did my dad…” What prompted him to buy this insurance policy?

After all, who would anticipate their own death from developing a critical illness?

Jeremy grew serious. “He bought this insurance very early on. It was probably the year before you went abroad, Miss Hunter. Mr. Hunter was still very healthy at the time and even had a health certificate from the hospital. To be honest, I didn’t exactly know how he thought of buying this insurance back then either, but looking at things now, he was truly a man of foresight.”

“What do you mean?”

“Previously, while Mr. Hunter was admitted to the hospital, I kept helping him revise his will and sort out the issue with property ownership. After looking into it, I would say that I have a clear understanding of 90%, if not 100%, of the financial situation at Hunter Group. Haven’t you ever wondered why your father did not leave anything for you, Miss Hunter?”

She seemed to have picked up on something. “What’s wrong with the company?”

“There’s not much of it left. Mr. Hunter has gradually been yielding his power over the years. The subsidiary company had an internal strife that resulted in a huge deficit. On the surface, the Hunter Family has a lot of real estate, but there was not one that wasn’t mortgaged to the bank. Every year, they only fell into more debt. The company is already having difficulties operating.”

“How did this happen?” Courtney was astounded. “My dad never told me any of this.”

“Mr. Hunter knows you have no intention of succeeding the company, and he doesn’t want you to get involved in these muddy waters either. He already made all the arrangements for the succession of the company before his passing.”

“Arrangements?” She did not comprehend. “What arrangements?”

In the middle of their conversation, the LCD television hanging on the wall of the café suddenly broadcasted the latest social news.

“It’s ten in the morning in Kyoto. Twenty minutes ago, the city headquarters of a family business corporation was suddenly shut down by the court and is undergoing a police investigation. The board members of the company are in a dispute. Miss Hunter, the newly appointed female president of the company, unfortunately, fell off the building and was pronounced dead on the spot. Amid this chaos, the Vice President, Madam Yves, has gone missing.”

Crash! Courtney’s hand trembled and lost grip of the coffee mug, spilling coffee all over herself.

The waitress quickly rushed over to clean up, but Courtney was still fixated on the television screen. She was shocked, bewildered, and perplexed.

A while later, she heard the waitress apologize to her, and slowly pulled her focus back. “It’s okay. I’ll clean this up myself.”

Sitting back down in a befuddled state, she asked, “What is going on with the company, Mr. Morrison?”

Jeremy did not spare a glance at the television and had a calm expression. “If my guess is right, someone reported the Hunter Group for tax evasion. They are facing a huge fine and need someone to step up to take responsibility. With that amount of money, it’s not possible to avoid jail time.”

“Someone reported them?” Courtney looked dazed. “Who?”

Jeremy looked at her meaningfully then revealed, “Your father.”

Everything was planned from the start; everything was planned perfectly.

After spending so many years in business, Lucian’s brain was not just for show. He knew exactly how each person in his life treated him. Even toward the end of his life, he still feigned ignorance just for this last fight that no one saw coming.

Speaking about being ruthless, his tactics were still the worst. He did not give any leeway.

Courtney thought it was funny.

In a marriage where they both only schemed against each other, Lucian had even left a big trap for her in his will after death. He did not show mercy to his own wife and daughter. In contrast, Courtney once believed that her father was a kind-hearted man.

Among people who do business, none of them actually invest all their feelings into it. It’s only for show.

At noon, Jeremy left the café and walked a few hundred meters along the street before he swiftly got into a black Ferrari that was at the side of the road.

The rearview mirror reflected the warm gaze of the man sitting in the backseat. His tailored suit made him overflow with charisma.

“Did you talk to her?”

Jeremy nodded. “Following your orders, I only told Miss Hunter about the problems at the company, and the plot behind the will. I did not tell her that Mr. Hunter knew about Susan and Anna poisoning him.”

“Okay.” The man let out a sigh. “My assistant will work out the remuneration with you accordingly.”

Jeremy grinned. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve received my remuneration from Mr. Hunter. He doesn’t want Miss Hunter to know too much, either. He only hopes that once she gets the insurance money, she’ll be able to live a smooth and steady life. In a way, he’s making up for what he owes her. In any case, my job ends here.”

With a nod, the car slowly pulled up to the side. After Jeremy got off, the car went back into the flow of traffic.

“I don’t understand, Eli. Why can’t we tell Hunter the truth? Doesn’t she have the right to know about her father’s real cause of death?”

“Courtney isn’t someone who likes to dig into the cause and effect of an issue that can’t be changed. Telling her about this will only add to her stress. Seeing that Lucian deliberately hid it from her, I’m sure it’s not for the sole reason of keeping her out of misery.”

The way he spoke poured out naturally like the spring water in the mountains that aren’t too rushed or too slow; it was easy on the ears.

“What else could there be?” Lilian could not understand.

“The company.” He shot her a glance. “Lucian is using this method to tell Courtney that he knows about everything and that she doesn’t need to do anything else. He even misled her to think that he had intentionally left a company in ruins as a ticking time bomb to get back at Susan and Anna. He doesn’t want her to be trapped by family bonds and be tied up in company matters.”

Moreover, the truth was that the Hunter Group had gone past the point of recovery a long time ago; it could not be saved anymore. The tax evasion issue was the last straw.

“Keeping her in the dark would be for the best. She’s been too stressed out lately. I will handle these miscellaneous things for her.”

Gazing out the window, Elijah’s usually gentle eyes grew more profound.