Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 678

Despite the fact that Thea had pushed him towards divorce, it had only been a few days and Jason was far from feeling jealous or regretful about losing her as a wife. In fact, he seemed to find the idea of her repulsive now. For some reason, this stirred a sense of unease in Thea. Who was this woman that Jason could possibly look at differently? It seemed he had always been indifferent.

"What, you came looking for someone?" Thea couldn't help but scoff. "You seem so eager, ready to grovel at someone's feet, huh? Jason, I never thought you'd stoop so low. But then, even if someone was interested, they wouldn't want to see you. Why else would they use a voice changer? Maybe they're just stringing you along, teasing you with a deal that will never happen."

"It's none of your business whether a deal happens or not. Everwood Villa Estate will never be yours, it won't be the setting of your twisted love story. You got here so fast, what, hoping to cling to someone wealthier than yourselves?"

Jason retorted, "Wade, the buyer has already slapped you in the face with his actions. It's true, some things never change. You've always been timid, never able to break out of your small mindset, and that's why your business ventures never last. Enjoy your moment at the top of Harmonia Country's elite, but be careful, it might not last long. After all, not every man can stomach adding just a dollar to a bid. Thea, watch out, he might just use a hundred bucks to get rid of you one day."

Thea was stunned. Jason, usually so reserved and principled, was suddenly so talkative... and his words were infuriating.

Her face, usually so composed, twisted in anger.

Wade, not wanting to lose face in front of her, growled lowly, "Jason, stop trying to stir trouble. I'm not petty; I just don't want you getting any more money out of this."

Jason sneered indifferently, "That's exactly being petty. At least during my marriage to Thea, I didn't hesitate to funnel billions into the Patrick Group, boosting you up, Wade. But it was all for naught. These external things, I don't care about them anymore. A true man doesn't squabble over pennies. How can such a man dream of ruling the world? The Patrick family may have played their tricks for thirty years to get where they are today, but I believe, those who only see money will not go far. The elite in Emperor City will never truly respect you, just wait and see."

With that, Jason glanced at them coldly and wheeled himself away as if their presence tainted the air.

Thea, her beautiful face cracking under the strain, couldn't believe it. Even after everything, Jason still wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing him upset over her infidelity. A suppressed resentment bubbled up within her.

Wade turned to her, his eyes showing disapproval, "Why are you still looking at him? Do you still have feelings for him?"

"Thea, how could I? I've always hated him," she quickly replied.

Soon after, Wade's assistant returned, reporting, "Mr. Patrick, I went to see the auction manager but couldn't find the buyer's assistant. The manager said the buyer was too proud to bother with us, and we shouldn't try to find him. He won't care about us riff-raff." "What? This is outrageous." Wade's face contorted in anger. "Did you tell them who you are? They dared to insult me?"

"I did, but that's exactly what the buyer's assistant said. They were very dismissive."

"I checked the surveillance. We didn't see the buyer, just a kid passing by the box, and I'm sure he's not the buyer."

"A kid?" Wade brushed it off, his eyes cold and calculating. The more he thought about it, the more he felt the buyer was playing games. Who was it? Who dared to cross him by buying the Lippert Resort? Was it to aid Jason or to strike against the Patrick Group? "Keep an eye on the Lippert Resort. Now that it's bought, they'll show up eventually. I want to see who dares to oppose me," Wade said chillingly.

Meanwhile, in a quiet lounge of the auction house.

Sammy, with a mischievous grin, slung his laptop bag over his shoulder and sat down beside his grandmother, "Grandma, I've already handled the payment with the auction manager! Grandpa came to our box earlier, looking for the buyer. You really won't tell him it was you who used your savings to buy the Lippert Resort?"

Natalie's pale face reddened slightly under Sammy's clear gaze. She fiddled with her sleeve, "Sammy, let's keep it a secret. I'm afraid if he knew, he wouldn't approve, and it would make things awkward."

"And, this money was from the fund your daddy set up for me. If he finds out I've used it all, he'd be mad at me."

Sammy's eyes widened, "But you're doing this all for Grandpa. The Lippert Resort is worth at most a hundred billion. You intentionally offered more, the extra hundred billion, isn't that to help Grandpa revive the company? Isn't that indirectly helping... my not-so-great dad?" Natalie laughed softly, pinching his cheek, "You're too smart. But thank you, Sammy, for being so understanding. You're willing to help, even with your dad being who he is."

"It's not about him!" Sammy shook his head, "I may not want to help the Lippert family, but I'll always listen to you, Grandma. Besides, Wade and his crew are despicable! Grandpa's ex-wife, treating him so terribly, it's unbearable. They'd never guess the mysterious buyer worth two hundred billion is just an ordinary person like you. Wade must be panicking now. Let's throw them off with this smoke screen, give Grandpa a chance to breathe. With the two hundred billion, hopefully, the Lippert family can regain some dignity." That was exactly Natalie's plan.

Natalie had just caught a glimpse of Jason, seething with silent resentment. He was man who had basked in the limelight for the better part of his life, and now, in his twilight years, he was subjected to the scorn and ridicule of Wade and Thea. It pained her heart to witness.

Truth be told, the downfall of the Lippert family couldn't be completely disassociated from Ludwik's actions.

Natalie sighed deeply, torn between her son and the father of her son. She knew she had to do something for them, quietly and without seeking any recognition.

She longed to see Jason reclaim his pride, to see him make Wade and Thea eat their words. She would do anything to bring even a sliver of happiness back into his life.

Suppressing her own feelings, she grabbed her purse and stood up, turning to Sammy. "After the deal is closed, your grandfather might still be looking for buyers. Make sure to get in touch with the assistant over here and..."

Her voice trailed off as she prepared to make whatever moves were necessary to piece back together the shattered fragments of her family, driven by a relentless desire to see them whole again.