Chapter 244

Once Jeff and Hilda had left, Norwood remained in his seat,still simmering with anger.

Wray lingered quietly nearby, keeping his gaze lowered, though a faint, satisfied smile tugged at his lips.

Learning that Eleanor was the long-lost daughter of the Bentons had at first unsettled him. He had worried Norwood might give his blessing to the marriage simply out of respect for the Benton family.

That would have meant Nolan inheriting the Benton family's powerful support,leaving him with little hope of rising within the Stewart Group.

Yet, to his surprise, events had unfolded in his favor.

The more Nolan treasured Eleanor, the more Norwood's resentment seemed to grow.

Fortune was finally tipping in his direction.

At that moment, a servant who had been sent to the villa in Regal Heights hurried in, looking thoroughly distressed. Norwood was already in a foul mood, his anger only intensifying at the sight of the anxious servant.

He snapped, "Where is Nolan? What did he tell you?"

The servant trembled under Norwood's glare, bowing so deeply he barely dared to breathe. "He...he said "

"Out with it! What's his excuse?" He barked.

"He said he's personally preparing the engagement venue and hasn't got time to return right now."

As soon as those words were spoken, a heavy,uncomfortable silence settled over the living room.

Norwood's anger hit its breaking point as his entire body shook and his face turned crimson with fury."Well, my grandson never fails to surprise me!" he spat out.

Norwood slammed his fist against the armrest, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath.

The highly respected head of the Stewart Group lowered himself to the level of a servant, all for a woman who had already been divorced! Was this really the grandson he had invested so much hope and effort in raising?

Sensing the perfect moment, Wray quickly moved closer,his voice soothing as he fanned Norwood's frustration. "Norwood, please don't get so worked up.Nolan is being reckless. After everything you've done for him, this is how he repays you, with carelessness and thoughtlessness."

He paused, watching for any sign of approval in Norwood's face, then pressed on to push his advantage. "Forgive me for speaking plainly, but if you let Nolan go through with this marriage, who knows? He might abandon this family altogether. He mighteven live with the Benton family after getting married."

"He wouldn't dare!" Norwood erupted, though even as he shouted, the warning had clearly rattled him.

He simply could not tolerate the idea!

Never would he allow the heir to embarrass this family like that!

There was no way he would stand by and let such a humiliation take place.

Turning sharply to the butler, Norwood issued a stern order. "Go now! Tell that ungrateful boy that he's no longer the head of the Stewart Group! Then inform Human Resources, effective immediately, Wray is to assume the CEO position and hold absolute authority over company affairs!"

Wray's eyes lit up with barely contained thrill.

He could hardly believe how quickly fortune had turned in his favor.

Wray quickly masked his delight, putting on an air of humility and concern. "Norwood, are you sure about this? I don't know if I'm truly worthy of such a big responsibility. Still, if you're placing your faith in me,l promise I'll give it my all and never let you down."

Norwood ignored him entirely, his gaze still clouded by fury.

He needed to teach that disobedient grandson a lesson he would never forget.

And on top of that, he had to find Nolan a proper match as soon as possible, putting an end to all this nonsense.

He suddenly remembered how, just a few days earlier,a friend from the White family had mentioned over coffee that their granddaughter had recently returned from overseas and was the right age for marriage.

While the White family only ranked fourth among the city's elite families, the girl's maternal grandfather held sway in high government circles.

Uniting the Stewart family with the White family would strengthen their position enormously.

Besides, a young woman brought up in such a prestigious family might be just the person to bring Nolan back under control.

Completely unaware of Norwood's scheme, Wray basked in the thrill of the authority he was about to claim.

He swore he would never give Nolan another chance to stand in his way!

The only blemish on Wray's rise was that he wasn't a direct descendant of Norwood.

Even as CEO, the inheritance rights would never be his by birth.

But he was patient, and once Nolan was finished, it was only a matter of time before the entire Stewart empire became his for the taking