Chapter 522:
Brendon’s heart softened. Yolanda’s meekness only made Christina seem colder in comparison. If Christina had even a hint of Yolanda’s warmth, he wouldn’t despise her so much.
But he had already forgotten how he had once called Christina boring when she had been gentle and compliant. Later, when she had stood up for herself, he had called her arrogant because he couldn’t control her.
Brendon said stiffly, “Grandma, Yolanda is the woman I’m going to marry. Our engagement is next month. All I ask is that you treat her with a little respect. Stop letting someone with hidden motives fool you into thinking a fraud is a gem.”
Bethel almost laughed again. The irony was too rich. The one being fooled was him. She looked at Brendon long and hard. And in that moment, she knew leaving her company shares to Christina had been the right choice. She needed to transfer the Dawson family mansion to Christina’s name as soon as possible. Giving the Dawson Group to her son or grandson would only lead to its downfall.
Bethel scoffed. “I may be old, Brendon, but I’m not blind. I know exactly who’s trustworthy and who’s rotten to the core.”
“I’d say you’re blind and gullible,” Brendon shot back, his tone bitter. Then, he turned to Christina. “You cooperate with me right now and hold a press conference to publicly claim the recordings are fake. Do that, and I’ll make sure you’re compensated.” He paused, his eyes cold. “But if you refuse—”
“And what exactly do you plan to do?” Christina asked, her voice calm and sharp, her eyes locked fearlessly on Brendon. A quiet strength radiated from her cold and dignified expression.
Brendon didn’t respond. Instead, he raised a hand slightly.
At his signal, the towering bodyguards behind him stepped forward, surrounding Christina without a word.
“Brendon!” Bethel’s voice rose in panic as she struggled to sit up in her hospital bed. “What are you trying to do to Christina?”
“Bethel, please. Don’t get up,” Christina quickly turned to her. “I’m okay.”
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“Christina…” Bethel’s eyes softened with worry, and then darkened as she looked at her grandson. “Brendon, have you completely lost your mind?” Her voice trembled, filled with anger and disappointment. “You treated Christina like she was nothing. And now you want her to leave empty-handed. Do you think she would have fought back if you hadn’t pushed her to the edge?”
Tears gathered in her aged eyes as she stared at him. “Since childhood, I have taught you to be a decent man. But you…” She shook her head in disbelief. “Do you know how much Christina has done for the Dawson family? Without her, we would have never come this far. The Dawson Group’s success is all because of her. You ignored her for three whole years and treated her like she didn’t exist, and now that she’s finally standing up for herself, you want to leave her with nothing? Brendon, shame on you!”
Her voice broke slightly as she added, “The biggest regret of my life was forcing the two of you together.”
Brendon had come to the hospital already furious, and hearing his grandmother give Christina the credit for the family’s success only made his blood boil. His pride couldn’t take it. “Enough!” he snapped. “Grandma, are you seriously giving her all the credit? The company’s success has nothing to do with her! It was my hard work that built it, not hers! She’s nothing but a housewife who can’t even cook properly!”
Brendon tightened his grip on Yolanda and scoffed. “Don’t even try to compare her to Yolanda. She’s not in the same league.” He lifted his chin proudly. “Yolanda is a rising star—a renowned designer in both fashion and jewelry. Just recently, she won the national fashion design championship. With her talent, it won’t be long before someone like Allison Fuller notices her and takes her on.”
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