The Billionaire's Forbidden Longing
Chapter 40 Shares

Hearing the name "Yasmin," Allison just gave a faint smile.

Some folks might get all worked up over fancy titles, but not Allison. She knew a person's worth wasn't about how much praise they got, but what they actually did for the world.

Yasmin grabbed every opportunity, no matter the cost, which meant her shiny public image was bound to crash sooner or later.

After evening class, it was still Alexander who came to pick Allison up. He said it was for her safety, and since Mia had been crashing at her place lately, Allison reluctantly went along with it.

Alexander asked, "Exams been wearing you out? I whipped up some late-night snacks for you to enjoy at home!"

Just as Allison was processing the fact that Alexander had actually made snacks, a voice suddenly called out from behind her. "Allison, hold up!"

It was Preston.

Allison turned around and said calmly, "Mr. Bennett, what's up?"

Preston got ticked off hearing Allison not even call him Dad. Plus, seeing her with a guy late at night was too much for him. "You're so young, and you're not even focusing on your studies! How'd you do on your exams? Failed again? You should be more like Yasmin, a good student with both character and academic excellence, instead of being so self-indulgent!"

Preston's words hit Allison like a ton of bricks. Even Alexander frowned hearing them.

What kind of father would speak so harshly to his daughter?

Alexander was barely holding back his anger, but Allison turned to him. "Mr. Carter, this is a family matter."

Her message was clear; she didn't want Alexander to get involved.

Alexander could only nod and step aside. Luckily, Mia was already in the car, or things could've gotten messier.

Allison looked at Preston and said, "What kind of person I become has nothing to do with you, and I don't really want to be your daughter! To you, a daughter is just a tool for making deals! If there's nothing else, I'm heading home!" Seeing Allison about to leave, Preston got flustered. "I'm telling you, Allison, since you've left the Bennett family, don't cause any trouble for me in the future. And don't even think about claiming any of your grandfather's shares!" Allison had thought he came to pick up Yasmin, but turns out he was here for her grandfather's shares.

She gave a cold smile. "Those are Grandpa's to give, and I have every right to take them. Instead of threatening me, you should go home and take care of Grandpa. Maybe then the shares will go directly to you!"

"You ungrateful brat, you've been kicked out of the Bennett family. You have no right to inherit the shares. Aren't you just after the money?" Preston said, glancing at Alexander with disdain, probably thinking he was some sugar daddy. Too bad the poor lighting kept him from seeing Alexander's face clearly, or he would've been shocked.

Allison raised an eyebrow. "Whether I have the right or not is up to Grandpa. Haven't you wondered why he'd rather give the shares to me than to his own son? Mr. Bennett, I won't agree to your demands. Not just the shares, but even the company-if Grandpa wants to hand it over to me, I'll take it without hesitation. So, don't waste your efforts!"

Preston was livid. He couldn't believe Allison had such ambitions, even wanting the company. But knowing Hayden's affection for her, it was quite possible he might actually give it to her.

Seeing Preston's furious face, Allison felt satisfied as she got into the car. From now on, she would take everything they cared about. She would repay the five years of humiliation bit by bit.

The next day was the weekend, and Allison got a call from Hayden early in the morning, asking her to come back to the Bennett Villa. She figured it had to be about the shares; otherwise, Preston wouldn't have shown up at her school last night.

She stepped out of her room, planning to tell Felicity not to bother with lunch since she'd be heading to the Bennett Villa. But she was surprised to see Alexander chilling in the living room. "Mr. Carter, what are you doing here?" she asked.

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Mia had been picked up by Liliana, and Felicity wasn't around. Being alone with Alexander made Allison a bit uneasy.

Alexander noticed her discomfort and stood up, ready to leave. "Felicity isn't here, and I was worried no one would make you breakfast, so I came to do it myself."

Felicity had mentioned taking the weekend off a few days ago, but Allison had been too swamped to remember.

"Thank you, Mr. Carter," Allison said, still keeping a bit of distance in her tone. Alexander sighed, realizing it wouldn't be easy to win her heart.

"Got any plans for today?" Alexander asked, trying to sound casual.

"My grandpa wants me to go back to the Bennett Villa later," Allison replied.

Hearing this, Alexander frowned. "If you don't want to go, don't force yourself."

He knew Allison didn't really want to see anyone from the Bennett family except Hayden. After last night's run-in with her dad, she was likely to face more hostility today. He didn't want her to suffer. Allison shook her head. "Preston came to me last night, hoping I'd give up the Bennett Group shares. I think Grandpa called me home today because of this. He trusts me so much; I can't let him down." To Allison, Hayden was the only warmth in her life, and she cherished it deeply.

"Then I'll take you there," Alexander said, sitting back down on the sofa.

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Breakfast was already laid out on the table. After eating, Alexander drove Allison to the Bennett Villa.

After getting out of the car, Alexander gave her a few instructions and added, "If anything happens, call me. I'll be nearby."

Watching the car leave, Allison turned and walked into the Bennett Villa.

As soon as she stepped in, she felt the tense atmosphere.

"You still dare to come back?" Preston spat, his hatred for Allison growing stronger.

Blair, however, was unusually silent, sitting on the sofa. Since their encounter in court, Blair hadn't shown her face to Allison again. It wasn't out of guilt; she was probably worried that the truth from back then would come out, causing the Bennett family to lose face.

Hayden waved at Allison. "Allison, don't mind him. Come sit next to me."

Hayden was standing next to Jonah and a lawyer, which made Preston even angrier. "Dad, this is ridiculous. Allison is so young, and you're giving her so many shares. Why don't you give them to Jasper? He's also your grandson!" Preston looked heartbroken, his eyes full of hatred for Allison.

Allison ignored him completely, her eyes only on her grandfather.

Preston continued, "Dad, Allison is now involved with some unsavory men. If you give her the shares, she might just hand them over to those men. In the end, it will be our Bennett family that suffers!"

Preston was really pulling out all the stops to prevent Hayden from giving Allison the shares.

Hayden became quite furious. "How can you talk about your daughter like that, Preston? How can you be so heartless?"

Seeing Hayden defend Allison, Preston became even more anxious. "Ruthless? I'm doing this for the Bennett family, for her own good! What does she know about business? Even if she gets the shares, so what? How can she gain the approval of so many shareholders? It's a joke to hand over the company to her. She's just a high school student. How can she manage a company and command respect?"